It’s goodbye to auctions (for now) as virus puts a blot on art world
The thrill – and the transparency – of the auction room has been put on hold. So how much will art lovers spend on a work they’ve only seen on a screen?
Damian Hackett in the Sydney auction room of Deutscher and Hackett. Louise Kennerley
The painting appears. There is rustling in the room, a wave of anticipation, the spur of adrenalin. Staff flank the stage, each with a client on the phone. And then it starts: slow, fast, flat in the middle, then the race to the finish. Sometimes fast all the way.
The auctioneer – commanding the room – brings down a small wooden hammer with a loud bang. Someone wins, someone loses.
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