Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Shifting gears (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/)

-   -   Paintings: Overrated, or do you appreciate them? How much would you pay for them? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/78031-paintings-overrated-do-you-appreciate-them-how-much-would-you-pay-them.html)

So I have been pondering about this question for a while. I have seen the Mona Lisa, a bunch of other paintings, and pictures of a lot of famous paintings. I never found anything extraordinary about them.
For eg. The Mona Lisa. It isn't bad, and I would probably pay 2-3 thousand bucks for it. But I just don't find it priceless (this is strictly my opinion). I could probably pay a bit more for art that is a little darker, or for portraits of mythological characters, settings or comic book heroes. But I just do not see myself paying more than 5-6k for a painting.
Of course, everyone is entitled to like whatever it is that they want to like. But I somehow find something funny about people wanting to pay millions of dollars for a Rothco (see attachment)
Is it that some people (maybe not all), with that kind of dispensable income, just cave in and see it as a way to have a claim at intellect?

The painting has its value apart from the aesthetic sense perceived by the viewers. Though purely created with the insight of the painter, it need not always agree with one particular version of beautiful. That apart the most expensive paintings have something of vintage value embedded in them like wine. So people buy it for that aspect and some also for just the original creativity they see in there or just because it jells with their thought process liek abstracts.

But yes some deals seem really ludicrous by any standard but who cares as long as it is a rich man buying it.

@e1t1bet, have you seen Rothco's work in life and blood - I was hypnotized to say the least.

If i want to buy paintings for my house/office, i'd rather approach my 18yr old cousin. Im totally into abstract art and her work matches my taste.

Kadambari Mehta

Would have loved to buy paintings from my uncle but his work is way beyond my budget. Last time, he presented us with prints of his paintings worth over 5000. LOL

http://sudhirpatwardhan.tripod.com/main.htm

Shan2nu

Nope, never seen them.
However, my point was not that these paintings are bad. All I am wanting to know is how many people would pay the kind of price these paintings at times demand.

Even I had trouble to understand the value of a painting. Most of the time it's probably because it's just one copy that exists in the whole world (no two paintings are similar) and then add hype/mysticism to it. And then there will be someone who wants to show that he has loads of money to spend(not just this but there will be many other such urges) so he starts collecting those things. Seeing that another millionaire will try the same and the value goes up.
About the value of a modern abstract painting, I wouldn't pay a single penny for any. Not to my taste anyway and to say the truth, don't have money to waste on something which I can't even understand. (basically I won't even try to understand as it's too abstract). Sorry if there is any painter here, it's not to hurt anyone's feelings but just my personal opinion. [Actually on a second note, I'll probably pay 10-20k for a great Landscape painting, which I can take a look anytime and get mesmerized, feel being there on that magical moment. But never for an abstract]

To each his own- this world of paintings is a big market and I bet some of it is kind of scam too by these auction houses to keep their revenues rolling.

Yep, I find many of these abstract modern art precisely that, a bit too abstract. I mean what is the value if a painting which says make what you want of me, duh. For that I don't need a painting, do I?

Well, I wouldn't mind paying upto 2K for a good painting. But I am more of a photographer and would probably be willing to pay a tad bit more for some awesome photographs. Btw, anyone interested in buying some of my good photographs? :)

I will never ever pay for a painting. I have never appreciated painting, and simply cannot understand what that unplanned haze of lines mean. Its not my cup of tea, and best is I stay away from them.

So, Mona Lisa is a different thing, I cannot understand the painting, so no point in buying one.

You need to be able to appreciate art to understand its value, monetary or otherwise. To those who do not understand poetry, like me for instance, it just a mish mash of words. But I don't go about questioning its value.

Why not try doing a Rothco, Hussain, Van Gogh, and see whether you have any idea (thought) at all of what you want to paint? Natural, realistic painting is passe because (a) it is easy and lots of people can do it easily, and (b) photography can do it better. Thats where abstract art comes in. Its more mental than visual. Otherwise you can't appreciate an MF Hussain. Its like a labourer and a CEO, one uses brawn, the other, brain. Which cost more?

I rated >100 crores as I like the thought of having that sort of money.

:D

I like to some styles of painting more than others (landscapes, portraits than abstract/cubist). I did a presentation on Diego Velázquez once (a 17th century Spanish court painter) and loved the realism in his portraits. That type is more to my liking than something like Picasso or Joan Miro.

I do not spend money on buying paintings (I do that on buying other art - mainly music related). But I would not mind paying a few thousand Rs (upto 5k) on a painting I like.

As for the question in the poll, no I would not buy it. Would rather buy from Indian artist if it helps people in India understand that art can be career too.

I have built up a small collection of Indian modern paintings. Luckily the person who promoted M.F Husain and many others was there to guide us. She believed in the basic beauty of the painting. By the time we got to know her, Hussain's were overpriced.

Some rules.

1: First and fundemental - buy since you enjoy the painting. if you plan to buy in order to sell, you lose focus

2: The galleries nowadays keep prices and margins high and form a barrier between the artist and the market, and also between the seller and the market

3: Take opportunity to visit the Chitra Santhe held end of Jan. early Feb - the entire Kumara Krupa road is closed down and artists from all over India come and display and sell over there.

4: Avoid artists who have diluted their work by producing too many and also too many of the same thing - Yusuf Arakkal is one that springs to mind

Treat art like an enjoyable piece of land. Enjoy it since you like it and sell only if you neeed the funds.

i think art is something that cannot be valued in same scale by everyone, as its appreciation is purely subjective, as to how much aesthetic value one attaches to it.

Monalisa is priceless in my opinion, and its value only increases with time, it is like a vintage stuff.

Yup, i was watching this car auction on disc turbo the other day. They got some vintage cars on stage, i was expecting it to sell between 20,000-30,000 dollars. Bloody thing went for over a million.

And some cars which i felt would fetch a lot went for less.

Good for me though, my kinda cars come cheap. Hahaha.....

Shan2nu