Art Auction Excitement

I am a an artist, as well as an auctioneer.  I have a number of favorite artists, mostly modern.  Some of them are Andy Warhol for Pop Art, Henri Matisse for his collage cut art, Pablo Picasso for his cubist art, Frida Kahlo for her expression paintings, and more.

What is so striking to me as an artist is that artwork generally does not become high dollar auction items until the artist has died.  Perhaps because this would mean that no additional artworks would be made, the art that exists would be all that is available and therefore supply and demand kicks up the price.

Some auction houses, well known for their high dollar auctions, specifically focus on this type of auction--Christie's and Sotheby's for example.  Though I have never been to one of these auctions, viewing them online makes me believe there is an incredible surge of excitement at these auctions as the prices increase.