Literature

Charles Moore's The Black Market Gives Aspiring Collectors the Power to Define Their Own Legacies

Charles Moore, author of The Black Market, in the MoMA garden. Photo by Kevin Claiborne.
Charles Moore, author of The Black Market, in the MoMA garden. Photo by Kevin Claiborne.

After having read The Black Market this summer, I was itching with questions for author Charles Moore on how he accomplished this endeavor of single-handedly solidifying his place in the art world, the world of publishing and in the context of history in general not only as a Black man, but as a scholar and thinker. The book breaks down the monolithic stereotypes of who a Black collector, artist, or gallerist should be. Turning every page with fervor and determination to zero in on components I may be missing in my own career as all three, I instead felt sanctified down to the very last pages of the glossary. As a guide to collecting, it is a therapeutic tool toward self reflection on personal legacy. It gives confidence to someone like me with imposter syndrome as a woman of color in the art world. It solidifies that I am, indeed, in the Black market.

To read this article please or for culturedmag.com for free.