No matter where you travel, there is always some great art to see. So many talented artists are working with different media, different circumstances, different cultures... but is the modern world of art and it's art enthusiasts giving the emerging artists enough chance to show what they are capable of? or are we getting to the point where Art is losing its artistic value and just its good as long as its bringing in more cash... Banksy - who's a pseudonymous UK based graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter - makes a point in NY by setting up a stall of his own original signed art work, each for 60$. Now mind you, the stall included small and large canvases, including a version of "Love is in the air". A limited edition of that work sold for $249,000 at auction this past summer.
By the end of that day, only few artworks were sold, some pieces were even bargained for lower than $60. Banksy described his motivation later as below:" I know street art can feel increasingly like the marketing wing of an art career, so I wanted to make some art without the price tag attached. There's no gallery show or book or film. It's pointless. Which hopefully means something."
I can't help but wonder, are we losing our interest in art for the sake of art? are we looking at it only as a financial investment? Is Banksy right proving in below video that if an amazing piece by a great artist - known or unknown - is not shown to us in a high-end gallery and/or with proper marketing, or better said, through the necessary connections, we might not look at it the same way or not even like it for that matter?
Feel free to watch Banksy's video on this :-