analyzing articles.
"Can art be 'priceless' in rocky times?"
Four credible people debate this question in The New York Times. My focus is on the first article written to answer this question. Dennis Dutton, a professor of philosophy at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, believes that beauty should be expensive. There are many art forms but fine art is something that cannot be reproduced. This is his thesis and the basis to his argument. There are so many subtleties and techniques that are used to create one piece, which makes it as complex as a fingerprint. He states, "the painting is a perfect, intricate and utterly irreplaceable record of a historic artistic achievement." Dennis believes that paying high prices for this rare, exquisite pieces can be justified because of all the time, thought-process, feeling, and achievement. They are truly something made beautiful, but yet people think its ridiculous to pay so much for a painting but its ok to buy and old building for the same price.
I think Dennis is correct in most of his statements. Art is truly something that can never be repeated such as a fingerprint. Although they make prints of the originals they are not the same. They do not have the technique and the brushstrokes taken to make the piece. Take for example the The Parthenon by Fredrick Church, Starry Night by Van Gogh or Madonna and Child and St. John the Baptist by Sanzio, each one is one of the "greats" they all have their own techniques and cannot be reproduced to perfection. The Parthenon is created with an illuminance to it and showing the importance of this architecture to the people. Starry Night has complex brushstrokes that make up its composition and give a depth to the piece, and Madonna... is created for the church and has a bunch of symbolism that makes it great. Another thing that makes them great is the artist. We have made an importance of not only artwork but the artists that create them. They are records of the time periods and of the artist. I believe the great artwork should be expensive because they are truly one of a kind, but his comparison to the old building I do not particularly agree with. Building can be used for greater purposes and are a renewable resource, while artwork is beautiful but is just to be admired.
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5 comments:
We, as humans, are the greatest pieces of art ever created, yet man still tries to put a price tag on some of us. I agree that art, even in rough times, can still be priceless.
(Paula)
I definitely agree that an artist's individual work is as unique as a fingerprint and that reproduction just isn't the same. An artist's time, original thoughts, and specific brush techniques are truly one-of-a-kind, and replications just don't compare. The actual act of trying to reproduce an exact brushstroke completely cancels out the original artist's intentions of creating a unique piece. I also fully agree that works of art should be expensive because so much thought, time, and physical effort goes into them!
Speaking as an artist, I definitely agree that an original artwork is priceless. I can't pursue painting as a career solely because I become so attached to most of my paintings, anything someone paid for a painting that came from my heart likely couldn't be enough. It makes perfect sense to me that great artworks are so expensive.
I agree with all when in saying in valuing the price of art as a precious commodity that is a rarity in the art field, and should be priced according to so. But the idea of a reproduction of the piece, I see no problem with. It’s an opportunity for the artwork to be enjoyed by multiple people and cultures. And I think it is interesting that artist did and still do make reproductions of their work. I feel like it does not take away from the value of the piece. Just because Pride and Prejudice is on the bookshelves of most doesn’t degrade its literary importance to society, it just allows for more people to appreciate the work.
I totally agree that art should be expensive. These artists made very unique and one of a kind artwork. It can be replicated on paper but it's not the same as actually seeing the actual artwork in all its beauty. The artwork is pricy to remind us maybe just how important these artists and their artwork really is.
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