I am outraged and disgusted with the current state of art. I saw a chimpanzee smear some paint over a canvas.?

Question

Then, this painting was brought to some snooty art gallery (what they are so snooty about, the world may never know, since all they sell is garbage to a modern public that has very questionable taste). The gallery owner was asked about it and how much it could be worth. She said it looked like a Pollack and could be worth $500,000. She went on to praise the way pictures' "painterly brush strokes" were beautifully executed, and such. Within 3 minutes, she had taken on the smug air of a typical gallery dealer, as if she had a deeper understanding of this painting than most people. When she was finally told it was done by a chimpanzee she felt like an ***, and tried to look as dignified as possible.
There is something fundamentally wrong with a society that rewards "artists" that create meaningless crap that requires no skill, and arrogantly shuns skilled painters of realism that have studied painting, drawing and anatomy for years.

To "Margarita". Art is NOT good just because you like it. With that logic Shakespeare is not good if you do not like him--that's just a load of bull! But of course, in our modern "ME" society, nothing has any inherent value, everything is worth what we think of it, which is just not true. You may choose to like and worship a piece of crap made by a monkey, but that BY NO MEANS makes it good or worthy.

Answer 1

Someone did the same thing with elephants.

http://www.elephantart.com/catalog/thailand.php

http://www.elephantartgallery.com/
...what a joke... i know. It's kind of interesting to think that an elephant painted a canvas... but that painting being appraised for thousands of dollars... makes you question mainstream art markets...
There is sell-out art like there is sell-out music. I think of it as a main stream thing. Some artists are creating for money and not for any other reasons. They are not trying to transmit any kind of message... they want money...and so do their art dealers. So they go about their art brainlessly....and brainless people buy that work.

Not all art today is like that though.
Personally... I appreciate art that is filled with idea. It does not necessarily have to be realistic..but if it is filled with a story or an idea it is successful.
Think of these artists that are current. Their work is technically well executed and filled with idea.

kiki smith
Philip Harris
Jenny Saville
andy goldworthy
Robert Smithson
Lucian Freud
Eric Fischl
Annette Lemierux
Gerhard Richter
Chuck Close
Leon Golub
Alice Neel
leroy neiman
Philip Pearlstein
Janet Fish
gregory gillespie
william beckman
Ralph Goings
Charles Bell

Answer 2

Here's the wonderful thing about art: it's good if you like it, it's bad if you hate it. Art is like wine, that way. The price tag is irrelevant.

You might get angry about people throwing money at monkey paintings, but they're buying the painting specifically because it is painted by a monkey. And just because a monkey painted it, does not mean that the brush strokes are not beautifully executed. They very well could be.

Find art you like and buy it. If you don't buy art that you think is worthy, then you'll never change the face of the market. Money talks, you know.

As for snooty galleries - ditch New York. The rest of the country has some nice galleries worth visiting.

Answer 3

I don't buy it. I think this is something you heard about and are claiming first hand experience that you don't actually have and are mixing up fact & fiction. No sane gallerist would say a work by some unknown artist is work $500k.

If I'm wrong, let's have some details: where did you see the chimp paint the art, what gallery owner are you referring to, does the gallery have a website?

Also, to Tannu (the writer of the answer immediately above my own), I would point out that Picasso never did any "meaningless" abstractions.... every painting he ever did was representational (i.e., representing a human, a still life, etc.). Picasso never did a pure abstract painting in his life. Perhaps his reference to stupid people was directed towards the your relative asking the question (I could imagine Picasso being a bit piqued at his art being referred to as "meaningless").

Answer 4

There is art, then there is imposture. Alas the second category is much praised by snobs who could not tell a Remband from a Picasso! Hence those sell well ; contrarily, real art only sells (long) after the artist's dead.
As a painter myself, I prefer never to sell anything than do "abstract" paintings (reserved, except in rare cases, to those who cannot even draw) or garbage like the one you describe. And for me a Pollock for example is everything but an artist!

Just for the fun, let me tell you that I have seen (on TV) a painting made by hitting golf balls coated with pigments on a frame. The golfers were Nicklauses, and it was an add for the world senior tour, the legend saying "Those people are good"

Answer 5

First off all here is my disclaimer. I graduated high school in Lakeland and know two of the girls charged. A close family member who attends high school with them states alcohol may also have been involved but they will never be able to prove it. Also, what the media has not released is that after beating the girl up they tossed her out of the car on a busy highway in the grass far from home. Yes, they should be tried as adults. The situation was premeditated. Also, as far as the myspace comments go they where spreading rumors that some of the girls involved where pregnant. I think those rumors do not ever justify that type of attack. The girls and boys involved have no remorse and need to learn the difference between right and wrong the hard way.

Answer 6

I am in despair. I am a fairly competent I have work in galleries in England and USA . Nothing is selling . I sent 6 pictures to a mixed show in England . My work was written up in the local paper and one of mine was used for the invitation card .. that one sold but the five others have not . I will not cover the cost of transport, frames and the materials . What am I doing this for ??? I either chuck the pictures or pay for them to be sent back and loose more money . When I see Banksie and the like making a fortune and copies of Andy Warhol selling like hot cakes I realise I am not doing what YOU the public really wants. www.janedunn.co.uk Please HELP and tell me what to do !!!!

Answer 7

Most of the contemporary art (visual art, music etc.) has become totally decadent and absurd. I saw recently on German TV (Deutsche Welle) a story about a so-called "artist" who threw paper balls soaked in paint on the canvas. The result brought in substantial amounts of cash, probably spend by some brainless people who did not know what else to do with their money.
Another true story is about Picasso. My wife's uncle (who was a medical doctor) lived in Arles in the South of France and he knew Picasso personally. When asked why in the later years he had become in many cases meaninglessly abstract, Picasso told the uncle that people are stupid and one can only feel sorry for them.
And that was Picasso, who has been a great artist when he was younger.
Today's "artists" are often incompetent , most of their works are just scrap and they are being sponsored by a decadent society. That makes you wonder: who have become the monkeys ???

Answer 8

I am a art student and I couldn't agree more. Contemporary art makes me sick, stupid crap selling for thousands of dollars and my teachers have all tried to push me away from the great masters because they feel photography killed realism and the human anatomy is dead..but keep studying my friend the world will return to a neo-classicism and all this cubic abstract crap will be gone.

Answer 9

everyone loves monkeys! so who wouldn't love monkey art! yeah modern art is dumb ****. I took an art class in colege, and while looking through an art book i saw a peice of "art" that was just a blank canvas nailed to some dry wall. it sold for 5000 bucks.

Answer 10

I totaly agree with you