R.I.P. Artnet

by Bill Davenport June 28, 2012

Artnet magazine, the 16-year old online art magazine, ceased publication Monday. The widely-read magazine, which carried the words of Charlie Finch and republished Jerry Salz, was closed by Artnet, whose business is art market tracking, because it was not, and had never been profitable. A statement from editor Walter Robinson said, “This difficult decision is an economic one, and reflects the fact that during its 16 years of digital life, the magazine was never able to pay its own way. At present, plans call for Artnet Magazine to remain available in an archive on Artnet.com.” Salz’s obituary for the site said “In 1998, Artnet was the site that convinced me that if my writing didn’t exist online, it didn’t exist at all. It showed me criticism’s future.” and added “It’s an ominous sign: Even after sixteen years, a genuinely good online magazine, a brilliantly individualistic, multicolored, fast-adapting, self-organizing species, is still difficult to monetize.”

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