Art = Money for some

Not Afraid of Love (2000) - Maurizio Cattelan

"Someone once told me that (art) was a very profitable profession, that you could travel a lot and meet a lot of girls. But this is all false; there is no money, no travel, no girls. Only work. I don't really mind it, however. In fact, I can't imagine any other option. There is, at least, a certain amount of respect. This is one profession in which I can be a little bit stupid, and people will say, 'Oh, you are so stupid; thank you, thank you for being so stupid.'"
- Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan was my patron saint during my brief foray into art for his ability to float where reality would usually sink in. This is a man who tried to organize a Caribbean Biennale simply for the sake of providing a vacation for invited artists. Cattelan also tried to raise funds for an art grant whose only requirement was that the recipient cease to exhibit his or her work for the duration of the grant. It was aimed at the group of successful artists who tended to monopolize the international exhibition circuit. When no one claimed the grant, it ended up funding Cattelan's move to New York, but not before Catellan installed a plaque with the donors' names on the wall of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, without permission. The plaque hung unnoticed by the Academy's administration for a whole year.

I was reminded of Cattelan during the recent splurge on art. It seems that a lot of money gets thrown around where fine art is concerned but only if the artist is dead or one of the usual contemporary art suspects like Damien Hirst. Rather than a philanthropic appreciation for art, it is probably a desperate banking of funds in a dependable source that will appreciate over time. Needless to say, I am against the commercialization of art because it usually benefits the wrong individuals.

During an economic downturn, frivolous spending is usually the first to get cut and if even Damien Hirst is suffering the effects of an ailing economy, then one can only imagine what will happen to lesser known artists.

If the idea of funding Catellan's anti-establishment shenanigans does not appeal to you, I would encourage you to visit the One of a Kind Show (in Toronto, November 27 - December 7, 2008). Pleasing yet practical items are guilt-free purchases especially when you know that the money goes directly to the maker and not to an auction house or an art speculator. During difficult times, it is said that people turn to sources of comfort. Comfort yourself and a local artist by buying some of their work because only the wealthy get rich off of art.