The reason that most people choose to live with bare walls, or dressed-up posters, is not the cost of art. It is because when they contemplate actually making a purchase of original artwork, they are filled not with the excitement often associated with buying furniture or jewelry, but the dread feeling of incompetence.
Art fills many needs not the least of which is its ability to yield insight into our most sincere desires, brighten our moods, and open our eyes. Yet the prospect of entering most gallery spaces armed with a complete lack of the finer points of art history or modern trends, and oh yes, having to ask the price, is often daunting enough to, once again, have us just let the whole thing go.
The fear of making a mistake is often insurmountable. It really doesn't matter whether it's the prospect of a financial mistake, or the idea of opening oneself up to friends and family members' criticism of your taste. Few other purchases can elicit such a degree of insecurity. And much of that insecurity stems from the fact that buying art is an extremely personal statement which is much more individual than almost anything else. Because it is so undeniably a part of our cultural subconscious, influencing just about everything we covet and buy, there is often great fear of striking a wrong note with an 'uninformed' purchase.
Most of our reluctance can be traced to the traditional model of the art world wherein the producer, the artist, gives up 50%-60% commission in order to secure distribution. Where approximately 1000 artists are blessed with the impremateur of a small pool of art dealers. This controlled world often leaves potential buyers in a bewildering state of limbo as the art deemed worthy by the experts causes them to doubt their own taste. That was the old model and it's time for a new era. Heralded by a new degree of art accessibility and the ability therefore to trust one's own innate judgement, the era of the emerging artist is being ushered in. And dare we say, a newly efficient art market.
In February, the auction house Bonhams held its first ever auction comprised solely of Urban, or Street Art. The auction included work from many emerging, unknown artists and resulted in an astounding sale of 99% of the lots. For a relatively unknown genre of art to post such a stellar result is almost unheard of in the art world. The rationale behind the sales' success is that street art's rise in popularity has as much to do with its lack of pretension and sense of cultural familiarity as anything else - no curator or critic required.
It's hard to go wrong buying what you love, what makes you smile or reflect on a regular basis. Buying art is an intensely personal process often best suited to home shopping, separated from the influence and pressures of gallery assistants or art critics. The process of buying art resonates more with prolonged browsing and research which can, most importantly, help in defining your taste. And, just as the elimination of many countries' fees into their art museums enables artwork to be appreciated by a greater number of people on a more regular basis, art exhibited over the internet enables the work of emerging artists worldwide to gain an audience.
The way to conquer the fear of buying art is to define your taste by doing the research to determine what sorts of images, colors and themes have the ability to move you on a consistent basis. The internet offers the perfect venue beyond the confines of juried shows and galleries where art lovers can meld their taste, choice of medium, budget, and a level of connection with the artists' intention to become collectors themselves. It's also the best way for artists to take their work to the level of ultimate accessibility.
Capucine Price
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Articles about Russian fine art
Russian art has a long fascinating history and I wish everybody could have an opportunity to explore my country's artistic tradition. However the majority resources on the Internet dedicated to Russian art are in Russian.
Luckily enough the other day I found a unique website devoted to Russian art and culture: http://www.russia-ic.com/culture_art/visual_arts/description/ It has nearly 20 wonderful articles with illustrations on the various topics and various genres of Russian art. Some of the stories were a discovery for me too. I personally strongly recommend to read the following articles:
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Messengers of Easter
March is the month full of wonderful holidays - International Women's Day, St' Patrick's. Easter will also be celebrated in many countries in March this year, March 23 to be exact (April 27 in Orthodox countries, like Russia, Ukraine, etc.)
Traditionally Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs came to symbolise Easter in many of the Western countries, including the U.S. How many various bunnies - chocolate, fluffy, plastic, drawn on postacards - are created and given as presents each year? Thousands, I guess. How many of them have you already given out and received? Dozens? And yet, how much connection does a funny bunny have to the holy event that Easter symbolizes - the Resurrection of Christ?
In Orthodox countries, like Russia or Ukraine Easter is very much a religious rather than a commercial holiday. Why don't you explore the Eastern European tradition and surprise your loved ones with gifts that are more spiritual, the gifts that are divine and heavenly?
Capucines Boulevard art gallery (http://www.capucinesboulevard.com/), for example, has a wonderful collection of paintings of angels by Robert Romero, that convey the ideas of DIVINE LIGHT, CELEBRATION, RESURRECTION. You can call them the Messengers of Easter (in order of appearance: Angel in Motion, Portrait of an Angel, Gabriel's Message, Michael's Arrival):
Traditionally Easter Bunny and chocolate eggs came to symbolise Easter in many of the Western countries, including the U.S. How many various bunnies - chocolate, fluffy, plastic, drawn on postacards - are created and given as presents each year? Thousands, I guess. How many of them have you already given out and received? Dozens? And yet, how much connection does a funny bunny have to the holy event that Easter symbolizes - the Resurrection of Christ?
In Orthodox countries, like Russia or Ukraine Easter is very much a religious rather than a commercial holiday. Why don't you explore the Eastern European tradition and surprise your loved ones with gifts that are more spiritual, the gifts that are divine and heavenly?
Capucines Boulevard art gallery (http://www.capucinesboulevard.com/), for example, has a wonderful collection of paintings of angels by Robert Romero, that convey the ideas of DIVINE LIGHT, CELEBRATION, RESURRECTION. You can call them the Messengers of Easter (in order of appearance: Angel in Motion, Portrait of an Angel, Gabriel's Message, Michael's Arrival):
You can buy original paintings and prints on our main website or beautiful gifts with the image of your choice printed on them (apparel, mugs, bags, POSTCARDS, etc.) on our gifts shop website: http://www.cafepress.com/capucinesblvd/3525422 (Use the left hand navigation to choose the image you like)
Finally, our gallery can also offer you a one-of-a kind work of art - Christ Trinity sculpture by Charles Collins:
The outside figures of Christ Trinity are disciples Peter and John and they have baskets on their backs carrying loaves and fishes. They have been cast separate. The center figure that makes up Christ nose and mouth is Mother Mary on the other side and she is in prayer for the liberation of humanity. This edition is limited to 44.
We hope that you will be able to find something that warms your heart and we wish you a Happy Easter!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Phototheatre
A Ukrainian photographer, Alexander Krivitski, claims to have created a new art genre – PHOTOTHEATRE. He claims that all artists before him called 1 work of art, one photo, with a staged background and a posing model a phototheatre. What Krivitski has created is a series of photos that tell a story as a whole while each of the photos in a series can live a life on its own too.
How does he make his “photo plays”? Krivitski says it’s like a “flight of a soul”. His photos are not staged, he is there in the moment with the camera and he captures whatever is there in that moment.
Why phototheatre? The artist says that one photo is not enough to convey all the complexity of the story and emotions. Phototheatre allows the viewer to see more of the world and how the story develops within the phototheatrical play.
He also stresses that what he creates is not a photoset, it is a theatre because each of the photos can be taken out and viewed separately. His phototheatre according to Krivitski is a collection of photos – 2, 3, a hundred that are connected by the same plot from the first one to the last.
It is also important that all participants of the phototheatre are photo artists, i.e. both the model(s) and the photographer. Krivitski is sure that in order to make an interesting story models have to understand how photography works only then they will be able to perform at their best. If out of 25 participants even 5 are not photographers the quality of the result of the photo session will be totally different from what can be created by a team consisting of just photographers.
Krivitski creates phototheatre not only in the studio but also “en plain air” too. He says that there is no and should not be the leader in this process because everyone wants to create the same thing and works hard together to make it as best as they can. Phototheatre erases the difference between those behind the camera and in front of it.
This genre is gaining popularity in the Ukraine and Russia. A. Krivitski himself created more than a dozen “photo plays” which can be viewed at http://www.krivitskiy.com/ Most of the site is in Russian but there are bits and pieces about phototheatre on the left hand side of the homepage in English where you can see all of his plays. Below is an abstract from 1 of his plays - JaponaMOIKA - a short study on daily chores of a poor Japanese girl who likes day dreaming.
How does he make his “photo plays”? Krivitski says it’s like a “flight of a soul”. His photos are not staged, he is there in the moment with the camera and he captures whatever is there in that moment.
Why phototheatre? The artist says that one photo is not enough to convey all the complexity of the story and emotions. Phototheatre allows the viewer to see more of the world and how the story develops within the phototheatrical play.
He also stresses that what he creates is not a photoset, it is a theatre because each of the photos can be taken out and viewed separately. His phototheatre according to Krivitski is a collection of photos – 2, 3, a hundred that are connected by the same plot from the first one to the last.
It is also important that all participants of the phototheatre are photo artists, i.e. both the model(s) and the photographer. Krivitski is sure that in order to make an interesting story models have to understand how photography works only then they will be able to perform at their best. If out of 25 participants even 5 are not photographers the quality of the result of the photo session will be totally different from what can be created by a team consisting of just photographers.
Krivitski creates phototheatre not only in the studio but also “en plain air” too. He says that there is no and should not be the leader in this process because everyone wants to create the same thing and works hard together to make it as best as they can. Phototheatre erases the difference between those behind the camera and in front of it.
This genre is gaining popularity in the Ukraine and Russia. A. Krivitski himself created more than a dozen “photo plays” which can be viewed at http://www.krivitskiy.com/ Most of the site is in Russian but there are bits and pieces about phototheatre on the left hand side of the homepage in English where you can see all of his plays. Below is an abstract from 1 of his plays - JaponaMOIKA - a short study on daily chores of a poor Japanese girl who likes day dreaming.
Monday, February 25, 2008
DISCOVER THE VALUE OF ART: HOW TO INCREASE YOUR WEALTH IN AN UNCERTAIN ECONOMY
"Man will begin to recover the moment he takes art as seriously as physics, chemistry or money" Ernst Levy
Art fills many needs. Art and artists confer a 'coolness' factor onto neighborhoods, driving communities' economic growth. Corporations employ it as a way to motivate employees and lend bite to their brands, and hospitals utilize its transformative power to encourage healing. All of which helps to explain why, in concert with the current stratospheric rise in global wealth, art continues to attract a broader audience and deliver record-breaking auction results despite a worldwide economy just beginning to realize the effects of speculative excess and inevitable recession. However, even without a dawning realization of the myriad ways in which it impacts our lives, art would still be climbing because, particularly during times of economic distress, art is the asset that both pleases and prospers.
During 2007, America's financial institutions wrote off a whopping $120 billion in assets stemming from the still unfolding subprime mortgage crisis. S&P is forecasting mortgage-related losses above $265 billion when all is said and done, and well-known U.S. banks have already borrowed $50 billion from the Federal Reserve to shore up their reserves.
Meanwhile, the stock market is clearly unnerved by the prospect of a contracting consumer, with the S&P 500 having already lost 8% of its value year-to-date, with 6.1% of that coming in January, the biggest drop since September, 2002. Not to be outdone, the European Dow Jones equivalent lost 12% in January. And as a result of reduced U.S. interest rates aimed at dealing with the effects of the mortgage situation, the dollar continues to lose value, having fallen 9.5% versus the Euro in 2007, 37% in the last five years. What's increasing in value you may ask? The answer: the Euro, Gold, Silver, and ART.
"Nonfinancial assets form the greater part of world wealth and have been more stable in value during periods of financial and social turbulence." (Global Investing: The Professional's Guide to the World Capital Markets, Roger G. Ibbotson and Gary Brinson). On February 14th, 2008, Sotheby's hosted the Red Auction in New York City to benefit HIV/AIDS. The 75 donated works raised $42.6 million, almost $9 million above estimates, and pieces by 17 artists sold for the highest prices they'd ever received at an auction. Ironically, on the very same day former Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan announced that the U.S. is on the precipice of a recession.
On February 5th, the Dow fell 370 points, the indexes' worst loss this year, and the eighth worst day for the stock market since 2000. It was also the day that Sotheby's held its auction of Impressionist and Modern works in London for a record total 116.7 million pounds, 40 million pounds over the prior record set just last June. The sale saw five records broken, with 88% of lots sold, a healthy outcome in any economy. It was also Sotheby's highest total ever for an auction of Impressionist and Modern art in London.
Just what explains these levels of spending on art at a time when, it could be argued, inextricably-linked worldwide economies are poised for a painful contraction? In short, because in some quarters, art is seen not as a discretionary luxury, but instead as the store of value that it has always been, especially during economically trying times.
A survey compiled by the U.K. research firm ArtTactic found that in the second half of 2007, 40% of respondents expected a correction in the art market. Given the market's unprecedented climb over the past eleven years coupled with the steep decline in consumer confidence relative to the woes of the credit market, that result was not particularly surprising. However, what only a few have known for quite some time is that art has often been one of the most stable, not to mention profitable, investments during uncertain economic times. In fact, when the stock market took a swoon in 1987 and again in 2001, outperformance by the art market was notable.
Two NYU economists, Jianping Mei and Michael Moses, developed the Mei Moses All Art Index. The index analyzes the repeat sales of over 12,000 works of art at auction since 1950 to generate precise return data. The pair reported in an article in Forbes that "during the armed conflicts of lengthy duration of last century, art indexes outperformed major stock indexes." When stock markets fell during World Wars I and II, art outperformed the S&P during most of those years, and by 1920 had risen to 125% of its 1913 value (versus 94% for the market). Further, while the S&P 500 increased 67% during the Korean War (1949-1954), art was up 108%, and during the Vietnam War (1966 to 1975) when the S&P 500 fell 27%, art rose 256%.
However, art's outperformance of the equity markets is not confined to times of war, but surpasses the more traditional investment vehicles as well when the markets are roiled by a troubled economy, exactly the situation we find ourselves in today. In an article in InvestmentU, Mei/Moses analysis of data from the 27 recessions since 1875 reveals that art does quite well in tough economic times. Investors want and need to invest their money but when confronted with volatility-producing uncertainty, the foundation of the bellwethers becomes rocky, and investors turn to art.
For example, in 2000, the U.S. economy was facing many of the same conditions as it does today: declining retail sales, reduced capital spending and tightening bank credit standards. The peak in the Dow Jones Industrial Average that occurred on March 10, 2000 was followed by a loss of almost $3 trillion in market value and an overall loss for the year above 10%. Results for art were much different however with the Mei/Moses Index gaining 16%. In addition to its outperformance, art has a low correlation with the stock and bond markets which makes it an excellent way to diversify a portfolio, and reduce overall risk. Far from being a luxury, it can be argued that art is an essential component of any portfolio.
Capucine Price
http://www.CapucinesBoulevard.com
Email: Support@CapucinesBoulevard.com
February 25, 2008Copyright 2008 Capucine Price. All rights reserved.
Art fills many needs. Art and artists confer a 'coolness' factor onto neighborhoods, driving communities' economic growth. Corporations employ it as a way to motivate employees and lend bite to their brands, and hospitals utilize its transformative power to encourage healing. All of which helps to explain why, in concert with the current stratospheric rise in global wealth, art continues to attract a broader audience and deliver record-breaking auction results despite a worldwide economy just beginning to realize the effects of speculative excess and inevitable recession. However, even without a dawning realization of the myriad ways in which it impacts our lives, art would still be climbing because, particularly during times of economic distress, art is the asset that both pleases and prospers.
During 2007, America's financial institutions wrote off a whopping $120 billion in assets stemming from the still unfolding subprime mortgage crisis. S&P is forecasting mortgage-related losses above $265 billion when all is said and done, and well-known U.S. banks have already borrowed $50 billion from the Federal Reserve to shore up their reserves.
Meanwhile, the stock market is clearly unnerved by the prospect of a contracting consumer, with the S&P 500 having already lost 8% of its value year-to-date, with 6.1% of that coming in January, the biggest drop since September, 2002. Not to be outdone, the European Dow Jones equivalent lost 12% in January. And as a result of reduced U.S. interest rates aimed at dealing with the effects of the mortgage situation, the dollar continues to lose value, having fallen 9.5% versus the Euro in 2007, 37% in the last five years. What's increasing in value you may ask? The answer: the Euro, Gold, Silver, and ART.
"Nonfinancial assets form the greater part of world wealth and have been more stable in value during periods of financial and social turbulence." (Global Investing: The Professional's Guide to the World Capital Markets, Roger G. Ibbotson and Gary Brinson). On February 14th, 2008, Sotheby's hosted the Red Auction in New York City to benefit HIV/AIDS. The 75 donated works raised $42.6 million, almost $9 million above estimates, and pieces by 17 artists sold for the highest prices they'd ever received at an auction. Ironically, on the very same day former Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan announced that the U.S. is on the precipice of a recession.
On February 5th, the Dow fell 370 points, the indexes' worst loss this year, and the eighth worst day for the stock market since 2000. It was also the day that Sotheby's held its auction of Impressionist and Modern works in London for a record total 116.7 million pounds, 40 million pounds over the prior record set just last June. The sale saw five records broken, with 88% of lots sold, a healthy outcome in any economy. It was also Sotheby's highest total ever for an auction of Impressionist and Modern art in London.
Just what explains these levels of spending on art at a time when, it could be argued, inextricably-linked worldwide economies are poised for a painful contraction? In short, because in some quarters, art is seen not as a discretionary luxury, but instead as the store of value that it has always been, especially during economically trying times.
A survey compiled by the U.K. research firm ArtTactic found that in the second half of 2007, 40% of respondents expected a correction in the art market. Given the market's unprecedented climb over the past eleven years coupled with the steep decline in consumer confidence relative to the woes of the credit market, that result was not particularly surprising. However, what only a few have known for quite some time is that art has often been one of the most stable, not to mention profitable, investments during uncertain economic times. In fact, when the stock market took a swoon in 1987 and again in 2001, outperformance by the art market was notable.
Two NYU economists, Jianping Mei and Michael Moses, developed the Mei Moses All Art Index. The index analyzes the repeat sales of over 12,000 works of art at auction since 1950 to generate precise return data. The pair reported in an article in Forbes that "during the armed conflicts of lengthy duration of last century, art indexes outperformed major stock indexes." When stock markets fell during World Wars I and II, art outperformed the S&P during most of those years, and by 1920 had risen to 125% of its 1913 value (versus 94% for the market). Further, while the S&P 500 increased 67% during the Korean War (1949-1954), art was up 108%, and during the Vietnam War (1966 to 1975) when the S&P 500 fell 27%, art rose 256%.
However, art's outperformance of the equity markets is not confined to times of war, but surpasses the more traditional investment vehicles as well when the markets are roiled by a troubled economy, exactly the situation we find ourselves in today. In an article in InvestmentU, Mei/Moses analysis of data from the 27 recessions since 1875 reveals that art does quite well in tough economic times. Investors want and need to invest their money but when confronted with volatility-producing uncertainty, the foundation of the bellwethers becomes rocky, and investors turn to art.
For example, in 2000, the U.S. economy was facing many of the same conditions as it does today: declining retail sales, reduced capital spending and tightening bank credit standards. The peak in the Dow Jones Industrial Average that occurred on March 10, 2000 was followed by a loss of almost $3 trillion in market value and an overall loss for the year above 10%. Results for art were much different however with the Mei/Moses Index gaining 16%. In addition to its outperformance, art has a low correlation with the stock and bond markets which makes it an excellent way to diversify a portfolio, and reduce overall risk. Far from being a luxury, it can be argued that art is an essential component of any portfolio.
Capucine Price
http://www.CapucinesBoulevard.com
Email: Support@CapucinesBoulevard.com
February 25, 2008Copyright 2008 Capucine Price. All rights reserved.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Indian artists are under attack from moral police
Indian media is currnetly widely discussing the events that shook the art world last May. Chandra Mohan, a student from the Department of Graphics at the Fine Arts College in Baroda has been arrested on 9th of May 2007 for making an allegedly controversial painting depicting nude figures with some religious motifs. The arrest followed the storming of the university premises by a group of outsiders. The work in question was part of a display in the college premises for assessment by a team of examiners for a Master's degree in Fine Arts.
Moral censorship related to creative expression is not something new in India. It dates back to the early 1950s, when Akbar Padamsee’s painting of a naked couple was confiscated by the police from an exhibition in Bombay on charges of obscenity. A court ruling however later declared that since the work was within the premises of an art gallery, it could not be deemed obscene.
It is really ironic that in the Hindu religious tradition, explicit pictures and sculptures (just have a look at all major hindu temples) occupy a central space, reference to nudity can so easily hurt sentiments.
Now the question arise how an artist can freely express himself and exhibit his works of art. Here again Internet plays a vital role - it can be a safe spae to exhibit one's creations bearing in mind the fact that the self-appointed moral police in India usually consists of representatives of lower (=less educated) classes.
Currently Capucines Boulevard http://www.capucinesboulevard.com/ on-line art gallery showcases the works of a half a dozen Indian artists who art not in any way discriminated and can use this safe haven to share there works of art with the rest of the world.
Swapna Malvade, "Live Together Forever"
Capucinesboulevard.com
Monday, February 4, 2008
Russian art trends
Recently I found another interesting article in a Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" about trends in Russian art. Here is a summary of the 3 main trends described in the article:
1. It is difficult to find Russian art exhibited in galleries and museums abroad because on the one hand the galleries are interested but on the other not sure how to present the Russian art and if it will attract big audiences. Therefore the galleries tend to go with an easier option of Italian or Spanish artists (if they have to choose European art for exhibits) because they know that the latter are always popular.
2. The most popular genres of Russian art today are contemprory art and photography, especially photography. The prices for contemprory works of art based on photography are growing incredibly faster than the prices for any other types of art.
3. In general the prices of Russian works of art are astronomical, especially at the major foreign auction houses. In most cases the prices are artificially inflated.
An Internet art gallery has the freedom to avoid the aforesaid pitfalls: Capucines Boulevard gallery currently exhibits 8 Russian artists (out of more than a dozen Eastern European artists in total) and the prices are realistic and affordable including those popular works of art based on photography. Here are some examples of fine art you can find at http://www.capucinesboulevard.com/:
To view more works of art, please, visit the gallery website.
1. It is difficult to find Russian art exhibited in galleries and museums abroad because on the one hand the galleries are interested but on the other not sure how to present the Russian art and if it will attract big audiences. Therefore the galleries tend to go with an easier option of Italian or Spanish artists (if they have to choose European art for exhibits) because they know that the latter are always popular.
2. The most popular genres of Russian art today are contemprory art and photography, especially photography. The prices for contemprory works of art based on photography are growing incredibly faster than the prices for any other types of art.
3. In general the prices of Russian works of art are astronomical, especially at the major foreign auction houses. In most cases the prices are artificially inflated.
An Internet art gallery has the freedom to avoid the aforesaid pitfalls: Capucines Boulevard gallery currently exhibits 8 Russian artists (out of more than a dozen Eastern European artists in total) and the prices are realistic and affordable including those popular works of art based on photography. Here are some examples of fine art you can find at http://www.capucinesboulevard.com/:
To view more works of art, please, visit the gallery website.
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