Some say gallerist initiated split due to Hirst's declining sales; others see a shift in balance of power towards top artistsThey seemed the perfect match. On one side,Larry Gagosian, the world's most powerful art dealer, and whose eponymous gallery has more exhibition space than Tate Modern,an annual revenue estimated at more than $1bn (£600m) and puts on exhibitions of the likes of Picasso, Matisse and Warhol to rival the greatest museums. On the other, or Damien Hirst,the world's most successful living artist, who has amassed a fortune of £215m.
So Hirst's sudden departure after 17 years from Gagosian's blockbuster roster of 77 artists and estates – months after the gallerist mounted an unprecedented simultaneous exhibition of the artist's spot paintings in every one of his then 11 galleries around the world – has raised questions approximately the careers of these titans of the modern art world, and approximately the art market itself.
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Source: theguardian.com