Looking at Art:

A digital NFT or non-fungible token by Mike Winkelmann, recently sold at auction for $69 million. The digital collage of 5,000 images can only be seen on a computer screen. What makes this piece so valuable? Since is can’t be displayed like conventional art, why would anyone want to buy it? Nobody was more surprised by this sale than the artist himself. To make things even more difficult to understand, the artist said in a podcast, that the only art courses he ever took were two classes in high school. Why does art sell and does that mean it is the best art? The answer to these questions is hard to grasp. Perhaps having an advocate or highly successful promotion make a difference. The fact remains that there is a disconnect between sales and the quality of the work. Van Gogh could not persuade anyone to buy his work during his lifetime. It was not until many years after his death that his work became priceless. The quality of the art often has little to do with salability. What do you think about this issue?

 Work in the Studio:

The artwork shown here, was sold at a solo exhibition of my sculpture. I loved the piece and had a photo of it on the announcement for the exhibition. There were a series of related sculptures featuring faces in that show. Did the photo on the announcement influence the collector’s choice? I have found it almost impossible to anticipate which artwork will sell, but one thing I have always believed is that I must focus on the work that I find leads me forward as an artist. If I become concerned about the salability of the work, then I am making it to please others and my progress as an artist is obliterated by the goal to sell.