Making ART is a journey of the senses. And [as cliched as it may sound]… it’s the journey that counts [grin]
It requires a BIG HEART.
And the ability to push through in the face of public apathy and a complacent marketplace.
What to do about this into the future is something that artists in the post GFC marketplace will need to consider. We can choose to set out and do what Ben and Kenny did [with questionable success]… by getting out of our comfort zone and looking at new ways to market our art [which btw is way so much more fun to do!]
Any resemblance to sign spinners anywhere is entirely coincidental (((chuckles)))
Or we can keep doing what’s been done before… and see where that leads us into the future.
Either way… artists need to be willing to change.
Life isn’t static. Nor is the market.
And nor is ART.
Historically art has changed to reflect the social economic and environmental events of the times.
As John Crowther observes…
“It’s very modern to think of art as a product that can be swapped for money, but the paleolithic cavemen never thought of their art in terms of what it could be “sold” for (at least, as far as I know)”
Back in the stone age… art served a single purpose to inform… educate… and possibly to entertain.
These days most artists want to inform… educate… entertain… AND get paid for their stuff! [grin]
But never before in the history of art has there been so many artists in the marketplace.
These days everyone’s an artist!
- Is this making it way too difficult?
- Is the appreciation of art being numbed by sheer weight of numbers?
- Is art becoming so commonplace that people no longer see it?
Which [naturally] then begs the question…
- Did people EVER see it? [grin]
And probably more importantly…
- Do they care enough to spend their hard earned cash on it?
Maybe art is just a “nice” idea… as art aficionados mingle champagne in hand in Galleries around the globe?
Or perhaps it is just a commodity as Sharon Himes suggests:
“To most people art is a commodity. The artist who thinks of it as just that and creates what style, subject or medium is currently in fashion often does well in the market. Those who go their own way and paint what inspires them do not often do so well. A friend once told me that 10% of the public likes art and [of those] only 10% can afford it”
[I don't know about you... but I'm not liking the numbers] (((chuckles)))
And perhaps a painting “to go over the sofa” might have helped Ben and Kenny get to the opposite side of the country… but is it enough?
Does art without heart really cut it?
What do you think?
…to be continued…
Part 3 will have a few answers I came up with all by myself [grin]
but you can have your say as well…
BY COMMENTING HERE
[more of your comments with links in Part 3]
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Artwork & Images © 2010 Jean Burman
Artwork & Images © 2010 Jean Burman
