Art! Who comprehends her?
With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?
—Ludwig van Beethoven
There's so much about art I know so little of, which is why pieces that connect me for a brief moment to a kindred soul is a gift. Guo Hongwei's deceptively simple works of everyday objects bring a redeeming glow to the mundane world of electric plugs and plastic stools. So much talent in a 27-year old makes me wonder where he'll be 5 or 10 years from now.
The supposition that art is a gift as opposed to a collectible, something that doesn’t try to sell you anything, runs counter to our contemporary notions of what constitutes a meaningful exchange.
-Lewis Lapham
The gallery business in New York is probably not at the apex of its profit margin, which according to one art dealer I spoke to, is for the better, especially for "those overinflated Yue Minjuns."
While this dealer is a respected expert in the field, I paused and reflected on that statement. We live in a time when a highway robber can no longer hold us at gunpoint, demanding us to choose between "your money or your art," because these are now indistinguishable commodities. It's time to consider the possibilities: will we be exchanging shares of art on a stock exchange? Going long on the formaldehyde sharks, and shorting the images of red-faced Chinese?
Then again, I guess hard times for the art-collecting rich don't call for such explicitly wide smiles. It cuts a little too close to the bone.
Guo Hongwei's works are on view at Chambers Fine Art from April 1st to May 15th
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