Art Dealer :: essays research papers

ART DEALERBy age five, Michael Irvin love art and museums but, in retrospect, his was no schoolboy infatuation. Today, his dedication to objets dart has made him one of the more or less sought-after art dealers in Southern California. The w atomic number 18s of his perenial treasure hunt pair his customers estates and summer homes, private planes and yachts anchored in Newport Beach and Monte Carlo. But Irvin is not barely a wholesale art dealer, for this stylish art novice describes his work as part psychologist, part art consultant, and he uses his expertise to interpret and translate his clients artistic expressions."Many of my clients already have everything. luxury cars, beautiful jewelry, clothes," said Irvin, a rugged 39-year-old who resembles a bronzed and taller turkey cock Cruise. "Their homes are their calling cards, and these homes command exquisite art."These demands require a comprehensive examination understanding of art history, and celebritie s interchangeable Dr. Phil McGaw and Orange Countys elites regularly call Irvin. His client roster is a veritable whos who of OC society and includes a visor Microsoft executive and a Saudi princess. Unlike traditional art dealers who simply locate art for their customers, Irvin consults with clients who have little time to research and are unsure of their decorative choices. He relies on his extensive database of artists and experts amassed over a decade of work, and buys directly from the source at wholesale prices."Michael has a loyal grasp of what his clients want," said Sheldon Harte of Harte Brownlee & Associates, a celebrated interior physical body firm in Laguna Beach. "Hes the best in the agate line." Despite the fashionable imagery, Irvin, said his daily routine is anything but glamourous. His typical day involves unload and carrying heavy canvases, wood panels or sculptures in all shapes and sizes. But Irvin doesnt complain. The son of a Dallas f ireman, Irvin grew up in Texas and was first exposed to opulance and superfluous during a stint as a chauffeur for Texas oil tycoons. He later worked as a caterer at the mansions of Stanley Marcus, of Neiman Marcus department stores, and society mavens like Anne Bass."I became acclimated to fine things Id never seen as a kid," said Irvin, who speaks with a slight, charming Southern accent. "It was a lifestyle I wanted for myself."Irvin went into business moving fine art to athletes homes in Colorado and Califorina, then colonized in Irvine in 2000 and worked at an art gallery in Laguna.