Profile

Marian Goodman is hands-down one of the most influential and respected dealers of contemporary art in town, with a powerhouse stable of artists—many of whom are European stars she introduced to the States. With a no-nonsense reputation—and an utter lack of interest in the “scene”—Goodman set the tone for her gallery when she opened it in the late ‘70s with the posthumous U.S. debut of the difficult Belgian conceptual artist Marcel Broodthaers. Her artists are challenging, many having already established their historical importance. Among them: German painter Gerhard Richter, whose recent mid-career retrospective at MoMA proved conceptual paintings can also win over the crowds; German Thomas Struth and Canadian Jeff Wall, some of the godfathers of contemporary photography; legendary mixed-media artist and satirist Thomas Schutte; French star and Hugo Boss prize-winner Pierre Huyghe, whose videos combine narrative and pop culture to haunting effect; and Maurizio Cattelan, perhaps best known for his Venice-Biennale installation of a likeness of the Pope struck down by a meteor. Goodman may be the chief reason to go to the 57th Street row. — Alex Mar