"Without the cock." pastel on paper, 2005On the news last night, they had a story about a woman who found a painting in the rubbish (what was she doing looking in the first place?!?), and rescued it minutes before the dustcart came to empty the bins. What she had found was a lost example of Latin American abstract art, which is expected to fetch $1 million at auction.
Now, personally, I wouldn't pay $1000 for it, but that's just me. I can see that it might have merit if you know what to look for (I don't). And of course, the guy's dead, which also makes the work more valuable.
What I really find interesting is the fact that people will pay $1 million for a painting in the first place. You can get an original in almost any style by a professional artist for a few hundreds or thousands. It's not the material or the labour that you're paying more for, it's the connection with the particular famous artist who painted it.
Tracey Emin's bed fetched $300,000. They could have mine for $200,000. It's not got the funny stains or used condoms, but at that price I'm sure I could find (hire?) someone to help me with that...
I would draw the line, though, at this. If you read the article carefully, you'll see that the gallery spokesman describes it as a "seminal" work. Wrong end, surely?
I don't care how much money I could make. Except, of course that no-one would pay for mine. It's not as "valuable". But why?
Which brings me to the pictured work. This is a prime example of the juxtaposition of figurative and Picassoesque traditions (look at the positioning of the nose, for example), and the masterful use of light and shade to draw a subject who's life's work could be summed up in those very words, is simply breathtaking.
It's also the only existing work by this particular artist (unless anyone's been going through my rubbish). So surely it's worth something? I mean it's crap, but you'd rather have this than one of Manzoni's tins, right?
Anyway, I'll sell it to the highest bidder...
50 comments:
I staRt the bidding at $20!
You pay for shipping right?
Poop:
That is just sooooo disgusting! And all before my coffee... [shaking head sadly]
I like Alfred, this guy even has uneven eyes like another famous Alfred- Alfred E neuman. He's mad, I say!
For a moment I thought that was my bed but then I noticed there were no candy wrappers strewn about
"he explained that his motivation for tinning his faeces was to expose the gullible nature of the art-buying public."
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED-several museums bought some.
shit cans explode!! I loved this post brian
jean knee you are such a kiss ass!
I'm still winning the bid though right?
so???
here, I'll do it again.
Brian, you gave me something to smile about all day long. shit in a can, LOL!
Yeah, I'm sure it also gave you some ideas!
Although maybe you can go up a notch and do dog shit in a jar... hmmmm...?
I love how we can take over Brian's blog like this.
so what are you doing after work?
I started New Moon so reading that. Thanks for asking jean knee. How's your party planning going?
I have a few decorations up but I can't decide how to display my skeletons. put them on a pumpkin; make a garland...what to do.
Garland of course!!
I think I'm gonna get those nail tips for the party, but are they hard to remove? I had some put on at the beauty college once and they would not come off. the horror
They still this liquid stuff you dunk your fingers in and they come right off! Not your fingers, the nails.
Although that would be cool too...
uh sell this liquid...
Martha Stewart, that maven of household misery, has these severed fingers and you send them out to your friends with an invitation. they aren't edible though, bummer
All severed fingers are edible.
I think Brian will be angry with us jean knee.
He might block us from his blog... :o(
no he won't
martha's severed fingers are plastic, I believe
I made some cool string cheese fingers last year. I'll post a pic later this week
String cheese fingers, yummmmm.
I'm still winning the bid.
yes, well, I don't have any money so I can't really bid
but, I can barter! okay brian how bout I trade all of my belly button lint crafts plus your own lint collector and you send me Alfred
Ha!
Brian, how about I send you $20 and no belly button lint!
I win!
jean knee, I figure we're Lucy and Ethel but who is who...?
uhmmmm, Brian, it's like 5:00 there, ;why aren't you answering us???
remember when your mum told you to ignore people and they would leave you alone?
she lied, we only get worse
Yup yup worse...
do you have red hair?
"In a letter to a friend, he explained that his motivation for tinning his feces was to expose the gullible nature of the art-buying public." AND THEY STILL BOUGHT IT!!!! Sheesh, with tax payer money less. Nice, how very nice.
I mean you, bee
Not today...
okay, then you're Ethel.
I get that Hawwwwt Ricky. Babaloo baby!
You can have Ricky, he's too controling for my taste...
ha, you get fred.
forgot about ricky's hot Latin temper.
strike that babaloo nonsense
hmmm... I changed my mind, I don't want us to be Lucy and Ethel...
except the episode where they worked in the candy factory.. mmmm chocolate till you spew mmmmmmm
HA!
I'd prefer the booze one you know the "vitamin" one?
Okay we have to stop now jean knee.
We'll let Brian catch up then attack later...
Somegirl:
Yes, with British taxpayer's money! The same weight in gold would have cost less!
Jean Knee & Bee:
Okay, Teacher's here now! With a machine gun!
What were you saying?
Teacher doesn't know bullets can go that far...?
Bee,
Disgusting: Sorry, hope you didn't feel like shit this morning ;-)
Bullets:
But with a remote control combat robot, it doesn't matter where I am!
You British people are so violent!
ha, hardly any of em have actual guns. I have a shot gun and a hand gun and can use both with pretty good accuracy
but enough about me, how have you been Brian?
I'm still winning the bid right?
Jean Knee:
Yes, most parts of the country are pretty much gun-free = safer.
Bee:
You seem to be the only serious bidder so far - I can't find a bank that's willing to change BBL into Pounds, for some reason...
I have never shot anyone.
I have, however been shot at twice.
things are a bit, well, different in Texas
okay, how bout I add a can of green beans and a can of that meat egg abomination? okay two cans
Shot:
Really? That's awful. Here even the police don't carry guns. One of the rare times I've watched British TV in the last year, they had one of these things where they send a camera crew with the police - a kind of "day in the life" thing. There were reports of someone firing a gun from a car. The nearest police (2 traffic cops) got to the scene and stopped the car. They (the police) were not armed. It turned out that it was some youths with BB guns. The armed response unit eventually rolled in, to the relief of the traffic woman who needed to know what specific charge to use to make the arrest. I think we're very lucky, and hope the day doesn't come when we're like you w.r.t. guns.
Bid:
If you can find some of the meat/egg stuff, then you might have a deal! I had a look in the supermarket this evening, partly because talking about it made me want some, and partly so I could post a picture of it, but they seem to have stopped making it :-(
JEAN KNEE HAS ONLY BEEN SHOT AT TWICE?????
Bid:
Since I can't compete with stuffed meat, I'll bow out gracefully... [maybe]
yeah, right
both times the only thing I was doing was trespassing
Shot at:
Was it by a Brit? How come they missed both times?
first they shoot to scare you off, if you aren't sufficiently scared they blow out a kneecap...etc til you're dead
Couldn't they just ask you nicely to leave?
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