The AM Forum

Someone just bought a Picasso for $40 Mil. looks like a paint by numbers picture.

You obviously have not researched the value of paintings done by present and past artists. For enlightenment see:
List of highest prices paid at auctions or private sales: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings

This one has to take the cake.

How much talent, imagination or creativity does it take to drizzle paint on to a piece of particle board?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._5,_1948



Speaking of paintings, I enjoyed a real treat a couple of weeks ago.  I attended an exhibition in Nashville of Impressionist works on loan from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. One of the works on display is popularly known as "Whistler's Mother". I could hardly grasp that there I was, standing in front of the  real thing.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/WhistlersMother.jpeg/300px-WhistlersMother.jpeg)

I don't know how much that painting (done on real canvas) would bring at auction, but I wouldn't swap one of it for a thousand like that that Jackson Pollock thing.

My mom, (RIP) said many times this country has become "over-ripe" and is ready to come unglued.

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Among art aficionados that is the equivalent of paying $2,500 for a 75A4.

What is with the fascination with that Whistler's painting?

Besides, today's 60 year old women are better to paint than those of a century ago. Miracles of modern science.

I think my cat has more talent than Picasso

Picasso himself related to his own lack of talent, and the deal was not what a work was worth, rather what someone was willing to pay for it.

Carpe per diem!

73DG

Maybe Picasso's paintings look a lot better after a night of dancing with the Green Fairy!


(http://www.expandmywealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/absinthe-green-fairy-drink.jpg)

That is likely. In France a few years ago..

Art of many types is enjoyable and intelligent people usually appreciate it, whether paintings or technological or? Even a pair of hand made boots can be considered a work of art if well done. Most folks would not spend $2500 on a 75A4 nor $40M on a Picasso, but an art lover with $ will spend freely.

A Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder sold for almost $11 million at auction recently(2008), making it the most valuable vintage car ever sold under the hammer.

Most expensive french wines :

• 1787 Chateau Lafite = $160,000 auction

• 1945 Mouton Rothschild = $28,750 auction

Or how about:
$1,500,000 Bottle of Tequila
OR
$200,000 Bottle of Irish Whisky
OR
$54,000 Bottle of Rum
OR
$7,686 for One Bottle of Beer(first bottle of Tutankhamun Ale)

One only has to go to an antique radio auction to savor some of the outrageous prices paid for "All-American 5" radios.

I can understand folks willing to pay a high price for something they enjoy or are building a collection of. What amazes me is what some folks consider to be art.

I'm not a huge fan of most paintings. Even those by the so-called "Masters". I was at the Louvre in Paris in '69 and saw the 'Mona Lisa'. It's fine to be able to say, "Yeah, I saw it", but I'd much rather have an Ansel Adams print hanging on my wall. It's all in what one likes to look at.

I remember watching an episode, years ago, of either "Real People" or "That's Incredible". They were featuring an artist who was all the rage at the time. I can't remember his name, but his, uh, creative method was to set up a large backdrop about 50' behind a 737's port engine. With the engine on ground idle or a little above, he'd toss the contents of five-gallon buckets of paint into the exhaust stream and it would splatter onto the canvas covered backdrop. After about half a dozen buckets of different colors had hit the canvas, he had another 'masterpiece' and was ready to go again.

Whenever I read that somebody spent $40M on a painting, all I can think is "My God, that money could have done so much good if spent on ham gear".  ;D

ldb
K5WLF