Keith Tyson spends at Frieze Art Fair

Not everyone is walking around the Frieze Art Fair with sewn-up pockets. While sales are said to be slow, this did not put off Turner Prize-winning British artist Keith Tyson (pictured) from doing his bit to prop up the art market. On Thursday, he purchased a set of 11 Eduardo Paolozzi screen-prints from US dealer Gavin Brown, part of a stand installation by artist Urs Fischer. It is thought he shelled out $75,000 for the work.

However, while the major galleries, such as Jay Jopling's White Cube, which represents Damien Hirst, said trade was good, many of the smaller dealers admitted that the economic crunch had taken its toll. New York art advisor Mark Fletcher said: "The pulse is not as vibrant and the market for the galleries on the fringe is really soft."

British collector David Roberts, who is opening a museum in North London in 2010, said he "didn't go mad". A view that was shared by fellow art-addict Frank Cohen, who already has his own museum of contemporary art in Manchester. "I'm not rushing this year," he said. "Two years ago people were fighting for works."