Or rather a money making tool?
This is the question that comes into my mind after visiting Bank Negara's art gallery.
Art, created for the purpose of art.
For the artist to express their inner thoughts and feelings.
To send a message or two to the people.
As something relaxing, or bringing joy to people.
Making people thinking about the line between the reality and the fantasy.
Bringing out the inner peace in people.
Beautifying the world.
Transforming our world to a better place.
Those used to be the reasons why art was created.
BUT NOW.
Everything's changed.
Art has turned into some money making tool.
People create art for the sake of money.
Corporations, companies, banks, upper class people, and filthy rich humans, are buying and collecting arts.
For what?
As they await, for the value to increase. For them to sell when the value, or price has peaked. So that they can gain profit, thus becoming richer. And richer. And richer.
This is what art has become? Collecting for the purpose of profits?
This is wrong on so many levels.
Arts are arts. Not something that you create or buy for the sake of money.
They should be created as an art, sold as an art, and die as an art.
People who does not appreciate art for its beauty, for its message behind the piece, do not have the rights to create nor purchase art.
Sadly, we have no control over this.
Because we are poor, and the world is dominated by the rich.
And that is the reality.
Pathetic.
Art is no longer art.
And I will mourn for this great loss of our world.
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| Sold for 44 million dollars. Is it still art? |
A really sobering and almost angry post from you, Gary. You have certainly changed a lot since the beginning of the semester. Thank you for being so upfront with your feelings.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said, although I am also mindful that there are good people who appreciate art who are rich and who buy art because they love art and want to support artists and not because they want to buy and sell and make a profit at the highest price. These people are usually art collectors and they are educated about art.
But they are the minority, of course. Some people may say there is nothing with buying art and making an artist rich if that artist has had to work hard to be where s/he is today. But I cannot help but also wonder who will too much money change an artist ~ will an artist lose his soul in order to be rich?
Perhaps the answer to this question can be found in another question: if an artist loses his soul to become rich, then is s/he still an artist?