When you buy a piece of fine art, what are you getting?
Generally, you’re purchasing an object you like. Something that resonates with you, makes you feel a certain way. Inspired, serene, excited, validated, whatever. Maybe you just like the colors or the balance in the composition. Maybe it makes you smile, or laugh, or reminds you of a certain place or event or feeling. You may not really know why you have the attraction to a piece. What you know for sure is – you just like it and want it in your life.
What you’re getting, perhaps without realizing it, is the artist’s vision or design or intention. Your perception of the piece and reaction to the artwork may well have been planned by the artist prior to or during its creation. Sometimes that perception is helped along by other works if it is part of a series, or by the title, as can be the case with more abstract pieces. Sometimes an artist will set out from the very beginning to create a certain response in you, the viewer and buyer. Other times, the artist may begin to get a certain feeling about a piece while it is in progress, and then work to make sure that feeling is conveyed to you. Even in the most abstract work, there is some sort of intention. Your response may not be exactly what the artist was driving at, but that’s okay too. We all react differently to everyday things. Words, weather, music, colors, foods – we all have our own preferences and reactions.
Part of what you pay for is the materials and processes used in the artwork. Bronze and silver sculptures are quite costly for the artist to produce when the cost of the metals and the use of a foundry are considered. A charcoal sketch on paper in a metal frame uses less costly materials and processes. Does this determine the price? Not so much. If all you were buying was the materials and tools, you’d have an art project, not an artwork.
Is the price based on the time spent making the piece? Well, if you mean just the time creating the one piece from start to finish, then no. Artists have overhead like all other business people – studio rent and utilities, marketing costs, phone and internet fees, licensing fees, office supplies, taxes, etc. So to charge say, an hourly rate on each piece of artwork, would be great but it doesn’t take the entirety of the job into account. What you’re really paying for is the difference between that pile of materials and the finished artwork: THE ARTIST.
The artist was born with a certain amount of talent, to be sure. Not everyone cares to be creative. We don’t all have ‘the eye’ for composition and color that make a good work great. But talent alone isn’t enough. An artist must learn his or her craft well; some have university degrees, many are self-trained, and others learn directly from masters in the medium they want to work in. We all know what it takes to get really good at something: practice, and lots of it. Years of hard work and honing of skills have gone into the development of the artist’s many abilities and talents that created the piece you fell in love with.
And finally, there’s beauty and meaning. Creating an object of beauty begins in the artist’s mind. Artists like to experience a lot of varied things. They are often quite passionate and involved in other arts like music and theater, and also in their communities. Some are social critics and you can find their opinions in their artwork. Even those artworks that are made to evoke reactions such as shock or outrage are, in their own way, beautiful. They are certainly meaningful. They create an intended reaction because of the artist’s message they convey. Sure, lots of folks in a variety of fields have university degrees and years of practice and training. And some of them bring meaning and beauty to our lives. But none so much as the artist.
So what you’re paying for in most cases, is meaning and beauty, the many years of training and experience, the passion and intention of the artist, the focused hard work to convey that message to you, and the time dedicated by the artist to develop the work, complete it, and bring it to market where you could find it. These things are behind the beauty you find in the artwork that brings you such joy. It’s not going to be as cheap as framed poster from a big box store, but it will be so much more meaningful and you will cherish it for far longer. There is a reason we have museums filled with fine art, not posters. We fill concert halls to hear fine music and see a beautiful dance performed because art nourishes us in a way that is difficult to describe, but certainly has a purpose and meaning that everyone can appreciate. When you buy a piece of original art, you are supporting the arts in your community, and what could be finer?
