More and more artists have recently been accused of saying that money is the main motive when creating art works. But there are also a group of people think that the artist works the work of money is not so important, there are other aspects of the artist’s creation, or their different proportion. In my opinion, contemporary artists are partly motivated by money, partly by other sectors. Firstly i will talk about what’s contemporary art, and how contemporary connected to money, then i will show my position of this topic, after that i will talk about Damine Hirst and Bansky. Finally i will do the summary of this topic.
“Contemporary art” in time, refers to today’s art, in the connotation, mainly refers to the modern spirit of independence and independent character, language art. The concept of “modern art” is easy to be confused with the “modernist” art, and “contemporary art” embodies not only the unfinished “modern” Sex “, and the artist’s” contemporary “feelings and spiritual transmission based on today’s social life. Of course, now the money is important, but also because tens of thousands of artists in the high cost of living to the painful city life, where people often put the art industry and the art world confused. Although the two are almost the same, but the difference does exist. The art industry means the link between high-priced galleries, auction houses and collectors who master the art market, and the art market is famous for spending all kinds of unidentified money.
In my opinion, i think contemporary artists are partly motivated by money, and partly by other sectors. “Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.” (Pablo Picasso) “The possibility of evolution evolving beyond the human level was a frightening realization. Artists making art that consisted solely of information and concepts were supported by corporations and museums. It appeared to right in line with the ideologies of corporations motivated by profit instead of human needs.”(Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art,1996). Creating art brings things back together.Art causes people to look a little closer. To look closer at the social issues, at other people and their emotions, at the environment that surround them, and the everyday objects and life forms around them. It helps them see what is there but not easily perceived. The artist brings out that which cannot be seen or felt easily.When society sees and feels clearly on these things, it provides opportunities for change in thought or appreciation of the message behind the art.It can cause people to re-examine their thinking on the subject that’s put before them.
“I still believe art is more powerful than money” (Damien Hirst), He was hailed by many as the most profitable artist in the history of advanced contemporary art. At a Serpentine gallery show that same year, Hirst met Jay Jopling, who would soon become his dealer. Things moved even faster after that. For a show at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, Hirst referred in the catalogue to a work in progress that had been commissioned by Charles Saatchi. Entitled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of a Living Person, it comprised a 14ft-long tiger shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde. It did not appear in the Saatchi Gallery until 1992, but when it did, it radically changed the world of contemporary art – and the course of Damien Hirst’s life. Having been bought by Saatchi for £50,000, the shark in the formaldehyde-filled vitrine became an icon of contemporary art of the 1990s and perhaps the defining work of what would come to be known as the YBA movement. (“£50,000 For Fish Without Chips” ran a headline in the Sun at the time.) In 2004, the work was sold to an American collector, Steven A Cohen, for a reputed $8m. In 2006, the original shark, having deteriorated, was replaced at Hirst’s insistence by a new formaldehyde-injected one, which was then loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is that shark that visitors to the Tate Modern show will see.
Banksy is a British street artist and activist who, despite worldwide fame, has maintained anonymity. Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown. Banksy’s work acts as visual cultural criticism and commentary, with established social and political agendas serving as targets for a unique style of illustration made using stencils and spray paint. Banksy’s work is largely site-specific, often with an element of multi-media or performance as an accompaniment,Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man selling the artist’s paintings for $60 each near Central Park.
In summary, It’s only been in the last 200 years that attitudes have changed and become distorted, becoming focused on “self-expression” and often veering into self-absorption. It’s no wonder that income-making has become more challenging. Artists don’t put attention on the matter, and neither do they focus on the needs of their buyers. This is not a good recipe for financial success in any business, or profession.Artists need to learn to embrace all aspects of what artmaking entails – the wondrous mystery of creating, relationships with their clientele, and the challenges of becoming financially successful. All of these are equally important and each can be a sound and creditable motivation for working.
Referencing
- Stiles, Kristine Stiles, 1996. Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art: A Sourcebook of Artists’ Writings. 2nd ed. California Los Angeles: Peter Howard Selz.
- ThoughtCo. 2017. What Is the Purpose of Making Art?. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-purpose-of-art-2578416. [Accessed 25 Apr 2017].
- The Guardian. 2017. Damien Hirst: ‘I still believe art is more powerful than money’ | Art and design | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/mar/11/damien-hirst-tate-retrospective-interview. [Accessed 25 Apr 2017].
- Banksy | artnet. 2017. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/banksy/. [Accessed 27 Apr 2017].