LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
ARTS & COLLECTIBLES
THE FUSION OF FINE ART AND LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Award-winning estate agent Michael Carucci, Executive Vice President of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, reveals the impact of pairing luxury real estate with fine art.
MANDI KEIGHRAN
When showing some of Massachusetts’ most luxurious real estate, award-winning estate agent and Executive Vice President of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, Michael Carucci, believes in setting the scene. He wants to give potential buyers a glimpse of the life they could live in the home, beyond the conventional use of staged furniture. One of the most powerful ways to do this, he believes, is by displaying fine art to infuse a space with colour and bring it to life.
Carucci knows what he’s talking about. The award-winning estate agent has set multiple records in the world of luxury real estate, holding the record for the highest sold price in Lexington and Cambridge, as well as various buildings throughout Boston. “It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on and be aware of what’s happening in your market and other markets,” he reveals of his successful approach. “It is also imperative to pay attention to what other top agents are doing outside your markets.”
True luxury real estate—which Carucci defines as the top 10% of value in a given marketplace—is characterised by its enviable location, its architectural merit, and an unsurpassed attention to detail and quality of finishes. By exhibiting fine art in these rarefied settings it’s possible to even further highlight the potential of the space. While Massachusetts’ real estate market was very robust in 2021, Carucci predicts a levelling off in 2022, making this kind of visionary presentation of properties more essential than ever to attract buyers.
Take for example, The Stolen 13 collection of works by artist Giovanni DeCunto. The paintings are contemporary interpretations of the 13 works that were famously stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990 and never recovered. Carucci has displayed the paintings in numerous properties over the years where they have assisted in sales—a trend that he hopes to continue through his new partnership with contemporary American artist Danny Minnick.
A former professional skateboarder, Minnick made the transition into the world of fine art after an injury left him unable to continue skating. His abstract expressionist paintings in acrylic and oil are often compared to the work of Basquiat and Keith Haring, and the colourful, dynamic style provides a splash of vibrant life on the often austere walls of luxury homes. Not only will Minnick’s work give extra flair and personality to the luxury properties marketed by Carucci, but they will expose his work to a new audience of discerning, high-net-worth individuals, driving sales of his fine art outside of the gallery context.
This fusion of fine art and luxury real estate is just one way that Carucci elevates what is, for many, one of the most important purchases that will ever be made, transforming it from a simple transaction into a richly rewarding experience
Michael Carucci is the Executive Vice President of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty. With almost $2 billion in career sales, he is ranked within the nation’s top 50 in sales volume for all Sotheby’s agents in 2019, and was recently named a Top Producer by Boston Magazine in 2020. Michael is the exclusive sales agent for the St. Regis Residences in Boston and an Ambassador for One Dalton, Boston’s Four Seasons Hotel and Residences. Michael was also voted Best Luxury Agent in Boston in 2018 by Boston Common Magazine. He is regularly quoted in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inman News, Robb Report, Banker & Tradesman, Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal. Michael is also a delegate for the Sotheby’s International Realty Market Leaders, an elite network of the Top 50 producing company agents of luxury markets who collaborate to match UHNW buyers and sellers worldwide.
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Q&A
How would you define luxury real estate?
Luxury Real Estate is typically the top 10% of value in your marketplace.
The best real estate always seems to have…….
The best location and best quality of finishes.
Being in love with your work is always key to achieving better results. Are you in love with being a broker? What do you love most about it?
Yes, I am very passionate about what we do. Real Estate is the largest commodity that someone will purchase in their lifetime as well as the most impactful purchase for the quality of their lives - what we enjoy most is being part of that process.
Keeping up to date on all the trends is essential for anyone who wants to conquer this market. In what ways do you keep current with new trends?
It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on and be aware of what’s happening in your market and other markets. It is imperative to pay attention to what other top agents are doing outside your markets.
You are a pioneer in fusing fine art with luxury real estate. Can you tell us an interesting story on how art has assisted you in a sale and vice versa?
The collection of the “Lost 13”, is a recreation of the 1990 theft of 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s collection created by Giovanni DeCunto. This work has assisted in the sale of a variety of properties over the years. We hope to continue that trend with Danny Minnick, our featured artist in this issue.
Can you describe Massachusetts’ real estate market in 2021 and what can we expect in 2022?
It was very robust in 2021 and I do predict a leveling off in 2022 however the market will still remain healthy.
When it comes to luxury real estate, what would you wish more people will realize?
That the term is overused and that not all real estate is necessarily considered luxury.
What has been your greatest accomplishment as a broker?
Putting people into their dream homes where they will raise their family! Something I’m also proud of is setting records in various towns and buildings, for example - the highest sold price in Lexington and Cambridge as well as various buildings throughout Boston.
What goals do you have for the future?
To continue to deliver high level concierge service to our clientele and to bring my son, Louis, into the business to continue what we started over the last 35 years and continue into the next 35 years or longer.
In another life, who would Michael Carucci be?
Leonardo Carucci, my dog.
Danny Minnick was born in Seattle, Washington. A creative soul from a very young age, Minnick was talented in many areas. A natural athlete, artist, and actor, he decided not to choose between the crafts but rather embody them all, leading him to a multifaceted life that spans many creative paths. He is a true artist who wants to share himself with the world, doing most things as a form of authentic expression to entertain and bring joy to others. Minnick has shot and produced documentary films, many with his pro-skater peers as his main subjects as a filmmaker and cinematographer. A few years ago, Danny Minnick found a professional way to paint on canvas. The former skateboard star, who had to end his professional career after a severe foot injury, is known for his wild, cheeky painting style, reminiscent of Keith Haring, Willem de Kooning, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Inspired by the skateboard graphics of Raymond Pettibon, Al Diaz, Giotto, Caravagga, Piero Della Francessa, Lee Quiñones, Barnett Newman, Robert De Niro Sr, Helen Frankenhaler, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo De Vinci, Monet, Lucian Freud, and Alex Katz, Minnick deals in his works with discarded, challenging experiences that he turns into something positive: so shows his trademark the bone man a plus sign in the pelvic area. Murals can be found in the Wynwood District in Miami, at the Barbican in London, next to Banksy’s Hommage to Basquiat, amongst other cities.
Q&A
Are you self-taught or formally trained? Either way, can you elaborate?
Self taught.
What was the first artist or painting that stopped you dead in your tracks?
Riding with death by Jean Michel Basquiat. It is outstanding!
If you hadn’t had such a tragic skateboard accident, do you feel you would still be a full-time artist?
Without doubt.
How would you describe your work style? Do you have any kind of signatures that help to identify your projects?
Free flowing abstraction that allows my creativity to express itself.
What would you say makes your art unique? If you care to share, what have others said?
Not having been classically taught, I am free to formulate my own boundaries. I leave it to others to quantify the success of this as I will always strive to improve and evolve as an artist.
All artists need some inspiration to work. So, what or who really inspires you?
I look outwards from my life to other artists, friends, people, and places for inspiration .
Do you have a favorite project or a favorite story about one of your projects?
Stay posted, as a project I have been lucky enough to work on will soon be revealed! All I can say is BDX thank you and big love.
Is there anything exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
No days off... Always working, always striving, always pushing the boundaries.
If you could get a commission for anyone living or dead, who would it be?
Jimi!!!!! Jimi!!!
What does the future hold for Danny Minnick?
I feel blessed to be where I am right now but will never rest on my laurels and will continue to push my creative process to the end of days.
SOLD
317 South Orleans Road Orleans, MA 02653
Sale Price: $3,500,000
2021 SOLD AND ACTIVE LISTINGS
ACTIVE
70 Black Horse Lane, Cohasset MA 02025
Offered at $4,895,000
EL JACK
Size: 115x69
Acrylic, Oil Stick, Spray Paint, Oil On Canvas Signed Verso
GIMME BACK MY PICASSO
Size: 49x74
Acrylic Oil, Oil Stick On Canvas
Signed Verso
SOLD
21 Claremont Park Boston MA 02118
Sale Price: $5,100,000
2021 SOLD AND ACTIVE LISTINGS
ACTIVE
Four Seasons Private Residence -
220 Boylston Street U:1210 Boston, MA: Back Bay 02116
Offered at: $2,975,000
I’LL EAT YOUR CHARACTER #2
Size: 63x63 Acrylic, Oil On Canvas
Signed Verso
WHEN I LOOK AT YOU PAINTING
Size: 40x30 Acrylic, Oil On Canvas
Signed Verso
SOLD
83 Page Street, Lincoln MA 01773
Sale Price: $3,250,000
2021 SOLD AND ACTIVE LISTINGS
ACTIVE
300 Fox Hill Street Westwood MA 02090
Offered at: $2,825,000
KANDINSKY WAIT AT THE DMV
(GANGSTA LEAN)
Size: 72x102
Oil Acrylic, Oil Rust Oleum Signed Verso
THE MISSING VASE
Size: 84x243
Acrylic, Oil Stick, Spray Paint On Canvas
Signed Verso
SOLD
142 Beacon Street Unit P, Boston MA 02116
Sale Price: $9,200,000
2021 SOLD AND ACTIVE LISTINGS
ACTIVE
960 Centre Street Jamaica Plain 02130
Offered at: $1,699,000
SOLD
Four Seasons Private Residence -
220 Boylston Street U:9001/9003 Back Bay , MA 02116
Sale Price: $8,850,000
ACTIVE
1 Fairfield Street, Boston MA 02116
Offered at: $6,595,000
