Value After the Death

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” --Thomas Merton

Today, we exist in a world whose features are constantly evolving to accommodate technologies that remind us of the possibilities regarding what can be. The forces of globalization along with unprecedented advances in travel and communication have made the entire world accessible for everyone (provided you have the necessary resources of course without which it is rather difficult if not impossible to appreciate the world that you live in). However, existentially, an increasing number of people are experiencing the complex societal fabric of an increasingly post-modern era. People yearn for a human connection. Sensible encounters tend to leave impressions that human beings tend to hold on to. In this regard, the artists of this century face a tremendous challenge to remind us of who we are. Indeed, there have been phenomenal deviants who have chosen to break free from the conventional shackles of expectations. Artists like Willem De Kooning and Jackson Pollock will be a visual treat and a reminder that form itself is rather subjective for someone coming to face to face with their works for the very first time.

However, if we take a step back in time, the landscape was a little grey. A lot of people who are familiar with Vincent Van Gogh might have stumbled across his tragic story purely by accident if not by curiosity. During his lifetime, he did not get the recognition as well as the fame which he rightfully deserved. It would take decades for humanity to truly appreciate what he captured with his eyes and expressed with his strokes. It is rather sad that quite a lot of such names might be added to this list of forsaken titans. One can consider the idea that if there exists a heaven in the gardens of afterlife, these giants might have come together for a casual talk and in doing so, feel a tangible amount of peace knowing that human beings have resonated with their inner sanctum and honored them. But there is a troubling scenario that is prevalent today; some of the artisans have to endure what they did during their time i.e. live in the shadows during their lifetime and post-death, their works come into the spotlight and are sold for humongous fortunes. How? Confronted with a dynamic market that forever seems to elude them, the young performers might not receive an opportunity to blossom during their lifetime. A lot of these talents work day and night to produce something authentic which reflects their feelings. Without a standard platform to adhere to, they are at the crossroads which extract a heavy toll from their time and imagination. Considering the fact that good works of art are revered across the entire globe, there are people who will pay serious amounts of money to own even one of them. However, there seems to be a noticeable disparity between where the work originates and where it ends up. Any connoisseur might brag in front of their friends about an exotic painting that they managed to put up at the perfect spot in their newly furbished apartment but do they ask themselves, ‘Where did you come from?’. On the flipside, do the artists who walk back home with a deal that could have been much more satisfying wonder as to where their canvas ended up? Surely, the temptation must be there. If the deal wasn’t right, this incomplete experience might as well turn into a wound that will only grow deeper with time, especially if they realize that they didn’t receive a fair share of the amount.

With the economic landscape always favoring those with a sizable fortune, the acquired tastes of the monetary elites might keep on evolving which some consider is a fancier way of stating that what they want hanging on their walls need to be more expensive if not profoundly exotic. This does create a window of capitalization in the system because revered works of art are also considered as property. What is left out of the shindig is perhaps the innocent artist who is unaware and misses the ride. There have been many wonderful talents whose works have been recognized only post-death not because they weren’t discovered but because they were sold much later. People might have missed the possibility that if these artists did receive the right response and appreciation which every human being deserves when they create something honest and admirable, perhaps they would have excelled even more which could pave the way for the genesis of something truly divine. In the words of the writer and philosopher George Santayana, ‘Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.’

To conclude, people associated with the industry need to know and start acting towards establishing a more transparent atmosphere which is conducive to the artists. It is imperative to comprehend that besides the monetary value, there is something beyond which people ascribe to art: reverence. It would be fulfilling for these artisans to get acknowledged for what they have conceived and materialized from their imagination and wouldn’t it be lovely if this happened during their lifetime!? Let everyone acknowledge what was and what can be.