the faith-based commodity -- art worth millions

Some people see an artist’s easel as a magic doorway with fame and fabulous riches on the other side, but very few pass through leaving most who make the attempt lost and bitter dreamers. For the lucky ones who enter through a side-door the process is so simple, just stretch canvas on a wooden frame and cover with color and suddenly it’s worth millions just because of who you are, you media-darling certified genius you. You’ll have to admit it’s pretty amazing compensation for an afternoon of work when other people struggle and sweat a whole lifetime for less. Just how do you and your friends pull it off?

Glad you asked. The intricacies of the high-end art market might be over your head so let’s just say we operate a quasi-religion with a predetermined list of saints and we do quite a robust commerce in their relics. Each piece of their art is like a ponzi-style banknote promising a big profit when a bigger fool comes along, and it’s going to go on forever is what we pray. It’s tricky because the value is virtual and it’s just blind faith that says that this piece of canvas is worth fifty million dollars, fifty million dollars. If for an instant that faith falters the so-called art is liable to be seen, actually seen, as just a blotchy mess on canvas that some artist could have used to make a picture, and fifty million, poof.

Art is worth something, quite a lot actually, but it isn’t out of an ordinary person’s price range and they won’t have to pretend to like it. First it’s necessary to shed the utter nonsense of the art’s mega-ministries, and instead look at enough art, it’s all around, to know when something is good and being sold at a fair price. Anyone interested can do this, looking in restaurants and salons where art is hung and going on studio tours to find a bargain. The ultra rich don’t own art and it’s possible they don’t appreciate it either since to them it’s all about tax breaks and social standing, but average folks just getting through their day deserve an example of the very best someone like themselves can manage on their own.