The art scene can be overwhelming.
Just a peek reveals a world as feverish and enigmatic as the trading floor on the New York Stock Exchange. To truly understand the machinations behind it all seems, at times, almost impossible, but perhaps that’s what makes it so appealing in the first place.
That said, as the industry finally begins to adjust to the digital era and all that it entails, the shroud of mystery that has veiled the market for so long is slowly being pulled away, allowing even us with the most cursory of interests in art to gain insight into what not so long ago seemed like a secret society.
One of the best examples of this is the new series of videos from filmmaker Oscar Boyson. Commissioned by industry hubs Artsy and UBS, the four episodes are brief, and yet still offer a fantastic overview of the art market’s past, present, and future.
Episode 1 covers auctions beyond the astounding selling prices that act, for many, as the sole glimpse into what unfolds at such events. Trends, rather than emotions, are meant to dictate the results, but the tens of millions of dollars difference between projected and actual selling prices suggest that doesn’t always end up being the case.
“Say you were going to buy a $200,000 painting. I think you should take that money, tie it up, and hang it on the wall.”
Andy Warhol’s advice is elaborated on in this second episode, which focuses on the topic of galleries. Clearly, the who matters over the what, validity over value. The video then touches on the rise of the digital gallery, and how the market is reacting.
Patrons are discussed in episode three. More specifically, the balance between a patron’s role as supporter and their greed. This is where the pretentious side of the scene comes through, but the episode asks the most important question in the entire series: is a desire for profit reducing artists’ ability to realise their vision?
It’s a question that leads into the final episode, and its topic of art fairs. As the art world becomes more commercialised (millions visit art fairs annually, spending billions of dollars, but less than 5% of visitors actually purchase anything) is the role of the artist to be a creator…or a producer? Are they simply churning out work to be able to support themselves, and is this really the future we want for the art world?
And there it is: a crash course in the art work in four clicks. Once you’ve watched them, let us know your view on the scene in the comments. Should we be happy that art is becoming more open, even at the potential cost of an artist’s integrity and ability to realise their vision?