Historically, the artists who’ve made collectors prove their good intentions have been those, like Hammons and Mehretu, with enough power and influence to make the business bend to their will. Most artists have no autonomy, which means that once their work leaves the studio and goes to the gallery, their involvement with it is through. Lately, though, the practice of auditioning collectors has changed, especially as galleries and museums attempt to elevate work by artists who’ve long been neglected or ignored by mainstream institutions. A younger, more diverse generation of artists are asking for more control over how their work gets sold and to whom. “For some people,” he said, “it’s cool they collect Black art, but they’re not hanging that stuff in their home.

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Persons: who’ve, Janiva Ellis, “, she’s, ”, —, Ellis, Halsey, Kordansky, Fleur, I’ve, Komal Shah Locations: New York, St, Haiti, India, California