4 ms·

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 bein

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.

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.