Art's Value is What it Means to Us
I know that art's commercial value is assessed by different factors than what it may mean to us individually and on a personal level. Factors affecting commercial values are more familiar to commodity-trade merchants and investment banks than they are to me. , What interests me most is whether or not art has value to us on a personal level. If yes, how? If not, why?
There questions recurred during a sought-after trip to France, where we lived for some months in rural Provence near the village of Rognes (pictures of our scenic spot posted on Instagram). I was eager to visit with an artist friend I haven't seen for years. She lives in Aix-en-Provence, and is well-tuned to cultural events in this area. We could finally have a personal reunion. We sat outdoors and talked while eating a simple meal on the patio of a rural cottage we"d rented. We talked for hours about much in our lives and, of course, some of it was about art: the ups and downs of making it, selling and buying it, the art exhibitions we'd seen and those of our own work .
I woke up the following morning thinking about our conversation. What do we want from art, visual art in particular? Why do we make it, seek it, purchase it,? As a thinking sort of person, I tried to answer why some people value art and others don't What role does art plays in our lives.? What value does it have? What does it do to or for us? These are some of the questions that need answers when assessing what art might mean to us as artists, art-lovers, casual viewers, and people who hardly even give it a glance.
Much has been written about art in terms of art interpretation, art history, art critique, art evaluation and appraisal. But my thoughts were travelling on a more personal level. No generalities quite fit when we're thinking about individuals and their different inclinations or preferences regarding art .
Value Appraisals for Art
Commercial appraisals for art are not irrelevant, but they are based on factors and larger trends than what interests me here.
Meaningfulness and Value
Meaningfulness contributes to Value, whether or not commercial speculations are in play. The more an artwork means to you, the greater its value. I consider that a good rule of thumb for large and small art investors. It's not objective. One person may value a painting primarily because it garnered the highest auction price: its commercial price gives it meaning. Another person values it because it is one-of-a-kind, without necessarily caring what makes it unique: scarcity gives it meaning. Others value it because their friends or rivals do: social-rank gives it meaning. These considerations contribute to art's value for sure. Viewers, as well as buyers, are curious to see the highest-priced artwork in world, or the rarest, the one receiving the most likes on social-media etc.. Our culture affects us all. Aside from these factors, the meaning I'd like capture is located somewhere between the viewer and the actual work they look at.
How to Grasp What an Artwork Means?
Much written about the meaning of art refers to modes or styles of painting (Modernism, Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism). Art-history books as well as museum and gallery blurbs offer views on how a particular artwork relates to or breaks with trends and historical contexts. All such information is helpful for widening and focusing our appreciation of a particular artwork. But when we come to view an artwork in reality , that's not what involves us (unless we're art historians). When we look at a unfamiliar painting, thinking what it may mean , a related thought might intrude saying... "so what?"
I wouldn't dare tell you what an artwork should mean. But I'll hazard the opportunity to say it should mean something to you, affecting you in some way, eliciting feelings, associations, nudges to stay with the work a bit longer or come back to see it again. It takes a bit of time, though, for a new work to register. More than the 10-second average looking time tallied across museum-visitors (see the Art of Looking).
If we don't get it when looking at a new work, its content is a good place to start. Representational art usually has a story to tell, so look into it. Abstract art's content may be less accessible, but just follow the visual marks, shapes, and colours. Bold? Timid? Wonky? If we spend a bit of time looking just at the these visual aspects of the painting, they tend to register on our sensory system and from that comes a wealth of perceptual information and related feelings.
Sometimes knowing what inspired a work helps us derive more meaning from it. If accurately conveyed, it offers clues about the artist's intent when painting and we can see if we moved in similar directions or not. Even more bluntly, if artists tell us their intent or what they sought to do a particular artwork, this nicely short-cuts the process of figuring this out for ourselves. Trouble is, artistic intent is often hard to put into words, especially with regard to nonrepresentational works.
Once we've got a glimmer of the artist's intent, we can register if how well it was achieved in our own view
Knowing a bit about the artist's method or process in making the work can help us to get "inside" it. But this is irrelevant to many viewers. What seems more important is the viewer's own process in looking at the art. What happens? Are we affected, If yes, the artwork has some meaning for us, even if we don't like . If nothing, then we walk away. But (this is the artist speaking) consider that the same work viewed again at another time might , indeed, have an impact on you. Like with people, sometimes it depends on the right time and place.
To summarize, what the art shows (content) , how it was made (method, process), , what it seeks to do (intent ), and whether or not this is achieved (impact) all contribute to the artwork's meaning. Every artist statement on a website or in a gallery focuses on some or all of these points.
Art's Meaning for Viewers
Viewers, themselves, rarely write about their reactions to art. If you scan the multitude of collective sites for viewing current postings of artwork online, you see occasional commentaries from viewers. Most often, they are brief and complimentary, quite general in their gloss of "likes" or "congrats". They are slo appreciated by the artist posting the work. (Artists who show their work generally want your reactions.). But very seldom does one get to read a response that reflects a deeper reaction from viewers, if indeed the work inspired one. Why?
I'm aware from visitors to my studio that m,any viewers feel intimidated if asked their reaction. This might be due to an unwillingness to tell the truth. But, I think a more likely reason is because it's difficult to articulate how an artwork affects us, especially when we're asked on the spot. I remember two different occasions when I saw people cry in front of art I had exhibited. It  was a representational figurative work in one case and an nonrepresentational abstract in the other. I had not intended either work to be sad in content, colours, or tone, so I was concerned. I approached both with some timidity and just stood beside them. The woman looking at the abstract work spontaneously told me she had no idea why she cried ,but that the work had affected her (she subsequently came back to purchase it). The man didn't speak to me but wrote a comment in the gallery guest-book before leaving. He wrote that the intimacy of the connection he felt with the artwork was unusual for him and solitary life he lead. I am so grateful for these moments.
Not all of us can afford to buy artworks, I wish we could. I've collected original art of all sorts since my teens. On the other hand, some who can afford it, don't buy any art at all. That really puzzles me. They buy decorative items for their homes, sometimes even reproductions of art. Why not buy the real thing? I think the reason lies in the central issue of value and meaning. Original art has a value unique to it. A reproduction of the Mona Lisa is a postcard with has a price.
Art Buyers
Why then do people buy an artwork, especially one that costs more than a meal at a good restaurant or a piece of furniture? Several possibilities come to mind: decoration, souvenir, investment, the real allure of owning a one-of-a-kind original, affirmation in owning part of trend, culture-credit possessing fine art, as well as a genuine interest in and love for the artwork. In the last instance (one that most interests me), the artwork does something to or with you. It expresses something that makes you see more deeply, or differently, makes you feel something that matters to you personally, that grabs your attention or makes you want to see it again. You feel something in the artwork that you need or want to feel. It acknowledges a part of you, stays with you, and holds something for you, perhaps changing a bit as often you look at it. It becomes a companion, not just a purchased commodity. I'm both excited and grateful if and when I can buy an artwork that can be a companion. I'm over the moon when I can create an artwork that connects that way!
Art Is a Valued Companion, Not Just a Commodity
We can buy original art for many reasons, among them: investment, the allure of owning a one-of-a-kind original, affirmation in owning a piece of trendy thing, culture-credit in possessing fine art.
When people buy an artwork because it impacts them in some way meaningful to them, because of their interest in it or love for it, then art becomes more than a commodity
Seeing and experiencing art as a companion may be too personal a conclusion for some. It derives from my introspections while painting a work that is significant to me. It is also based on my reactions to artworks I've been able to purchase over the years and those I remember wishing I could have taken with me. It certainly doesn't happen with every artwork I see. But I love looking at art and know that art which affects me changes over time and travels
I think the companion - commodity distinction offers a useful insight to those who wonder about the value of just looking at art or even buying it. As a commodity, art may be a good investment, a decoration that fits well with a given setting, a unique thing that draws attention, or whatever external reason led to its purchase. Art that engages a relationship is even more. It gains the subjective quality of being a companion, sharing a bit of one's life while also contributing a bit to it. That artwork remains vital and alive.
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