Steve Martin’s Sketch of the Art World

by Julie Bosman
New York Times: November 17, 2010

Steve Martin’s new novel, “An Object of Beauty,” set in the Manhattan art scene, draws from long personal observation.

Walking down Madison Avenue on a sunny afternoon last week Steve Martin had the look of a movie star in thin disguise, wearing tinted glasses and a charcoal fedora that covered his familiar white head of hair.

But once inside the Gagosian Gallery, one of the most high-powered galleries in New York, he peeled off his coat, revealing a dark suit, burgundy tie and perfectly polished black shoes that made him look more like one of the art dealers he describes in his new novel.

Mr. Martin was there to discuss the book, “An Object of Beauty,” a tale set in the Manhattan art world that draws from decades of personal observation. He is a longtime private collector. His friends include mega dealers like Larry Gagosian and William Acquavella, whose galleries — separated by a few blocks in an art-rich pocket of the Upper East Side — make regular appearances in the novel.

But Mr. Martin insisted repeatedly that he is far from an authority on the subject, and he often seemed more comfortable talking about art books than artworks.
“I’m not an expert,” he said, in his trademark dry sincerity. “Trust me, they don’t need me.”

Full story at NYT.

Steve Martin, right, with William Acquavella, the owner of Acquavella Galleries in Manhattan. Ruth Fremson - NYT.