Price vs Value
What is art worth?
The obvious answer, art is worth what people will pay for it. But, is that all it's worth?
"Edge of the Woods" (9x9) by M Francis McCarthy
Pardon me while I get out my soapbox and preach a bit..."Edge of the Woods" (9x9) by M Francis McCarthy
I'm tired of the way everything in our consumerist culture has to have a price. People are just too attached to valuing things with dollars that should be valued for their real worth to the artist and the world at large.
We've all seen crappy art that was going for big bucks while art of value languished on the gallery wall. Why is this?
It's mostly because people buy art for a number of reasons that have little to do with the feeling that art creates in our hearts. In my view art should not be a popularity contest or a marketing ploy foisted upon a saleable image.
Art should be a deeply held communion between the artist, the universe and all of mankind. Great art can communicate volumes of information that can be expressed in no other way. This is why great art is priceless.
All that said, I enjoy selling my paintings after I've had them around awhile and my attentions are more focused on my most recent work.
Early in my painting career I sold four painting in a row right after I'd finished them. Unfortunately I didn't have closure with those pieces and I still pine for them. Funny enough I've others just as good from that period I'd be happy to see in someones home warming up their walls.
I feel that too many artists focus on selling too early in their art careers. As an artist your attention should be on creating the absolute best art possible. If you've done that with all your heart, your art will have real value that the market may or may not notice. Either way if you've bought something meaningful and beautiful into this world you have something to be proud of.
Cheers,
A bit about "Edge of the Woods". This one was painted on an old board my friend Baz gave me. This was repainted over once as the original had some niggling issues in the sky and below on the ground. Getting the sky right is really important to me.
As an aside I'd like to say that being a stern but fair critic of your own work is crucial to hitting the higher levels of painting. An artist whose guilty of being over enamored with their own work will have a hard row to hoe.
Conversely, it's also good to see what's good about what you do and be happy to let your painting have some room in this world even if they fall a bit short of your vision. A balance must be struck between these two concepts.