The contemporary fine art auction house is a space where aesthetics and commerce merge into a spectacular experience. Sotheby's, London is one example of an auction house turned entertainment space, which masks its blatant capitalist tendencies through the replication of validated cultural institutions. The auction house mimics museum and theatre space in order to create a legitimate social and cultural experience for its clients. Every aspect of the auction event is choreographed to generate demand for its art and an authentic experience for its patrons. Individuals with the approved educational and economical background have access to these constructed locations, and attend the auction performance to purchase social status in conjunction with the art. As a result of this, Sotheby's effectively transforms economic capital into class acceptance through its spectacular space and legitimized cultural events.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.99370 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Eller, Erin E. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Art History and Communication Studies.) |
| Rights | © Erin E. Eller, 2006 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002571948, proquestno: AAIMR28555, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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