Last night, AM had the opportunity to attend a very special event held by Bonhams LA. A unique panel of speakers from different corners of the Urban art genre gathered to discuss the state of the Urban art market and the economics/dynamics of today’s art marketplace.

This was a lively discussion moderated by Seth Carmichael of the Carmichael Gallery. Artists such as US based Shepard Fairey  and UK based Charming Baker mingled with Art Critic: Shana Dambrot, Film maker: Jon Reiss, and Cataloger @ Bonhams: Cindy Cronk. Actively engaging with each other in discussion, no topic was too sacred and questions from the audience were encouraged.

Continue reading and see pics after the jump

Interesting topics that ranged from eBay reselling and its affects on the market to counterfeit art collectibles were actively debated. Even the age-old auction house business models were scrutinized. Many different facets of the artist and gallery relationship were discussed. Even artists which were not in attendance such as Banksy and Mr. Brainwash became the topics of discussion. Halfway through the lively “urban” session, the Hollywood based auction house found itself in the middle of a real life “urban” protest (regarding California Proposition 8). Nevertheless, the fervent panel rolled with the temporary commotion and moved on to talk about the murky future of the Contemporary Urban art market. Lucky fans in attendance even got the signature treatment from Shepard Fairey. All in all, this was the type of event that you walk into knowing not what to expect and walk away with a wealth of perspective.