The Mona Lisa Curse

Posted by: Eric Schaible

While he may come off as rude at times, Mr. Robert Hughes gives a great response to the current art market. His believes and first hand accounts mimic those from one of my earlier blogs where I discussed a podcast by Mr. David Hickey. While I completely understand the point of purchasing a product when its value is low and holding it until a time when it will be worth a lot, I don't believe that it's right to artificially inflate the price of a work. By inflating the price, I'm talking about an art dealer (or special collector) attempting to create more value for a certain piece so that either the artist's other works would be valued better, or just so that their single piece will garner greater interest. Either way, artists like Damien Hirst should not be able to price his products at such a level that even museums can not afford, and art dealers should not be able to do the same either.

The Recession that Touched Everything

Posted by: Eric Schaible

This is an interesting article that I found while reading my Bloomberg Magazine back in March. Since we were discussing Damien Hirst's pieces in class, I found it funny that I would see an article published in a financial magazine about this artist. As you can read, the recession has truly played a role in the amount of money that were received for works done by Hirst. The article just discusses how there may not be as great of a market as before, due to the economic climate and the high prices that were once normal for his pieces before 2009. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any other information regarding sales for his works for this year.

Custodians of Culture - Schoolyard Art: Playing Fair Without the Referee

Posted by: Eric Schaible

I'm glad that this was one of the suggested pieces for students to listen to for this class. When I first began listening to it, I was in complete agreement with Mr. Hickey's belief that artists are becoming too greedy when it comes to their works. By asking such a high buying price for their pieces, they are actually attempting to create value for something that may not be worth very much at all. I believe that this is a crime and artists should not be able to command such a high price. After I finished listening to Mr. Hickey speak, I realized that it was not just artists' fault for this situation. Many people these days are just out to show that their services or products are better than their competitors and thus, ask a higher price. The problem that we face now is that too many people in this world are overly concerned with making as much money as possible, without any type of respect for others. By attempting to artificially create value for their own products, they are completely messing up the natural supply and demand schedules and scamming others out of their money.

20x200

Posted by: Eric Schaible

If I were to purchase one of the pieces from www.20x200.com, I would have to chose this piece. When I first saw it, it reminded me of being at my relatives lake house down in New Jersey; a location where I like to go when I have free time over the summer. It's usually very calm on the lake and it's extremely peaceful. The photography was really able to show a picture of tranquility and I would not mind having this piece in my house. With papers and reports being due every week, it can be stressful to be a student, and everyone needs time to just relax and unwind from a long day. By looking at this picture, it shows some of Earth's natural beauty and allows the person to think about a relaxing atmosphere.

Art Cars - The Explaination

Post by: Eric Schaible

When I first saw Andy Warhol's BMW Art Car in class, I was not sure how to take it. I've always enjoyed automobiles, but I believe that classic and/or rare cars are best left to their original conditions. These were created for a specific time and should forever be held to that standard. I look at cars as many people look at art, I like to enjoy the work as it was initially intended. However, after listening to some interviews from artists who have been a part of this program, I have a new understanding for their perspectives. To them, it is not just a car, but a way to illustrate their visions for the world to see. When BMW originally made these cars, it was what they believed to be the best design for the masses. What these artists do, is to create their own picture of what BMW wanted to show. By taking a class in art, it has allowed me to think "outside of the box" and take others' interpretations into account. It is also ironic that many artists who have participated in the Art Car program have been people that we have discussed in class.

Jeff Koons - BMW's Next Art Car

Posted by: Eric Schaible

On February 2nd, BMW announced that artist Jeff Koons would be the next to provide a car for their series of Art Cars. The ironic part about this, is that without taking the Intro to Visual Arts class, I might never have know who he even is. With recent interpretations of the BMW's "Art Car" series recently being focused on the artists' experiences rather than the car (i.e.: Robin Rhode's driving experience and Olaf Eliasson's piece on global warming), Koons has decided to focus more on the car and neglect its surroundings. What's most interesting to me is that the car design looks very subdued, as compared to some of the pieces that we saw during class. Although the paint scheme is a mixture of many colors, I would be expecting to see possible additions to the body of the car or something that would make this stand out more than a regular car. The car in question will be the new BMW M3 GT2 race car, and will be the 17th Art Car for BMW. It is expected that the car will be completed in June.

Robin Rhode - An Expression of Joy

Posted by: Eric Schaible

This video was used as a marketing piece by BMW as a part of their "Art Car" collection. This video was used by BMW to highlight the creation of their new Z4 model for the 2009 year. The main difference between this car and the one used previously, is that while the other cars were used as the canvas, the car is actually perceived as the artist in this work. Mr. Rhode's driving force behind this creation was to show a common link between art and automotive enthusiasts; that both are a combination of power and emotion. The power from the car is balanced with Mr. Rhode's ability to create a wonderful masterpiece.

While the piece may look like it was crafted without any type of guidelines, Mr. Rhode actually began with black finger paint on a piece of paper to illustrate the desired results. From here, he created a storyboard for the drive and gave a driver specific instructions for how to proceed. To actually apply the color, paint nozzles were added within the wheel arches to spray at the artist’s desired time. I think that his project does a great job in showing how art can be linked to many other cultures. By using a brand new car to illustrate his artwork, he has been able to bring the automotive world, where enthusiasts look at a combination of forms and functions, together with a culture based around a vast array of subjects.