Are Prices Paid for Art Obscene
Are some of the prices paid for collectable artwork obscene ?
The news that actor Hugh Grant just sold his picture of Elizabeth Taylor by Andy Warhol for £11 million, netting a tidy 9 million profit, made me wonder - can it really be worth that much ?
Being a believer in Keynsian Economics and a realist part of me says of course it is, the market decides the value of something, personal opinion has nothing to do with it.
The other side thinks, it’s not that good therefore not worth the money.
I know we’re heading into the I don’t know much about art but I know what I like area here but …
I cannot help but believe great art should require great skill on on the part of the artist.
Hidden depths or implied meanings so often seen in modern or abstract art are really for the birds !
If you have profound thoughts and messages you wish to share with the world write a book.
I wonder if it can continue as increasingly these types of work are purchased by investors, hedge fund managers for portfolios etc. If the music stops and prices stop going up, or indeed drop, where will the market be ?
Well beyond the pocket of most collectors and any volume of works hitting the auction houses would soon over burden the gallery market
What defines great art ?
I don’t know - maybe there should be a new series X Factor Art !
If Simon Cowell reads this and goes for it I hope he pays me royalties for the idea
A Retired Bookdealer said,
November 15, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
Are some of the prices paid for collectable art obscene ?.
“No -
Looks ok to me if you are selling, and of course have a work of art that someone wants.
Witches of Eastwick said,
November 15, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
Rod,
abstract art are really for the birds ! … would you mind expanding of this, are we talking feathers?
WoE
Rod said,
November 15, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
WoE
what we’re talking about is pretentious waffle
The Emperor’s New Clothes
RC
the dinosaur said,
November 15, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
When I first read your headline “Are Prices Paid for Art Obscene”, I read it as “Are Prices Paid for Obscene Art” must be the way my mind works
Seriously though, it seems to me that what makes a particular artist’s works especially valuable is that they depict an original thought , regardless of what media is used, personally I think if you have real artistic skill you have more scope for originality and hopefully in time the gimmicky art works will lose there dominance in the art marketplace.
Rod said,
November 15, 2007 @ 6:57 pm
Dino,
Like your style
Sadly, I think the internet has all but killed the centuries old trade in obscene art!
A sad day.
I’m not against modern art in any way, in fact I am on record here as being a great admirer of Banksy. I have been taken by his work for a few years and wondered a couple if times whether I shold buy an original piece - at a few hundred quid I should have
I think great art should always ’say something’ and not just be a ‘picture’ but a blue painted square with a red border says only one thing to me !
Regards
Rod the Filistein
Jordan said,
November 16, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
RC
“The Emperor’s New Clothes”
Who’s naked????????????????????
Jordan
Rod said,
November 16, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Jordan
Who’s naked????????????????????
Nobody in this weather
well excepy my MySpace friends of course 
Regards
Rod