4 ms·

Just a bit of context from a person who works in contemporary art: the question of "exploitation" is complicated by the fact that a career like this is probably

Just a bit of context from a person who works in contemporary art: the question of "exploitation" is complicated by the fact that a career like this is probably based in some part on exploiting people who don't understand the state of art or the mainstream art market. The notion, for example, that he is comparable to Monet is absurd, not only because this kid isn't a good painter but also because it would be impossible to make Monet-like paintings today and be anything like Monet was during his time. The questions Monet was answering are no longer the questions anyone is asking art to answer. If people are being told that this boy is a genius, or that he is likely to be an important artist in the future, they are being defrauded. Whether his parents are participating in the fraud or are being misled themselves probably has some bearing on how much we should trust them as parents I think (neither being a great endorsement but the former being much worse than the latter).

xal 13y ago
So how do you square that with the financial success?
- ForrestN 13y ago
  Easily: customers who have lots of money, who have a predisposition to prefer "traditional" artwork, and who believe the plausible idea that a child who is being recognized (according to the dealer) as a "prodigy" is likely to be only more recognized the older he gets, which would mean higher prices. In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. Likewise no one who paints in this genre and with this perspective (see the "blobs on canvas" quote) will ever be included in the way that is necessary for his career to develop and his prices to be justified by the larger art market. He won't be able to show in mainstream museums, he won't be represented by credible dealers, and he will exist to whatever extent he can in an economy built mostly around exploiting people who don't know anything about the field.
  - defen 13y ago
    > In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. That's a rather provocative statement! I assume by "art" you mean "painting"? Or did you really mean it more broadly? I don't have any professional or formal training in this field so forgive me if I'm misinterpreting or retreading old ground here, but doesn't your statement seem to imply that there is no room for beauty in contemporary art? If it is completely de-skilled, "anyone" can make art, and so it will only be valuable to the extent that it makes some sort of statement, or is perceived as valuable by collectors / experts.
    - alextingle 13y ago
      He means that art is now predominantly about ideas, influences, and references. Craft plays only a passing, marginal role.
  - zanny 13y ago
    Just for perspective, I watch a few dozen people on deviantart I met IRL or found through reddit or other discussion topics. They may not have the artistic skill of some institutional art classical painter, but I find their art more appealing and interesting. That, and modern computing has enabled, in my experience, a pretty sharp proliferation of artistic skill. Once you didn't have to buy paint or watercolors (which can become expensive) and had the ability to undo, art got a lot better. For me. Art is, after all, a personal thing.
    - jrs99 13y ago
      Some of those classical artists fall into the trap of focusing on trying to make things look as real as possible.
jrs99 13y ago
What I find really interesting is that he says he prefers oils because they are more "forgiving" than watercolors. Yet his style of painting doesn't really need "forgiving." His handling is pretty loose and abstract. Almost perfectly suited for watercolors. And his paintings are very formulaic. Lots of abstract passages with bits of crisp realism showing up here and there. Almost like a solid painter that has been painting for many years and is popping these babies out for a show on the boardwalk where they'll go for $500 apiece. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was "coaching" him.
- ForrestN 13y ago
  Agreed. Even the use of language, "forgiving," is how teachers talk about media, not children. Unfortunately, if you look closely, the paintings are actually quite awkward (the portrait of his grandfather especially) and are worse for trying to echo a loose, confident style. Even if we accept this hyper-conservative, even regressive approach to art, it's unfair to expect him to have much skill at such a young age (and he doesn't have much at the moment).

xal 13y ago

So how do you square that with the financial success?

ForrestN 13y ago
Easily: customers who have lots of money, who have a predisposition to prefer "traditional" artwork, and who believe the plausible idea that a child who is being recognized (according to the dealer) as a "prodigy" is likely to be only more recognized the older he gets, which would mean higher prices. In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. Likewise no one who paints in this genre and with this perspective (see the "blobs on canvas" quote) will ever be included in the way that is necessary for his career to develop and his prices to be justified by the larger art market. He won't be able to show in mainstream museums, he won't be represented by credible dealers, and he will exist to whatever extent he can in an economy built mostly around exploiting people who don't know anything about the field.
- defen 13y ago
  > In reality, there are no more "prodigies" in the field of art because it has been completely de-skilled. That's a rather provocative statement! I assume by "art" you mean "painting"? Or did you really mean it more broadly? I don't have any professional or formal training in this field so forgive me if I'm misinterpreting or retreading old ground here, but doesn't your statement seem to imply that there is no room for beauty in contemporary art? If it is completely de-skilled, "anyone" can make art, and so it will only be valuable to the extent that it makes some sort of statement, or is perceived as valuable by collectors / experts.
  - alextingle 13y ago
    He means that art is now predominantly about ideas, influences, and references. Craft plays only a passing, marginal role.
- zanny 13y ago
  Just for perspective, I watch a few dozen people on deviantart I met IRL or found through reddit or other discussion topics. They may not have the artistic skill of some institutional art classical painter, but I find their art more appealing and interesting. That, and modern computing has enabled, in my experience, a pretty sharp proliferation of artistic skill. Once you didn't have to buy paint or watercolors (which can become expensive) and had the ability to undo, art got a lot better. For me. Art is, after all, a personal thing.
  - jrs99 13y ago
    Some of those classical artists fall into the trap of focusing on trying to make things look as real as possible.

jrs99 13y ago

What I find really interesting is that he says he prefers oils because they are more "forgiving" than watercolors. Yet his style of painting doesn't really need "forgiving." His handling is pretty loose and abstract. Almost perfectly suited for watercolors. And his paintings are very formulaic. Lots of abstract passages with bits of crisp realism showing up here and there. Almost like a solid painter that has been painting for many years and is popping these babies out for a show on the boardwalk where they'll go for $500 apiece. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was "coaching" him.

ForrestN 13y ago
Agreed. Even the use of language, "forgiving," is how teachers talk about media, not children. Unfortunately, if you look closely, the paintings are actually quite awkward (the portrait of his grandfather especially) and are worse for trying to echo a loose, confident style. Even if we accept this hyper-conservative, even regressive approach to art, it's unfair to expect him to have much skill at such a young age (and he doesn't have much at the moment).