One of today’s most respected art dealers, Michael Findlay launched his career surrounded by the
most exciting figures of the twentieth-century art scene. In this, his first memoir, Findlay traces his
journey from his childhood in Scotland to his arrival in New York City in 1964, where he directed
one of the first art galleries in SoHo, exposing American audiences to the likes of Joseph Beuys and
Sean Scully.
Findlay launched the first solo exhibitions of John Baldessari, Hannah Wilke, Stephen Mueller and
Billy Sullivan. He offers fascinating recollections about his relationships with painters and sculptors,
art dealers and art collectors, actors, models, and the creative talents at the heart of New York’s
Downtown scene.
Credit: © The Estate of William S. Wilson
Making appearances in Findlay’s stellar cast of characters are Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Bridget
Riley, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Ray Johnson, Gerald Laing, Joseph Cornell, Allen
Ginsberg, Gerard Malanga, and model Naomi Sims. He vividly depicts the comings and goings
at The Chelsea Hotel, St. Mark’s Place, Studio 54, and Max’s Kansas City and describes in candid
detail the wild parties and the freewheeling lifestyle of that swinging era.
Findlay’s evocatively recounted journey offers a new perspective on twentieth-century cultural
history and a gripping tale for anyone interested in the post–World War II art market, and sixties and
seventies New York.
Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man New York in the Sixties By Michael Findlay
Published by Prestel, September 3rd, 2024 RRP £25.00 / $35.00, ISBN: 978-3-7913-7726-1, Hardcover with jacket, 228 pages, 62/3 x 92/5 in, 56 black and white illustrations – available for PRE ORDER
About the author
MICHAEL FINDLAY is an internationally renowned art dealer and director of Acquavella Galleries
in New York. His career began in 1964, when he became a pioneer of SoHo’s legendary gallery
scene, presenting the first solo exhibitions of many then unknown artists who went on to become
household names. He is the author of The Value of Art and Seeing Slowly (both published by
Prestel).
