some reading thoughts on art ...

Still reading “Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him…” I’m enjoying it but it’s getting a little bit tooo feminine for me. It’s quick read and I should have been done with it a while ago but just got busy with other things over the weekend. The books brings up a couple interesting topics to ponder. For example, in the story an new artist who attracted moderate attention from the art world dies shortly after his first exhibition. The day after his death is announced, there are waiting lists to buy out the entire show of his work. I can’t help but feel a little bit uneasy about this notion of “limited supply = bigger demand.” Were people buying the work because they liked it? Or were people buying the work because they wanted a work by the artist that died at his first art show? I’m thinking the second is probably the story, and as an ‘art for art’s sake’ champion, this notion makes me unhappy. Another interesting issue that’s brought up is watching this gallery owner deal with all the people he put on hold for a painting – who would the work go to? The muse that inspired it (the woman to whom the artist promised the work)? The young artist who was his biggest fan (who promised the artist he’d buy the work from him)? The wealthy collector? The socialite? To the hoity-toity celebrity? I’m interested to see how he works this out.

On Amazon the other day I bought “The Art of the Steal” – it’s about how to recognize and prevent art fraud… a friend of mine said it was pretty good