Art in the world of television

Wow!  It's been awhile.  Now, back to the blogging.  The holiday season was wonderfully busy at the gallery for us, and our Fusion show had a great crowd.  It looks like our new space is going to work out really well for us.  

I've been watching some really fun shows on television lately... Leverage and Dollhouse.  They're both in their first season and so far seem to be rather entertaining.  And, surprisingly, they've both had episodes involving art.  I was excited to see that there were shows willing to venture in the topic of art.  Both episodes dealt with stealing it, which is a common theme for art in movies.  A lot of people love that attaining the unattainable story including myself.  But, I have to admit I'm easily irked by the smallest of inaccuracies that they often display.  

For example, in Leverage Nathan's ex-wife, Maggie, is an art expert that a company uses to identify (for insurance purposes) works of art... any work of art.  As an art historian, I specialized in Latin American Art.  Liz (our other consultant & blogger) concentrated in Contemporary Art.  While we have extensive knowledge in these areas, we can't authenticate a piece of art by looking at it through a tiny magnifying glass.  I know... suspension of disbelief.  It just seemed that this would be a good opportunity to clear up the fact that finding authenticators for works are hard to come by.  Normally each artist, only has one authenticator.  If they happen to have more than one, it is probably because they worked with more than one media like painting and sculpting.  One authenticator would be for painting and one for sculpting.  If it's an artist from a period such as the Renaissance, a group of art experts would work together to hopefully identify whether a work is a fake or not.  This linked article from the Discovery Channel gives a good idea of what steps experts take when authenticating works.

Dollhouse handled this a bit better with an antiquities expert who had a feeling that he was chosen to authenticate a specific piece.  Unfortunately, as one of the characters has been badly hurt, he interprets a piece of art for Echo (and the viewers) as fact.  And as we stated in our December 11th post  "Your interpretation is never wrong."  Interpretation of art is personal, everyone sees things differently and it's not up to anyone else to tell you what a work of art should mean to you.

Even with my own personal minor issues with the discrepancies, it would be great to see more shows and movies with visual art as the main subject.  It gives us artsy folks something to chat about!

Art For the Holidays

It is that time of year when we all strive to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones.  Most people get bogged down with the malls and the latest electronic gadgets.  It is easy to buy our brothers his favorite movie of 2008 on high-def DVD, and our sisters that killer top she would look great in.  These are great gifts by all means, but often off-beat gifts are the most memorable.  I will let you in on a little secret...not all art is hundreds of dollars.  There are thousands of art shows, fairs, and galleries across the country where artists offer prints or small originals for under $100.  My favorite Christmas gift was two hand built and painted ceramic plates that my mother found while off-beat shopping.  Not only did I love them, they were the first piece of art in my collection.  I still have them on the wall and think of my mother every time I look at them.   Let's not forget about all of the artist made jewelry, accessories, and handbags.  These pieces are one of a kind (mostly) and who wouldn't appreciate a one of a kind gift?  

Interpretation

I recently asked a friend, if she were to read a blog about art what would she want to read about?  She replied interpretation.  This reminded me of my college days when I would learn about the history of a painting that I previously hadn't liked and immediately gained a new found respect and even love for the piece.  Is it necessary to know everything about a painting to appreciate and like it?  The answer is no, but it is sometimes easier to enjoy something when you understand it a little better.  Interpretation is key in whether or not you love a work of art.  There are two kinds of interpretations in art.  The first is the artists interpretation.  What did the artist actually mean when he created a piece of art?  Well, only the artist can give an answer to that one.  Not even the most pompous art critic can truthfully answer the artist interpretation.  This may be important, but it is not as important as personal interpretation...that means your interpretation.  What do you think it means as you look at it?  The first thing you can look at is the artist's biography as this helps get you in mindset of the artist.  The next thing you can look at is the title of the piece.  Sometimes it this is the easiest way to understand a work of art.  The next thing to do is to personalize it.  What does the scene remind you of?  How do the colors look together, and how does that make you feel?  Are the brush strokes vigorous and expressionistic or are they soft and planed?    Your personal interpretation is never wrong.  The artist's and your interpretation go hand and hand, and many times if you really take the time to look at the painting and the artists life, you can figure out the artists intention.  Many people are better at interpreting art than they think...people come into the gallery and ask me to explain a painting, I ask them first what they think it means.  They tell me, and more times than not they are telling me what I would have told them.  

Authentication and Appraisal

After perusing the different websites out there about art and investment art I thought I would post this tid-bit of knowledge for you.  Just because a dealer or gallery boasts that a piece of work has a high appraisal value does, by no means, mean that it is actually worth that much (don't get confused by words that some unethical galleries/dealers throw around.)  An appraiser usually works under the assumption that a work of art is authentic.  Despite what you may think there are a lot of fakes and forgeries out there.  An appraiser is not an authenticator (although many appraisers are experienced and know what to look for in an authentic work by a particular artist.)  There are also only a handful of official authenticators for certain artists.  For example there are only four authenticators for Salvador Dali, one for Pablo Picasso.  If you decide to have a work of art appraised, find an experienced one that you can trust.  Having a work of art authenticated or appraised is not necessary to own it.  Buying art should be fun!

Hate the Arts?

Recently I was looking on Yahoo! Answers and came across a person saying that they hate art and anything that has to do with art.  This person was asking for help on an art project for school.  I couldn't help but think that whoever the art teacher was mustn't be very good because there is so much art in the world I find it impossible for a person to hate all things art related.  This kid has just not been educated in what art really is.  I am sure he watches television and movies.  Was he not aware that the stories are first illustrated by story boards?  Is he not aware that his favorite video games require the designers to know a thing or 100 about drawing?  Did he not remember the illustrations in the books that helped him learn to read as a small child?  I understand not enjoying certain kinds of art.  Visual fine arts often scare people away, so do certain types of cinema.  But to rule out all art is ruling out most of the world.  How could this student's teacher not inform the class on all of the different arts out there?  This is why people are so confused about art as adults, they are not being properly educated.  In 2009, Downtown Melbourne will be having an Arts and Indulgences Walk.  The gallery and The Berri Patch Preschool will host learning stations for kids and parents in an attempt to properly educate the public about what art is and it's importance in everyday life.  For more information on the walk visit DowntownMelbourne.com

Different Strokes

Have you ever heard the saying, "different strokes for different folks"?  Well in the art world, this phrase fits perfectly for the wide range of artists and art lovers out there.  There are millions of painting and sculptures out there, and in all honesty, not everyone is going to like every piece...that's why there are so many out there.  So many times I see people get hung up on art that they don't like or are confused by that they forget to look at works that are pleasing to them.  It is good to get a sense of what you like and what you don't like, but what is the point of only focusing on the negative?  You wouldn't continue to eat food that makes you feel sick would you?  There are tons of art styles out there, if you love Abstract look at and acquire Abstract art.  If you love Realism look at Realism.  The most important thing to remember when looking at art is to keep an open mind.  It is okay to not like something, it doesn't mean that you don't like art, you just haven't found the right piece yet.  It is alright to be "picky" and it is fine to have specific taste.  It is also okay for someone else to like a piece that you do not.  That is what makes the realm of art so great, there is no right or wrong!  Beauty in art is in the eye of the beholder.  Please share your experiences with us!

Intimidated By Art? Why?

One thing that I have noticed in my experience as an art consultant is that people are intimidated by art.  There are many reasons that people could shy away from the wonderful world of art.  Let's start with the most obvious, value.  Ever since we are children we are taught not to touch art, and for good reason.  The oils from our hands can have damaging effects on art (just think about how hard it is to clean the residue off of your walls.)  A good gallery will show you how to properly care for and handle your art.  Because people feel that art can so easily be damaged, they are often afraid to set foot into a museum or gallery.  Please be respectful and careful when you are in any gallery or museum, but be aware that most of these places have insurance incase accidents happen.  There is no reason to be scared to enter a gallery because you might break something.  Another reason art is intimidating is the connotation that you must understand art.  You do not have to have a degree in art to appreciate the various forms of it. Art makes people think!  You should never be intimidated by the thought of thought.  And the best part about art is there is not wrong interpretation!  So now that I have convinced you that you aren't going to break anything, and you get to expand your mind, I bet you are afraid that I am going to make you purchase something you cannot afford or don't even like.  We here at LoPressionism want to make your art experience fun and memorable.  My job as a consultant is not to force you to acquire art that you hate.  It is to help you acquire art that you fall in love with.  Some galleries operate on the principal of just getting a sale.  Although this is a business, and we do like getting sales, it is unethical for a consultant to guilt or pressure a client into a purchase.  LoPressionism consultants do not work on commission meaning our customers get honesty, integrity, and best of all no pressure.  So...there you have it.  You have no reason to be intimidated by art.  I encourage all people to go out to their local museums and galleries and have fun looking at art.