The Great Art Debate

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

The Magritte is a little twee and the Modigliani does not stand up to much scrutinity,

Which ones?

the Magritte is the Son of Man (no umbrella, I must have dreamt that)
and the Modigliani is Count Wielhorski

I saw the Magritte painting at the Magritte exhibition a couple of years ago in Liverpool. They all have more impact in the flesh - he was an interesting bloke and actually a very technically capable painter.

I'm not sure why you'd reproductions of either of those two in an office, however.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's a weird collection of art prints that's for sure, kind of loosely based on surrealism, and they've all got numbers [out of 100] on like they are some kind of special edition prints (Berkely 1962, New York can be made out underneath the prints and the numbers in a tiny font, but googling that gives me no clue as to where these originated).
I've seen the Magritte in the flesh too, and is a better painting than a print. As a print it is overwhelmingly twee looking, whereas the painting had a subtlety and a power to it that can't be described adequately.

[thebish]

Yup.

But he still needs to lose the beard, and have bigger bones.

Being a Sioux warrior would help too.

I used to work for the Lancashire Police identikit department...

[mrkint]

Yup.

But he still needs to lose the beard, and have bigger bones.

Being a Sioux warrior would help too.

I used to work for the Lancashire Police identikit department...

Bish, is this your website?

http://jimllpaintit.tumblr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[thebish]

Yup.

But he still needs to lose the beard, and have bigger bones.

Being a Sioux warrior would help too.

I used to work for the Lancashire Police identikit department...

Bish, is this your website?

http://jimllpaintit.tumblr.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pah! rumbled!!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Yup.

But he still needs to lose the beard, and have bigger bones.

Being a Sioux warrior would help too.

I used to work for the Lancashire Police identikit department...

That's him. That's CrazyHorse.

[and I could live with that as an art print on our office wall. It's far better than the Modigliani we've got]

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

It's a weird collection of art prints that's for sure, kind of loosely based on surrealism, and they've all got numbers [out of 100] on like they are some kind of special edition prints (Berkely 1962, New York can be made out underneath the prints and the numbers in a tiny font, but googling that gives me no clue as to where these originated).
I've seen the Magritte in the flesh too, and is a better painting than a print. As a print it is overwhelmingly twee looking, whereas the painting had a subtlety and a power to it that can't be described adequately.

Indeed... they have a quality that it is... well, surreal!

I wonder what they have spent on these prints. I can't help thinking that spending a little bit of money on unknown artists might be more interesting. There was a partner in my firm who did this in the 80s and he only bloody went and backed pretty much every one of the YBAs.

I've seen some stuff by a young artist recently in the £600-£1000 mark which I am sure will go up in value when she's had her first solo exhibition in October, upon returning from her current travels in India. I wish I had the money to back this inkling, as I really think it will be worth at least double in 12 months.

If anyone fancies having a punt on this stuff to re-sell in 12 months, I'll insure 100% of any loss in value in return for a 50% share of any uplift!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^ You see I have a bit of a problem with that insofar as I've considered 'investing' in fine art before, and indeed I've gone and bought a few pieces. The trouble is I'll only consider buying what I absolutely adore, and having coveted the objects I can no longer part with them once acquired than I could consider chopping off my foot. So, then, at that point they no longer become investments, indeed they then become a big drain on what would have been savings.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

^ You see I have a bit of a problem with that insofar as I've considered 'investing' in fine art before, and indeed I've gone and bought a few pieces. The trouble is I'll only consider buying what I absolutely adore, and having coveted the objects I can no longer part with them once acquired than I could consider chopping off my foot. So, then, at that point they no longer become investments, indeed they then become a big drain on what would have been savings.

Yes, I do wonder whether that might happen to me too.

How much have you spent when you've bought, out of interest?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^ You see I have a bit of a problem with that insofar as I've considered 'investing' in fine art before, and indeed I've gone and bought a few pieces. The trouble is I'll only consider buying what I absolutely adore, and having coveted the objects I can no longer part with them once acquired than I could consider chopping off my foot. So, then, at that point they no longer become investments, indeed they then become a big drain on what would have been savings.

Yes, I do wonder whether that might happen to me too.

How much have you spent when you've bought, out of interest?

I'm not sure exactly. I spent C$1,200 and C$760 on two inuit 'dancing' bear carvings by modern day carvers from the art collectives on Baffin Island. They are promoted as collectibles and art investments by the Canadian government and I adore them. Off the top of my head I know that one of the artists is Abe Simionie, and I can't remember the name of the other (something like Johnny Papaigotok, I can find out). I think they were something in the region of £700 and £500 when I bought them - no idea what they are worth now.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

^ You see I have a bit of a problem with that insofar as I've considered 'investing' in fine art before, and indeed I've gone and bought a few pieces. The trouble is I'll only consider buying what I absolutely adore, and having coveted the objects I can no longer part with them once acquired than I could consider chopping off my foot. So, then, at that point they no longer become investments, indeed they then become a big drain on what would have been savings.

Yes, I do wonder whether that might happen to me too.

How much have you spent when you've bought, out of interest?

I'm not sure exactly. I spent C$1,200 and C$760 on two inuit 'dancing' bear carvings by modern day carvers from the art collectives on Baffin Island. They are promoted as collectibles and art investments by the Canadian government and I adore them. Off the top of my head I know that one of the artists is Abe Simionie, and I can't remember the name of the other (something like Johnny Papaigotok, I can find out). I think they were something in the region of £700 and £500 when I bought them - no idea what they are worth now.

If it's the same as this picture it's a nice object. http://www.sunspirit.ca/artistASimionie.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Were you thinking in terms of a financial investment when you bought them?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^ You see I have a bit of a problem with that insofar as I've considered 'investing' in fine art before, and indeed I've gone and bought a few pieces. The trouble is I'll only consider buying what I absolutely adore, and having coveted the objects I can no longer part with them once acquired than I could consider chopping off my foot. So, then, at that point they no longer become investments, indeed they then become a big drain on what would have been savings.

Yes, I do wonder whether that might happen to me too.

How much have you spent when you've bought, out of interest?

I'm not sure exactly. I spent C$1,200 and C$760 on two inuit 'dancing' bear carvings by modern day carvers from the art collectives on Baffin Island. They are promoted as collectibles and art investments by the Canadian government and I adore them. Off the top of my head I know that one of the artists is Abe Simionie, and I can't remember the name of the other (something like Johnny Papaigotok, I can find out). I think they were something in the region of £700 and £500 when I bought them - no idea what they are worth now.

If it's the same as this picture it's a nice object. http://www.sunspirit.ca/artistASimionie.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Were you thinking in terms of a financial investment when you bought them?

Wow, I'd be able to tell that was a Simionie just from the photo. They are much nicer objects in the flesh, very tactile, but the stone has a translucency not captured by photography.
I'm not sure whether I bought them as an investment although that was the justification I gave to my wife. I first saw inuit carvings in a very swanky shop in Chateau Lake Louise and both my missus and I were overwhelmed by them. I then got doubly overwhelmed when I saw the price of them, but I couldn't get them out of my mind, and I bought the first one at the end that holiday as part souvenier, part investment and part as the start of a collection. I bought the second one on a trip back to the Canadian wilderness after I deliberately went out of my way to Cape Dorset - I can't honestly say that that was an investment; it was sheer covetousness.
I've got a photo I took for insurance somewhere, I'll have a quick search.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

here you go (a pretty crap photo of them mind)...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I then went on to buy this at auction...
(heritage Canadian inuit art c.1880-1900, artist unknown, carved from Walrus ivory)

[Lost Leopard Spot]

and I've got a couple of inuit carved whale teeth too. So I've got a mini Inuit museum and art gallery.

[TANGODANCER]

and I've got a couple of inuit carved whale teeth too. So I've got a mini Inuit museum and art gallery.

I knew it.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

and I've got a couple of inuit carved whale teeth too. So I've got a mini Inuit museum and art gallery.

I knew it.

what? wha' you know?

[TANGODANCER]

and I've got a couple of inuit carved whale teeth too. So I've got a mini Inuit museum and art gallery.

I knew it.

what? wha' you know?

Think about it...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

and I've got a couple of inuit carved whale teeth too. So I've got a mini Inuit museum and art gallery.

I knew it.

what? wha' you know?

Think about it...

the teeth you mean?

[thebish]

I think he simply means I-nu-it... I-knew-it...