NY6 Think Tank: Advocating for the Arts and Humanities
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Putting a Price-Tag on Priceless Art?

2/25/2015

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by NY6 "Next Generation Contributor: Meghan Keator, Union College
originally posted in her blog "Humans 4 Humanities"

On May 4th, 2010, in the realm of an art auction, numbers flew about and darted back and forth like the rapid-moving, metal sphere of a pin-ball machine. Within eight minutes, the game was over and one lucky winner walked away with Pablo Picasso’s painting Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. What was the cost to play this auction game? A stunning amount of $106.5 million dollars. How long did Picasso spend creating this painting, which he began in 1932? Only one day. It is hard to believe that a single day of work could generate such an unprecedented monetary value. If only Picasso could have stuck around to see his painting become a piece of history as well as an object that holds a larger value than the salaries of both Oprah Winfrey ($82 million) and Steven Spielberg ($100 million) [Forbes 2014]. How is it possible for a single painting, painted in a single day, to be worth so much!?


One reason stems from art standing as an illustrative depiction of culture from a set period of time. Rather than being a purely economic trade, some people willingly to drop over a million dollars on one painting aim to display a refined cultural standing. It is also a tossup as to whether or not the buyer is buying it for the bragging rights of the price-tag or for the artistic meaning of the painting. Honestly, it would be nice to believe that all buy a painting for the actual artistic value rather than the monetary value. But, does this mean that less expensive art, even original pieces of art that sell for $20, are less valuable? How should we measure the value of art?

Despite the cost that a painting may sell for, any piece of art, as well as its artist, is capable of having an impact on a buyer. The true value of art rests in the eyes of its beholder and the card can be looked at from both ways. On one side, the artist may be the one to see the largest value in his or her painting; on the other side, the buyer or observer may value the painting more. The value of art stems from how the painting speaks to the observer. Each painting embodies a piece of the artist. Paintings illustrate and bring life to the emotions, thoughts, opinions, personalities, and even personal life stories that the artist metaphorically underscores with the strokes of a paint brush. When these undernotes to the painting match those of the observer, a true attachment to the painting forms as the observer, too, feels a personal connection to both the artist and the painting. When a painting uncovers a new or perhaps hidden aspect to our inner minds and beliefs, we encounter the enthralling moment when our own personal value for a painting transcends the price tag’s value on it.

So next time you look at a painting, one that is two dollars, twenty dollars, one thousand dollars, or even one that is solely on display as a student’s project, do not be compelled to judge its worth based on the price tag or the grade on it; these are only societal values set by others who may view the image differently than you do. Instead, value it based on the significance that it speaks to you personally. Your interpretation may not match what the artist intended, but then again that is the beauty of art. There is no right or wrong way to value and appreciate a piece of art, as long as that value stems from your own interpretation and connection to what you see and feel.

Have any thoughts tumbling about the brain? Leave a comment and express how you value art!

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A High-Def 'selfie' with the arts and humanities

2/10/2015

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Co-authored by Katherine Walker, Assistant Professor of Music at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Christine Henseler, Professor of Spanish at Union College. On behalf of the NY6Think Tank.

We delight in the art of taking selfies, brought to us this year in higher resolution and wide-angle lenses, filter and effect apps, lengthening sticks and remote controls that turn selfies into "groupies," or the other term used these days, "ussies."

Although a contemporary phenomenon, the selfie adds a tech twist to the long history of self-portraits that mark our museum walls. In fact, a piece in The Independent recently provided an example from Tumblr that, "features a painting of Henry VIII with the caption: 'art museums are actually just full of renaissance selfies.'"

If we combined our digital selfies into a Museum, like this fun "Selfie Museum" created by Olivia Muus at the National Gallery in Denmark, Copenhagen, could we then claim that the Arts and Humanities are entering a new Golden Age, a renaissance of sorts driven by new technological gadgets and found in the hands of, well, everybody?

If "selfies" were stories instead of pictures, could they then move beyond the surfaces of our screens? Could they begin to express our diverse identities, our cultures, our histories, our sense of place and purpose, our state of mind in ways that Vincent Van Gogh could have only dreamed?

Although a simple click of the camera (can we even still call these added tones "clicks"?) seems so abundant these days, perhaps we could use the selfie, or the ussie, as a distinct framing metaphor, a way to reflect more deeply on our obsessive delights with the latest gadgets while cutting self-reflection out of the picture.

Technology is, in fact, a great place to start. If technology really did simply feed into an "upgrade culture" -- obsessed with smaller, smarter, faster, sharper -- then there would be one universal gadget for everyone. One ussie.

But, technology seems to be deeply intertwined with the human experience -- our personalities, lifestyles, careers and relationships. What device are you using to display these words: the latest smart phone or a "vintage" iPhone? One with a cracked screen, a laptop or a desktop, a tablet or a hybrid? If you are writing on a tablet, this actually says a lot about who you are and how you interface with the world.

If your gadget is working for you, it's because it's responding well to the senses that you prioritize when you process information, your communication style, how much you multi-task and even your personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism are all reflected in your "tech style."

Technology experts are constantly gauging which device will be right for you -- what size, what features, how many apps, how much versatility. Hitting the mark for a broad sector of society means big financial gains; it also means improving lives and connecting technology to the way in which people actually live. So, technology isn't just about the newest, greatest upgrade; it's also about who we are as a society, what our values are, how we relate to each other and what we want from our lives. It's about your selfie, our ussie, through the lens of culture, identity, language, ethics -- in high def.


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    If you are interested in submitting short blogs that reshape public conversations about the Arts and Humanities, please send them to
    Christine Henseler.

    All authors and opinions are welcome.

    In the news:

    Ny6ThinkTank Fellow Emily Tong is quoted in the Clyde Fitch report saying "…the humanities are the study of the ways in which people have created meaning over time and the arts are some of the physical presentations of such meaning…. We create meaning by sharing, understanding context, making connections, and expressing ourselves."
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    NY6 Think Tank Fellow Colleen Moore Tackles Diplomacy, Musical Activism
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    Sara Marsh ’18, Skidmore College, Next NY6Think Tank Fellow in the News
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    Katherine Walker and Donna Davenport in the HWS News.

    "Faculty Reflect on the NY6 Think Tank"
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    Cathy Tedford, Ronnie Olesker, Christopher Watts from St. Lawrence Univ to attend "Humans vs. Zombies" event.
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