Very interesting questions about how and why we value art. On the issue of originality I find it interesting that so many paintings by great artists were team efforts completed (or started) by students with the great masters painting just the parts they excelled at or especially enjoyed doing. Should we only enjoy the masters portion and screen out the rest as being somehow less valuable?
In your place, I couldn’t contain my curiosity about the “Diego Rivera” and would want to make a plan if it proves to be the real deal. I’m with you, though, on the pleasures of discovering artists previously unknown to me. The works that stir me were not always painted bt the famous.
I gravitate towards favorite artists, but I also like to "walk through" and notice the piece for the piece, and disregard the artist. Sometimes I'm surprised by who created it, and discovering so, doesn't change my mind about the piece.
So often, especially with "modern" art, I think, "Really?" Favorite case in point, a "piece" in the Fort Worth (Texas) Museum of Modern Art was a florescent light fixture lying on the flour, plugged in to a wall outlet with the light turned on. That was it. Seriously. I always wonder who was complicit in saying "YES!" for this piece of hardware to be part of an art installation. No one laughed and said, "No way! No one will accept that as art!!" ?
I read and totally enjoyed your interview with Debbie. An excellent read.
Art is art to me, not an investment. There’s only me. No one to inherit anything so values are meaningless.
When I visit the Big Exhibitions that the National Gallery of Australia puts on, I’m often left thinking ‘So what?’ It’s usually the smaller doodles by famous artists that I find most interesting. I’m a pen and wash artist so those doodles can be inspirational.
Not sure why people want or need to spend literally millions on art. There are so many better things they could be doing with their money. Ah well. (I’m obviously in a bit of a ‘bah humbug’ mood this morning. Grin.)
(One note - 15 million pounds is one thousand times the 2021 estimate you quoted. Crazy.)
Thanks so much for an interesting read. I hope you had a lovely time travelling. All the best.
Very interesting questions about how and why we value art. On the issue of originality I find it interesting that so many paintings by great artists were team efforts completed (or started) by students with the great masters painting just the parts they excelled at or especially enjoyed doing. Should we only enjoy the masters portion and screen out the rest as being somehow less valuable?
In your place, I couldn’t contain my curiosity about the “Diego Rivera” and would want to make a plan if it proves to be the real deal. I’m with you, though, on the pleasures of discovering artists previously unknown to me. The works that stir me were not always painted bt the famous.
I gravitate towards favorite artists, but I also like to "walk through" and notice the piece for the piece, and disregard the artist. Sometimes I'm surprised by who created it, and discovering so, doesn't change my mind about the piece.
So often, especially with "modern" art, I think, "Really?" Favorite case in point, a "piece" in the Fort Worth (Texas) Museum of Modern Art was a florescent light fixture lying on the flour, plugged in to a wall outlet with the light turned on. That was it. Seriously. I always wonder who was complicit in saying "YES!" for this piece of hardware to be part of an art installation. No one laughed and said, "No way! No one will accept that as art!!" ?
I read and totally enjoyed your interview with Debbie. An excellent read.
Art is art to me, not an investment. There’s only me. No one to inherit anything so values are meaningless.
When I visit the Big Exhibitions that the National Gallery of Australia puts on, I’m often left thinking ‘So what?’ It’s usually the smaller doodles by famous artists that I find most interesting. I’m a pen and wash artist so those doodles can be inspirational.
Not sure why people want or need to spend literally millions on art. There are so many better things they could be doing with their money. Ah well. (I’m obviously in a bit of a ‘bah humbug’ mood this morning. Grin.)
(One note - 15 million pounds is one thousand times the 2021 estimate you quoted. Crazy.)
Thanks so much for an interesting read. I hope you had a lovely time travelling. All the best.
thank you Ann! here's the direct link for your readers: https://debbieweil.substack.com/p/on-savoring-old-age-writing-and-sex?