Amanita gallery in New York’s Bowery is presenting a rare exhibition pairing a John Chamberlain sculpture, *Gondola Marianne Moore* (1982), with three full, mounted Maiasaura dinosaur skeletons from the Upper Cretaceous period. The fossils, which are 62% to 85% real bone, have never before been exhibited in New York, let alone in a commercial gallery. Amanita partner Jacob Hyman emphasizes the show is not a gimmick but a serious exploration of sculpture, compression, and time, linking Chamberlain’s crushed automobile-part gondolas to the natural preservation of fossils.
The exhibition highlights the booming market for dinosaur skeletons, which has increasingly intersected with traditional art collecting since the pandemic, as seen in record auction sales like the $44.6m Stegosaurus ‘Apex’ at Sotheby’s. However, the private sale of fossils remains controversial, with experts calling for such specimens to remain in public institutions. Hyman argues that private patronage can still ensure responsible stewardship, positioning the show as both an artistic dialogue and a commentary on the ethics of fossil ownership.