Tuesday, December 24, 2013

What's it worth?

Suppose someone jabs a hole in a Picasso or throws some paint on a Pollack. Does that decrease the value of these pieces? Of course, we naturally first think of their monetary value. That's just how we are. $124 million for a Francis Bacon, dethroning the perennial newsmaking of Van Gogh. We won't stop here, and there will be a new champion painting by a champion artist. The art is the commodity that creates the value that seduces the capitalist with lots of money to spare to make it his very own which makes the art for everyone just for one.

A different look at value places the power and meaning of a piece in its reflection of the artists ability, life, vision and courage. The art then becomes the accumulation of the artist's contribution and all the meanings through time sprout in each viewer who sees the piece. This is how the piece lives and endures and belongs to all.

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