Research

I have just finished my PhD in Sociology at the University of Chicago. My dissertation was on the use of artwork as an alternative financial investment. If you are interested in being interviewed or talking to me about this research, feel free to email: ecoslor (at) gmail.com

Current Research Interests

  • Structure of markets and value construction
  • Private equity industry
  • Museum finance and accounting practices
  • Economic sociology and sociology of finance
  • Global processes, urban and cultural geography, economic development

    Doctoral Dissertation Summary

    The Exchange Biography of Art: Value Construction, Rules of Exchange and Financial Investment Logics in the Market for Contemporary Art

    Over the past 40 years, there has been growing interest in art as an alternative financial investment, attracting some firms and individuals who buy art only for investment purposes. Through ethnographic research in New York and London, dominant centers for art sales and financial markets, I trace the entry of financial investment logics into the art market, the changing institutional structure, art trading practices, and processes of value construction. While there is a growing interest in the investment potential of artwork—even among collectors—this logic is constrained by personalized exchange practices of galleries, complex processes of artistic recognition, and the continued opaque nature of the art market.

    Dissertation Committee: Karin Knorr Cetina (Chair), Ryon Lancaster, Chicago
    Yuval Millo, LSE, and Andrew Leyshon, Nottingham
    Completed: August 2011

    Sample Paper on Art Investment
    Art Investment in London This was a conference paper for the Council on European Studies


    Position statement on art investment
    I locate my research at the intersection of art and finance. I do not endorse or oppose art investment, but attempt to understand it objectively, in the overall context of the art world. The diversity of opinion is part of what makes this topic intellectually exciting. As a part of my research, I am examining art market structure, moral concerns and controversies around art investment, the history of art investment, and so forth.
    • Interview consent form can be accessed here
    • My CV (Last Updated Fall 2011)


    Geography and Economic Development Research
    I began my PhD research thinking about urban economic development, but while my topic has changed to art investment, I still have a strong interest in economic development and urban issues. I was teaching urban geography and social cultural geography at Columbia College Chicago, and made land planning maps for the Chicago office of the Trust for Public Land up until I moved for field research. Here is some of my previous work on urban issues. 
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