Artnet's Auction Price Database reveals the top 10 living American artists by auction sales value in 2024, with the U.S. art market generating $4.3 billion. The list includes Cindy Sherman ($180.9 million total sales, record $6.8 million for Untitled Film Stills), Mark Bradford ($226.6 million, record $12 million for Helter Skelter I), and Mark Grotjahn ($241 million, record $16.8 million for Untitled (S III Released to France Face 43.14)). Sherman is the only woman and photographer on the list; Bradford is the only African American and represented the U.S. at the 2017 Venice Biennale; Grotjahn is a California-based abstract painter.
This ranking matters because it highlights the dominance of American artists in the global auction market, the continued strength of the U.S. as the largest art market, and the market dynamics for living artists—including record prices, trophy sales over $10 million, and fluctuations in demand (e.g., Bradford's 92% annual sales drop in 2024). It also underscores the underrepresentation of women and artists of color among top sellers, and the role of major institutions and collectors (like Glenstone) in shaping artist careers.