News from Earth and Fire -- May 9, 2007
All or nothing...
Did you see the story on 60 Minutes last Sunday about Teri Horton, the 74-year-old woman who bought a painting at a thift shop as a gag gift for a friend of hers? She paid $5 for it and thought it was horrid.
I'm not sure why she didn't ever give it to her friend -- perhaps it was rejected by the friend who didn't need such a large "gag" in her house.
At any rate, someone else saw it and commented that it looked like the work of Jackson Pollock.
Teri's response to that was, "Who the %$(#* is Jackson Pollock?"
When she learned that if it indeed WERE by Jackson Pollock, its value could be $50 million, suddenly she had a little more appreciation for the piece.
Pollock didn't sign it (I suspect he didn't sign anything he did), so she has been trying to prove that it is an authentic Pollock so she can cash in big time.
(Side note: I thought the 2000 movie Pollock, staring Ed Harris was excellent.)
So basically what we have here is: Either this painting is worth $50 million, or it is worth $5, simply because of who did (or didn't) create it.
It's either an extremely important work of art... or it's not. And the ONLY thing that makes a difference is whether or not Jackson Pollock created it. No.. not even that. It's whether or not she can prove Jackson Pollock created it.
If Jackson Pollock created it but she can't prove it, it's only worth $5.
The piece itself is not being judged on artistic merit at all. "The art world" has collectively decided that Jackson Pollock's work is worth millions of dollars and so if this piece fits into that group, then it is worth millions of dollars.
Isn't that ridiculous?
Recently I was asked to answer some questions for an author who was writing a book about "collecting contemporary ceramics." One of the questions I was asked to answer was:
What criteria do you use when selecting which pots to buy?
I had a really simple answer:
Whether or not I like them.
***********
Several years ago a really spectacular piece came in for one of my shows:
Michael Simon
Persian Jar with white bird
The woman who wound up buying it came into the gallery (because the piece was visible from the window), looked at it for a few minutes and then said, "I have to have it."
She had two small children with her, and the piece was relatively expensive (I say relatively because in the overall scheme of art, functional pottery is extremely affordable) and I initially thought she was joking.
She wasn't.
She took the piece home and I'm sure has enjoyed it a great deal since.
I thought to myself at the time, "This woman doesn't have any idea who Michael Simon is. She bought this piece because it spoke to her."
I think that's the way it's supposed to be.
Earth and Fire needs your support, too.
My public radio station is having one of those obnoxious fund drives right now. You've heard the pitch. "You listen, you enjoy, you want us to stay here.. so call now with your pledge to keep public radio broadcasting. Do your part. Without your help, one day you might turn on your radio to this station and only hear static."
I can't ask you to call in a pledge, but I can ask you to please help the gallery by telling your friends and neighbors about it.
There's no better advertising for the gallery than your kind words, and it really does make a difference.
Gallery hours next week
I'm headed to Wyoming to visit my mother on Sunday, so the gallery will be closed Sunday, the 13th through Wednesday the 16th. The website goes on uninterrupted, of course.
Have a good week.
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