The only thing the book lacks is an analysis of today’s conspicuous art consumption. Perhaps the authors felt it was out of their area of expertise, or maybe they didn’t want to risk libel suits by exposing the not-so-benevolent intentions in the altruistic-seeming gestures of living figures. But there is no doubt that the court of contemporary art is crowded with power brokers who leverage their relationships with artists to consolidate their social standing and broadcast something to the world about their grasp of culture. One suggestion, should the authors ever go this route: They ought to look at the megacollectors (some would say megalomaniacs) who build private museums in their own names. To be even more specific, they should start with the billionaire art enthusiasts who align themselves with — and accrue the shiny stainless-steel prestige of — work by Jeff Koons.

"Strings Attached" originally appeared in the January 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's January 2009 Table of Contents.