Comments on: art as ‘social marker’

By: links for 2010-02-27 « innovations in higher education

links for 2010-02-27 « innovations in higher education — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:04:31 +0000

[…] art as ‘social marker’ | gapingvoid (tags: socialmarker trends creativity art community leadership innovation innovatehighered) Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)links for 2010–02-23links for 2009–07-30links for 2009–12-07The Business Case for Social Media Monitoring Twitter Updates […]

By: koningwoning

koningwoning — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:33:01 +0000

It’s this piece that makes me wish I had a business of my own.… nice work.

By: katie ledger

katie ledger — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:20:16 +0000

Hugh,
I buy your art not because I aspire to arrive somewhere one day. I think your art inspires me to believe its all about the journey and who you are traveling with. Bugger the destination — do you know where you will end up? !

By: katie ledger

katie ledger — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:20:12 +0000

Hugh,
I buy your art not because I aspire to arrive somewhere one day. I think your art inspires me to believe its all about the journey and who you are travelling with. Bugger the destination — do you know where you will end up? !

By: Judi Parks

Judi Parks — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:49:01 +0000

Exactly, Gordon! Those of us who sell art have moved from selling status through conspicuous consumption to selling meaning through connecting the dialog going on in the buyers head and the artist who tells their story through their art and their personal art-making process. The commercial gallery model was based on selling status and has tanked. A new and exiting world!

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:42:29 +0000

With art and brands, aren’t we just buying the story/meaning around the object? And it’s not always conspicuous consumption — often, we are just having a dialogue with ourselves. So, the Chinese guy stuck in a traffic jam in Shanghai in an MG, is — in his mind — going for a jaunt around some English country roads … and the Londoner with his Asahi beer is …

By: PCD

PCD — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:12:24 +0000

I agree with Keith… for me it’s not so much about saying “I’ve arrived”, it’s more about throwing up my CDF flag to see who else is on board and hopefully to connect with them.

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:52:36 +0000

I would even bring up also, the idea of “communication” markers & objects. When in the context of a social energy or dynamic, ie the social or collective energy surrounding a piece of art because it is well known and referenced etc– would then push the communication object into a “community or social” sphere resulting in a more social-ized dynamic energy.

By: Tim Wilson

Tim Wilson — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:15:54 +0000

I think the yacht/art-type purchase was what Thorstein Veblen was describing when he coined the term “conspicuous consumption.” That’s different from people who are simply trying to position themselves as being forward-thinking, avant garde, hip, and cool by being Gaping Void fans or…er…referencing Thorstein Veblen. I do aspire to CDF-ness, though.

By: Keith Monaghan

Keith Monaghan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:17:23 +0000

True, but we are saying, “I, too, am now a member of a certain crazy group. Like my peers, I too am a CDF.“
Thanks for another interesting post, Hugh.

By: Alyson B. Stanfield

Alyson B. Stanfield — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:59:49 +0000

Speaking of Hirst, I highly suggest the book “The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art” by Don Thompson, an economist. It’s a dense read, but an interesting one. An easier read on many of the same subjects is “Seven Days in the Art World” by Sarah Thornton. Both books were written at the peak of the art market–just before the Wall Street collapse. Would love for them to write follow-ups in today’s market.
In any event, I think it’s a useful exercise for artists to know why someone buys their work. Not everyone wants a shark in formaldehyde in their home or office.

By: Janice Cartier

Janice Cartier — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:14:54 +0000

You nailed it. Art is as much about the person buying it as it is the artist.