Art Deals

When a pitcher pitches a no-hitter, people call it a "masterpiece," but when a painter paints a masterpiece, no one ever calls it a "no-hitter." This may soon change. Two young New York artists, Steven Ausbury and Todd Alden, have created Artkards, the art scene's equivalent of baseball trading cards. On the front, the player: artist, dealer, or critic. On the back: career highlights, fun facts, sometimes a stirring quote. Julian Schnabel's card reveals that the inspiration of using broken plates in his work struck him at his previous job, as a chef at the Ocean Club. Quoth Andres Serrano, "There's a billiondollar Christ-for-Profit industry out there—what I want to know is, who monitors [it]?" Jenny Holzer and Cindy Sherman have cards, as do less well-known artists like Matthew Barney (designated as 1992 Rookie). With Artkards in galleries from New York to Cologne, can hot dogs and watery beer at openings be far behind?

JAMES COLLINS