Comments on: The Value of Art http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/ Sarah Marie Lacy is an artist who paints moody landscapes and delicate figures in oils and acrylics. Sun, 13 May 2012 17:30:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: The Value of Art, Part 2 | Sarah's Blog http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-696 The Value of Art, Part 2 | Sarah's Blog Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:16:19 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-696 [...] other week, I wrote an post called The Value of Art. It’s been something drifting around my head ever [...] [...] other week, I wrote an post called The Value of Art. It’s been something drifting around my head ever [...]

]]> By: steve [i dance for ten years right now] http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-695 steve [i dance for ten years right now] Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:25:45 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-695 hi there; i found this post as a trackback from mead's blog. i've got to say: i had the exact same reaction--this painful uncertainty about "value" and "tangible benefits," because what i am producing is (avant-garde poems & mixt media poem-related artworks) inspiration, innovation, beauty.. i think i've decided to just go for it anyway, even tho i don't really know whether it's "valuable" or not.. thank you again .-= steve [i dance for ten years right now]´s last blog ..<a href="http://idancefortenyearsrightnow.blogspot.com/2009/09/listening-to-food-cook.html" rel="nofollow">[ listening to food cook ]</a> =-. hi there; i found this post as a trackback from mead’s blog. i’ve got to say: i had the exact same reaction–this painful uncertainty about “value” and “tangible benefits,” because what i am producing is (avant-garde poems & mixt media poem-related artworks) inspiration, innovation, beauty.. i think i’ve decided to just go for it anyway, even tho i don’t really know whether it’s “valuable” or not.. thank you again
.-= steve [i dance for ten years right now]´s last blog ..[ listening to food cook ] =-.

]]> By: Emma Newman http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-694 Emma Newman Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:34:11 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-694 This post has been haunting me since I read it yesterday. I wish I could report that I've come up with an answer, but, or course I haven't. So I thought it best to just come back, admire your talent again and just say "I have no idea, sorry, but you still rock." I have my eye on some art that I will buy when I can afford it. I don't think it is too expensive - only that I don't have enough money yet. I know it will make me feel so happy to have it in my work space, but that isn't why I want to pay the amount I can't yet afford for it; I want to pay that so that the artist is rewarded at the level she has determined. I want to demonstrate my appreciation in a way that will make her life easier. Does that make any sense? .-= Emma Newman´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.enewman.co.uk/writing/stories-to-pave-the-path-to-dreams" rel="nofollow">Stories to pave the path to dreams</a> =-. This post has been haunting me since I read it yesterday. I wish I could report that I’ve come up with an answer, but, or course I haven’t. So I thought it best to just come back, admire your talent again and just say “I have no idea, sorry, but you still rock.”

I have my eye on some art that I will buy when I can afford it. I don’t think it is too expensive – only that I don’t have enough money yet. I know it will make me feel so happy to have it in my work space, but that isn’t why I want to pay the amount I can’t yet afford for it; I want to pay that so that the artist is rewarded at the level she has determined. I want to demonstrate my appreciation in a way that will make her life easier. Does that make any sense?
.-= Emma Newman´s last blog ..Stories to pave the path to dreams =-.

]]> By: Wormy http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-693 Wormy Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:59:16 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-693 JoVE, Brendan and Diana are all spot on I think. Art is not about a service to people and so yes, it will be hard to derive its value using "service orientated" questions. It does add to peoples' lives, enormously, and therein lies its value. Creativity is a basic need in all of us and the space we exist in is of prime importance. The energy that people derive from your art creates a space for them that they love and this is priceless. Just because something is a thing of beauty and it serves to be a thing of beauty does not mean that it has no value. The opposite in fact is true when you look at this world - beauty is revered as a high and rarely obtained commodity. Don't underestimate the beauty of your paintings and the emotions that show up in them, please ;) .-= Wormy´s last blog ..<a href="http://thesecretlifeofwormhill.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/rejection-stuck-suck/" rel="nofollow">Rejection Stuck/ Suck</a> =-. JoVE, Brendan and Diana are all spot on I think.

Art is not about a service to people and so yes, it will be hard to derive its value using “service orientated” questions.

It does add to peoples’ lives, enormously, and therein lies its value. Creativity is a basic need in all of us and the space we exist in is of prime importance. The energy that people derive from your art creates a space for them that they love and this is priceless.

Just because something is a thing of beauty and it serves to be a thing of beauty does not mean that it has no value. The opposite in fact is true when you look at this world – beauty is revered as a high and rarely obtained commodity. Don’t underestimate the beauty of your paintings and the emotions that show up in them, please ;)
.-= Wormy´s last blog ..Rejection Stuck/ Suck =-.

]]> By: Diana http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-692 Diana Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:29:15 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-692 I also love what JoVE said... "art also helps people create and articulate an identity to visitors of their homes" What a great statement that is. .-= Diana´s last blog ..<a href="http://mosaicmoods.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/working-from-the-negative-spaces-in-life/" rel="nofollow">Working with negative space in life</a> =-. I also love what JoVE said…

“art also helps people create and articulate an identity to visitors of their homes”

What a great statement that is.
.-= Diana´s last blog ..Working with negative space in life =-.

]]> By: Diana http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-691 Diana Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:25:02 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-691 I can add to what Brandon said. Unlike commercial jewelry (where we seldom know or see the creator, or know that the creator's design wasn't dumbed down for commercial production), your art is an extension of you as an individual. It is like my catching sight of you, from the side, in a mirror down the hall, one that you may not even be aware of. Art is a byproduct of your essence, your experience, your "self". And that makes it as unique as you are. Without your art, we might not see this side of you - or ourselves in our reaction to you, and that would be a shame. .-= Diana´s last blog ..<a href="http://mosaicmoods.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/working-from-the-negative-spaces-in-life/" rel="nofollow">Working with negative space in life</a> =-. I can add to what Brandon said. Unlike commercial jewelry (where we seldom know or see the creator, or know that the creator’s design wasn’t dumbed down for commercial production), your art is an extension of you as an individual. It is like my catching sight of you, from the side, in a mirror down the hall, one that you may not even be aware of.

Art is a byproduct of your essence, your experience, your “self”. And that makes it as unique as you are. Without your art, we might not see this side of you – or ourselves in our reaction to you, and that would be a shame.
.-= Diana´s last blog ..Working with negative space in life =-.

]]> By: Brandon W http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-690 Brandon W Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:47:22 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-690 There is a high-volume industry that understands this completely. Jewelry. What is the real value of it? It certainly won't save you money. It rarely makes you money. The markup on mainstream jewelry (think Zales or Kay) is 250-600%. Yes, sometimes 6 times what it costs them to make. And people buy it. A few years ago I worked a Christmas season for Sterling Jewelers - aka Kay/JB Robinson/Jared/etc. - and learned a bunch of sales techniques to sell something that is not of "productive" value. People buy jewelry for the emotions it brings. The expression of love they show to their wife. The joy it brings to her when she opens the gift, and every time she looks at her hand (or ears, or neck). The expression of gratitude it represents to a mother receiving a Mom's Ring on Mother's Day. Jewelry is sold for the emotions it brings, and nothing more. And at a pretty nice profit, I may add. Art brings emotional value to people, and it's a real, sellable value. There is a high-volume industry that understands this completely. Jewelry. What is the real value of it? It certainly won’t save you money. It rarely makes you money. The markup on mainstream jewelry (think Zales or Kay) is 250-600%. Yes, sometimes 6 times what it costs them to make. And people buy it. A few years ago I worked a Christmas season for Sterling Jewelers – aka Kay/JB Robinson/Jared/etc. – and learned a bunch of sales techniques to sell something that is not of “productive” value. People buy jewelry for the emotions it brings. The expression of love they show to their wife. The joy it brings to her when she opens the gift, and every time she looks at her hand (or ears, or neck). The expression of gratitude it represents to a mother receiving a Mom’s Ring on Mother’s Day. Jewelry is sold for the emotions it brings, and nothing more. And at a pretty nice profit, I may add. Art brings emotional value to people, and it’s a real, sellable value.

]]> By: JoVE http://smlacyart.com/the-value-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-689 JoVE Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:40:21 +0000 http://www.smlacyart.com/blog/?p=833#comment-689 You are making REAL progress in this post. You have captured some of the real value in your work. And being confident that it has that value is the foundation of any attempt to price it. But I think you need to hang out with more artists and cut down on the folks selling information products, precisely because the conversations are so different. And maybe with people who offer interior design services or who sell hand crafted furniture. Because while a chair has an obvious use value (to pull in a bit of Marx), the value of any particular chair has little to do with it's ability to support your body while you eat your dinner. So art also helps people create and articulate an identity to visitors of their homes. It inspires them in their offices as they do their work. It creates a conversation piece when they entertain guests. So maybe being around more people who create or sell items that offer similar aesthetic and other intangible values will put you in different conversations that help you get comfortable with this. .-= JoVE´s last blog ..<a href="http://jovanevery.ca/2009/08/you-always-have-time-for-yoga-mama/" rel="nofollow">You always have time for yoga, mama</a> =-. You are making REAL progress in this post. You have captured some of the real value in your work. And being confident that it has that value is the foundation of any attempt to price it.

But I think you need to hang out with more artists and cut down on the folks selling information products, precisely because the conversations are so different. And maybe with people who offer interior design services or who sell hand crafted furniture.

Because while a chair has an obvious use value (to pull in a bit of Marx), the value of any particular chair has little to do with it’s ability to support your body while you eat your dinner.

So art also helps people create and articulate an identity to visitors of their homes. It inspires them in their offices as they do their work. It creates a conversation piece when they entertain guests.

So maybe being around more people who create or sell items that offer similar aesthetic and other intangible values will put you in different conversations that help you get comfortable with this.
.-= JoVE´s last blog ..You always have time for yoga, mama =-.

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