Forty dollars for a framed painting? Sixty-five dollars for a hand knit sweater? This is what people charge when they seek usefulness over income. When they enjoy commerce over wealth, when they seek satisfaction over sustainability.
I was visiting an affluent retirement community where I attended an arts and craft festival. The artists and crafters were talented and had a voice to share. They didn't want their work stacked up in a dusty basement. They wanted others to enjoy their work, their art, their voice. But they wanted a small affirmation of value. They wanted commerce, an exchange of money for their hard work and well-seasoned talent. The pricing did not represent true value, but for me, the pricing was shouting, My work has value! I don't need the money, I just want appreciative homes.
The need for purpose, when money isn’t important, appears in our desire to create.
When branded art becomes excessively valuable, when AI handles
the landscapes and portraits, we still seek authenticity. Authenticity is art
now. The rules of composition, the use of allegory, and the extension of famous
artists’ oeuvre can be managed by generative AI. But art that is authentic will
have a home. It will be squeezed between the mass-produced AI generated
decorative arts and the wares of lesser talented artists. Authenticity and the
human connection between the artist and the viewer will be interesting to watch
over these next years. The critics and authenticators might only be asking, Where
are the surprises? Where are the mistakes?
