A Different $15,000 Question.....not gear

[JeffS7444]

I would be very leery of "creative scenes". Fourteen years ago, we moved to New Mexico, and I greatly anticipated participating in the art scene in Santa Fe. Then I encountered the reality: "educated" and "sophisticated" poseurs who know the price of everything, and the value of nothing (to quote the great Oscar Wilde). Eventually, living in a very rural, very impoverished, and very redneck area became the real stimulus to take my work, and my outlook, to a higher level of engagement and empathy. Small-scale, struggling cattle ranchers don't have too much time for creative scenes, but they can teach you a whole lot about life.

Not sure what you were hoping for, but I expect that some folks will be shopping for art for the sake of prestige, or as an investment, and that's a tradition as old as art itself; I've seen some fine works on display in bank lobbies. I've never toured Art Basel, but that's one possible use of some of that $15K.

There are plenty of working-class poor people in urban areas too, but it's not always easy to spot them, because they may be driving late-model cars, and wearing new clothes; some of them have been my coworkers. Their life-choices may seem sensible, from a certain point of view. But whether listening to their stories has elevated my craft, I don't know.

 

[DownUnder]

Not sure what you were hoping for, but I expect that some folks will be shopping for art for the sake of prestige, or as an investment, and that's a tradition as old as art itself; I've seen some fine works on display in bank lobbies. I've never toured Art Basel, but that's one possible use of some of that $15K.

There are plenty of working-class poor people in urban areas too, but it's not always easy to spot them, because they may be driving late-model cars, and wearing new clothes; some of them have been my coworkers. Their life-choices may seem sensible, from a certain point of view. But whether listening to their stories has elevated my craft, I don't know.

You forgot, because they didn't like the framing.

This happened to a friend who spent a small fortune for a photo exhibition some years ago. A wealthy 'identity' came along with his spouse and toured the display. He was keen to buy a few images, but she nixed the deal - she insisted the frames didn't suit their decor.

My comment when he related this sad saga to me was, well, it takes all kinds.

We had another G&T and agreed the big problem with trying to sell photo art these days is, the visual standards of most people seem to be set by Facebook. Even Flickr would have been a fair few steps up the scale.

It's the dumbing down of most visual arts in a lowbrow culture, especially here in Australia where popular culture comes from overseas television.

Equally sadly, my aforementioned friend didn't sell anything, and was out of pocket by a few thousand as he had invested heavily in fancy framing and glass and made the wrong decision to go with a gallery that rents its space. As can happen to photographers when they decide to Go Business and invest in an exhibition, as a popular Aussie saying goes they see you coming...

(I did suggest claiming a loss on his taxes, but he didn't want to go that way. Given what he spent (about AUD $3,500), I did wonder why not, but then to repeat myself, it takes all kinds.)

 

[boojum]

I don't think you can blame Flickr or Facebook. People had bad taste before these entities were invented and they sure did not create or enhance bad taste. I knew someone who felt that symmetry was good taste. So long as it was arranged symmetrically it was tasteful, tchatchki or otherwise. It wss not. But so long as other folks are not telling me what to have in my house I will return the favor.

As for art investments, this same person bought a number of Dali fakes feeling quite good to have the collection and at such good prices. The signatures were good. ;o) The "art" was appallingly bad.