Let's start with the 'blue chip' level, the level at which works by artists like Jackson Pollock, Robert Mappelthorpe, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargeant, Peter Paul Rubens, and Georgia O'Keefe are sold. It's pretty easy to tell the significance of the artist/artwork and to determine its value -- 1) the artist's works are limited in number (value increases), 2) the artists are themselves deceased so they will never create anything new again, 3) their works are in major collections because of blue chip gallery support, and 4) their work has an historical context beyond sales -- a context in terms of Art History. All of these factors cause works by such artists to increase in significance and in value. (Artists please note: Make sure your work ties into art history, that it has an historical context.) It almost goes without saying that you have to be a wealthy collector to afford to buy in at this level, and a determined artist to enter it.
The other level. The younger sibling to the 'blue chip' artworld. At this level the art is produced by living artists, ranging from emerging to mature, gallery represented to outsider artists. Their work may be in some major collections and has most likely sold at the regional level rather than the international level of the 'blue chip' artists. These 'other level' artists are still in production, so to speak -- that is, their total body of work is unfinished. Determining the significance of art and artists at this level is more difficult. The major reason is that we, as a society and as individuals, don't always appreciate the true value of a work of art because we often don't recognize artistic greatness in our presence, from an artist of our own time. We don't see the true value of their art because we are too close ..... too close to the living artist to see the importance of the artist or the work. As collectors, we mistakenly miss out on fantastic opportunities. As artists, we may not go the extra mile.
Copyright 2015 Eric Jonsson. All rights reserved.
U n i t e d S t a t e s E u r o p e S o u t h A m e r i c a A s i a
Direction for the 21st Century p.3
BY ERIC JONSSON
