Before reading this chapter I never knew just how serious an art fair is especially to a collector’s standpoint. I always thought of an art collector as a person who is a rich privileged person who simply buys art because they like the way it looks or it makes them feel a certain way when looking at the piece. In this chapter I find it interesting that a collector is represented as carrying the same importance as an artist. That a “Collector should be an earned category” as Mera mentioned in the chapter. It seems as though that being a collector is more than a hobby; it is a job. Being a collector is a skill that is practiced and learned like becoming a good painter. In one of the paragraphs on pg. 83, Mera mentions that, “an artist doesn’t become an artist in a day, so a collector shouldn’t become a collector in a day. It’s a lifetime process”. I don’t know if I agree with this statement. It’s true that it is a lifetime process, but it’s only a lifetime process only if one wants to perfect and become good at it. Anyone one can be an artist, however a person who has knowledge and knows various techniques to display their creativity is set a part as truly an artist rather than a person who doodles. The same goes for being a collector. Anyone can be a collector is just the amount of money you have to buy the art piece that set you apart from every body else. I don’t know that’s just my opinion.
- “I don’t want it to look like a bad group show…The trick is to find a space for everything, so each work has a chance to breath”.
I think this is a quote that is similar to what I am will be experiencing when it comes time to display my work in a group show. Being able display my work and also making sure that my work and the other artist work that I’m sharing the space with, works well in the same space and also has room to breath.
- “Art world insiders take a hard line on collecting for the ‘right’ reasons”.
Is there a right reason for collecting art? I always thought that art made you feel a certain way, which is why some people collect it. Never really thought that there was a right or wrong answer when dealing in the realm of art.
- “Artist tend to view art fairs with a mixture of horror, alienation, and amusement”
- “You have to make the new work to sell the old work”
I understand your sentiment... From what I learned in a particular art history course, it appears a lot of collectors don't/didn't have a clue as to what they were collecting- esp in Non-Western art. Some things are picked haphazardly and without true knowledge (or concern) of the background or intent of the work. It's primarily about money. I also think it's pretty unfortunate that many times the worth of an artist's works are heavily weighted based on these collector's interest (or lack thereof) in them.
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