Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Definitely Soup

I love to draw and make art.  I am by no means an art critic or aficionado. I know what I like and I know what I would hang in my house, and I know when I draw something that pleases me. I have no idea what makes something valuable.  
Since I collect animation cells I have a pretty good idea of the market and what they are worth and why.  Past that small area of knowledge, I am clueless.
This article/ad in the LA Times caught my attention this morning.  It is an acrylic on board 91 x 73 inches done by a  Japanese artist named Yoshitomo Nara.
I don't know the artist who is about 50 years old, nor do I know what else he/she has done. I suppose that Yoshitomo could have done something so outstanding that even his/her scribbles on a piece of board would be valuable, but until I do some research this is the only example of Yoshitomo's art I am familiar with.
Now here is where my mind gets completely blown. The reason this painting was in the paper is because it recently sold at auction for $935,991.00. Some one paid almost a million dollars for this painting. 
I know there are artists who read this blog.  I know that lots of people who might find this blog by mistake know more about art than I do...so... could someone please explain this one to me? 
I have to admit I am baffled. It seems to me that I could find similar "Art" in most any kindergarten coloring book. 
I am not trying to be boorish, critical, stupid or mundane, I just want to understand what I am missing here.  Someone? Anyone? 
As you were,
Jay

1 comment:

P. Grecian said...

Well, that one has me scratching my head. If it were an animation cell, I could understand it, because the provenance is all about the cartoon itself (I collect animation cells, too).
Of course, I confess that it took me awhile, through my youth, to appreciate Picasso. A peson finally comes to realize that there is always something in even his simplest work: the perfect capture of a woman's body with just a few deft strokes for instance...or the feeling of terror and fear and movement in "Guernica." And there's always something new to find with each viewing of a Picasso. And, strange and twisted though it may seem, there's always such a keen sense of design and balance.

This piece, though...I'm a bit stumped. It must be, somehow, in the provenance...maybe in past things the artist has done that make ANYTHING the artist does valuable. Remember, Picasso used to pay restaurant bills by sketching something quickly on a napkin. So...it could just be the artist's name and reputation. Other than that, I'm stumped, Jay.