Refuge of Scoundrels
I got a job proofreading a 150-page document full of legalese: daunting. I was glad for the money although the guy didn't seem willing to pay for the time I knew it was going to take. I ended up getting my guesstimate price: at some point I just stopped reading and correcting.
He was "impressed" with the job I'd done because of the number of eyes that had already gone over it. I said that's the nature of proofing. Indeed it is. It's also the nature of perfectionism, or a profundly maniacal devotion to language. An artist, a technician, someone who cares about the quality of her work, cannot not create value.
An artisan, I'm at the opposite end of the food chain from a money manipulator.
The document was a confidential private placement memorandum, meaning: a way to get money out of people by convincing them they'd be getting even more back. The gist of it was: give me $500K today and in 10 years I give you a cool million.
His being stingy upfront with a proofreader didn't bode well to me but I've never made any money so what do I know?
His offer: pay him to gad about to art auctions picking up "highly important" works museums will display; he'll loan the works out and help the displaying museums fundraise to buy them; then he'll sell at prices insuring investors double their money. Do you sense an inbuilt conflict of interest? There was even a mathematical formula making it seem clean and irrefutable.
What does this have to do with art?
Peter Paul Rubens' Massacre of the Innocents (1611) sold for $76.7 million in 2002.
Art's a place to put your money if you have that kind of money, if you have that kind of apartment or house or villa or chateau whose walls scream to be covered in art. Investing in art made by people long ago and far away that experts agree fills "highly important" niches in the culture of the world treats art like pork futures: something you can bet on. Unlike pork futures, you can swan around saying, "I sank half a million in world culture, what did you do today?"
Betting on art because you love art and you want curators and scholars to keep designing exhibits the public can sharpen their aesthetic taste buds at, is fabulous. Betting on art so you double your money in 10 years is greedy. Filling 150 single-spaced pages full of legal loopholes so suckers, I mean investors can avoid paying taxes on the promised windfall is something I'd like a grown man to be ashamed of.
The grown man who hired me, who was short, stocky, bald, tended to scuttle but wore arty round hornrims, seemed somewhat furtive but unashamed.
I don't think he's got a hope in hell of doubling anyone's money buying up the kind of art he'll be able to afford with his $50-million-dollar dowry but nobody asked my opinion.
I share the anecdote with you because it illustrates perfectly the kind of investment no one should make: fear-based, with snob appeal, contributing nothing to living culture, sucking money from prefab valuables that got that way because they used to mean something to someone.
If you want to create value, sink your money into something that means something to you.
Evil capitalist genius Scrooge McDuck loves only money.
You'll tell me the scheme I describe beats dicing bad loans into financial cole slaw to shove down the trusting throats of overseas banks raised on the mantra "U.S.-backed grade-AAA securities = a sure thing," which is what our leading financial institutions did, now causing worldwide recession, suicide and social turmoil we haven't seen the end of. It's better than bleeding taxpayers to feed those same financial vampires (but not as good as driving U.S.-backed grade-AAA silver stakes through their corrupt hearts). It's better than a Ponzi scheme by the letter of the law but not the spirit.
There ought to be a mathematical formula demonstrating the cost to society of greed-based investments that do nothing to enhance or celebrate life.
Disney uses cartoon characters as capitalist shills in a 1967 economics lesson.
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the lawyer is just a social
the lawyer is just a social animal doing his job as everyone does. he is not an artist, he is a lawyer supposed to make money. That's he is expected to do
what is that money deity you're talking about ?
we all have our social part to play : the lawyer, Norma Jean, me, you, Erin, Leonardo, my boss, everyone.
Art is a part of this game (one of the best) but it's not free. Nothing is free. Art is a market too (first ?). Leonardo worked for a king. Most of masterpieces have been made on demand by king, princes or invented (i mean allowed to be known) by sellers, and traders.
That's dreadful! Who would
That's dreadful! Who would do such a thing?
Here's the Jack I loved. You can see what a beautiful misfit I was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3IzpazVl-I&feature=related
I created a vulnerable beautiful misfit in both of my creations: Marilyn & Norma Jean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbjcNdZFIQs
When everybody mislabeled, bastardized and exploited the "Marilyn" creation, the authentic compassionate loving intelligent Norma Jean shone through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbjcNdZFIQs
i went looking for "The
i went looking for "The Misfits" the film that killed Clark Gable, but this is more... grating:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVfeLavkFso
Dear Genious Blackwell @ 2/10
Dear Genious Blackwell @ 2/10 3:42
OH B...aby I can't tell you....oops I let the genie out of the bottle! see i'm no genius like you, genious. i like "owner's handbook" but I'm confused, who do you think is the owner and who's the handbook? I'm just curious...I don't want to let you label me or anything like that.
xxoo
OHhhhhhhhhhBaby/OHB.
OHB Online Hotels
OHB Online Hotels Budapest
OHB On Hand Balance
OHB Optimized Hydraulic Brakes
OHB Owner'S Handbook
Dear Genious: I never said
Dear Genious: I never said that "misfit" was someone else's label for me. It is my own carefully refined creation. OHB.
Annie...... how cool is that.
Annie...... how cool is that. You used to be involved in animation art, what an awesome experience that must have been.
Thank you for the link. I will definately check her out. I adore animation art, it's an investment in not only the art.... but also the artist.
LBDL
xxoo
I see what you are
I see what you are saying.
Yesterday a friend of mine labelled me as "stubborn, opinonated and unspontaneous".... (we've known each other 25 years so brutal honesty is allowed) My label is "evolved, involved and in control".....
i love this. invention or
i love this. invention or discovery. brilliant.
is art a lifeless object over
is art a lifeless object over which the creator has possessory rights or does art have a life of its own apart from the creator? does another's unique interpretation of a poem or a painting create a new work of art? If I use another's technique in my painting, do they get a percentage of ownership rights?
is my child mine because i gave her life or is she herself?
when i create myself, i'm
when i create myself, i'm genius. when i allow others to label me, i'm misfit.
I don't know, do we invented
I don't know, do we invented things or just discover them.
maybe the intellectual space is like the physical, already done, waiting for us to pace up and down. maybe its just a human creation, maybe its half and half. I never find a way to answer properly that question.
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
Do you really think
Do you really think personality is self-creation?
Interesting....
"They’re trained to produce
"They’re trained to produce often."
??
art is not separate from the
art is not separate from the artist.
LBDL: Animation production
LBDL: Animation production cells! Mais oui! I used to paint them! My hot tip for you: Go here and buy Joanna's art:
http://www.berylproductions.co.uk/
Why?
1) Joanna created the Charmin bears and does all the directing and animating of those commercials. Her art will increase in value.
2) She is a feminist with her heart in the right place. She makes GREAT funny feminist independent animations and has either an Oscar nomination or an Oscar for her work.
3) You'll be supporting 2 female animators: Joanna's young daughter is already an accomplished animator who works with her Mom!
4) I know her
and I also know a lot about international animation. Joanna is a wise choice.
some like it hot...oh wait,
some like it hot...oh wait, that's already been done.
oh really? hmmmm. are you a
oh really? hmmmm. are you a genius too? i've always just been a misfit.
personality is self-creation.
personality is self-creation. norma jean, genius, created marilyn. for the true artist, there is no "really".
I hope you're not just saying
I hope you're not just saying that because you think I'm Marilyn because I'm really Norma Jean.
I mean the artistic or
I mean the artistic or philosophical value.
i think the external value had comes with adam smith and his idea of scales of value "echelle de valeurs" who bring everything in a comparison scale, witch give a way to fix prices.
But of course, the value is alwys a matter of subjectivity.
I don't know, the only thing who seems uniform to me lately is how peoples want to distinguish themselves.
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
I think this is the debate of
I think this is the debate of what is art.
And art is in the eyes of the beholder. Artists can produce a lot of art...daily or even weekly. They're trained to produce often. Some can make a new piece every hour - and are those any less of meaning then those that took weeks to make?
It really depends.
I don't think everything I produce is worthy of my own standards, and as I grow, I look back and I see how much I've changed and how more evolved I've become.
What garbage is to one is treasure to another.
2 things kept me going: the
2 things kept me going: the narrative, the fable, the scam + the syntax. i got into the sentence structure, nerdy.
i used to have a "crusader
i used to have a "crusader rabbit" cell or two, as a kid.
LOVE this reading!
LOVE this reading!
that reminds me... i've got
that reminds me... i've got plays to write! thanks for the wake-up!
reminds me of "the stately
reminds me of "the stately homes of england" by noël coward, which does mention selling off gainsboroughs...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ2kmw2b__I
(1) for a job? a show? (2)
(1) for a job? a show?
(2) the National Endowment for the Arts = grandiose-speak for $1 million dollars worth of...
(3) you can only cut off your arm once.
how can you ever measure the
how can you ever measure the value of one's soul? external value ebbs and flows. what's in favor today may not be tomorrow and vice versa. it's meaningless. intrinsic value is all that matters. everyone has the potential to be an artist. every pursuit can be an artistic expression. but most people are too afraid to stray from the path of uniformity. to be vulnerable and authentic in the face of superficiality and ridicule. one must have courage to be an artist of any medium.
Oh, and I would fucking die
Oh, and I would fucking die if I had to read 150 pages of that.
People don't understand that
People don't understand that money is DEBT, and even if they did, it probably wouldn't change things, because people believe that they should have things they can't afford (hence credit cards), and they believe they need all this garbage when they really don't.
yea but i can find that its a
yea but i can find that its a really good idea and start my own company and be in competition with mr guy
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
I heard about that. Tragic!
I heard about that. Tragic! The Rose is a treasure.
I don't think she gave enough
I don't think she gave enough identifiable information to get sued. There is really nothing that lead anyone back the Mr. Guy.
artist is like philosopher,
artist is like philosopher, its easy title you can give but you can only tell its value years after his/her death, they are too far ahead to be understand by there contemporary.
I think art should belong to everyone, like sport, its a part of a healthy life
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
she must rresist at me
she must rresist at me because i'm irrresistible
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
Just a thought. Did Mr
Just a thought.
Did Mr Thyssen love art ? yes, indeed.
...but so much blood flows all over the beauty he bought
Got it. Thanks for
Got it. Thanks for clarifying. As an artist, I don't struggle with this. After attempting illustration to liven up dry editorial content, I decided focus on fine art. I use similar techniques and subject matter--often the human figure. It might look to some like "the same thing" but it's exploring personal themes, digging deeper. I want others to enjoy my work. Buying it is the ultimate compliment, but I don't produce it for the compliments.
I know artists who reproduce their work (giclee) on canvas and sell that, a money-making motive. For me, that work is dead because the hand of the artist--the brush strokes, the color interplay and depth--cannot be reproduced. To anyone who likes to hang artwork, I say look for original work that is financially accessible, speaks to your heart (try studio tours, etc.). Avoid buying "giclees" and "prints" (the computer generated copies). Both of these are reproductions that may not have been produced with compromise, but their form is certainly stagnant.
I understand your confusion
I understand your confusion and I need to further clarify my statement. AND your comment may have caused me to further think through and modify my previous belief and I thank you for that.
I don't believe that the worship of money and the creation of art are mutually exclusive.
I do believe that the use of one's artistic expression exclusively for the pursuit of money may compromise or even suppress the creation of passionate, moving artwork, in an effort to please prospective purchasers.
I also believe that many times one's artistic ability becomes stunted or stagnant when they perpetually create the same thing over and over and over again to the exclusion of other artistic expression. Then I think the artwork simply becomes a visually appealing fungible good.
my question is does the compromise/suppression/stagnation of one's artistic expression convert art into something else? Maybe or maybe not.
someone can suppress/compromise/stagnate to pay the bills (like erin proofreading a legal document) and still create separate magnificent works of art (one of erin's plays);
and someone can be handsomely paid for a magnificent work of art that has been created for the purpose of making money as long as the work has been created without compromise or stagnation.
"money does not elevate or
"money does not elevate or diminish art."
hmmmm, I would think people do that with perception.
If people perceive the art to be diminish because of the monetary actions surrounding it, does the action of money and greed play a role in it's perception of being?
The artist does make art to be independent - to stand on it's own and left to the perception of viewer, and if people place additives of actions surrounding it, it changes the whole perception - and not necessarily coming from the artist.
Think of money as the backdrop and frame surrounding it. Which we all know can change the whole perception of any artwork.
Oh My Little Stinky
Oh My Little Stinky One.........my skunk of love, the seeker of fair Penelope's affections. Someday Pepe and Penelope will share a tender moment with reckless abandon....meant for only adult eyes.
**said with a stronggg French accent, well sort of**
Till then ...............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEdBndu0YUM
"Plus, I’ve always been an
"Plus, I’ve always been an immature cartoon freak"
Oh mon chérie, i knew you were in love like a teenagerrr with yourrr pepe.
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
"If you want to create value,
"If you want to create value, sink your money into something that means something to you."
Hummmmmm.......I am a collector of original production animation cells. Oh how I would love an original Disney Scrooge McDuck.
And, I profoundly agree with you Erin. I collect art that I can enjoy, that makes me smile... and it has the ability to take me somewhere I've never been before. An adventure in time, color, texture and fantasy.
Plus, I've always been an immature cartoon freak, so animation art is an investment I feel very comfortable with....
LBDL
xxoo
"If you want to create value,
"If you want to create value, sink your money into something that means something to you."
That's why I contributed monetarily to Velvet Park this week. People, it is so easy to contribute. Click on that "Donate" button and you'll see. Thank you for your attention.
Still searching for the right brainy quote.
Actually, I had the same
Actually, I had the same thought you did when I read the blog (OMG, I hope the guy doesn't read this and bust Erin's chops). But, I just can't help being sassy sometimes.
"The document was a
"The document was a confidential private placement memorandum"
Some boss googelise their employee, some employees are under talking restriction... i was just worried about Erin got some juridical troubles.
pfff, you guys are so sassy
It append in france, boss watch the facebook page and prosecute his employee for stuff he said about the company.
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
As I read this (and maybe I'm
As I read this (and maybe I'm not understanding), you're making an either/or out of the art production for sale and the art that emanates from the passionate communion with the divine. Bernini's St. Teresa of Avila is a perfect example (to me) of art that defies that simple distinction. I'm sure there are numerous contemporary artists who serve deity with art and are still quite collectible, if not for that passion and the feeling of the work itself.
Someone who worships money can still have great passion and connection to moving artwork. I don't see how they are mutually exclusive.
for erin's example, i should
for erin's example, i should have said the intent of the lawyer to convert a priceless work of art into a commodity was the medium through which the lawyer sought to achieve access to his deity, money. not the purchase itself. his greedy intent did not diminish the divinity of the art itself, nor does the intent of the buyer for aesthetic purposes. money does not elevate or diminish art.
I could agree with you when
I could agree with you when you say "art is separate from the artist". But buying art is not having deity (if you meant so).
Deity is more on artists' side than on the buyers' side whatever they do. Money is like bread, not like brioche, it's heavy, you can't elevate with pockets full of it.
Here, Art is not Art anymore but just a thing to have money. Money is just magic but not God.
And fuck all these big rich who sat on a chair "L" between the "O"ww and the "D"ee of God.
your story is a fable.
your story is a fable. universal. the sacrifice of another's soul for one's deity. in your story you use the lawyer as a symbol of the worshipper. the true expression of another's creativity is the sacrificial lamb. money is the deity.
other examples: abraham, isaac, god. parishioner, jesus, god. artist, hallmark, money. actor, commercial, money. painter, couch, money. writer, soap opera, money. lawyer, tobacco, money.
is art dependent upon the motive of the artist?
i suggest that art is separate from the artist. it is a divine gift. the artist is the medium through which divinity is expressed to the world. an artist can create art for sustenance. an artist may be able to create art for money but the temptation is great. however, the exploitation of one's artistic ability for money is not art in my estimation. abraham, isaac, god. parishioner, jesus, god. lawyer, art, money.
van gogh, kierkegaard, dickinson. divine.