ludicrous

[rsNINESOOPER]

120,000,000 for a painting, er uh drawing in pastels.

This was mind blowing to say the least to see this kind of money change hands for a drawing/painting. Private buyer no less. Simply hard to wrap the brain around this one even when I appreciate art and collect it myself.

Simply ludicrous that sales prices for "aRt" are and have been seized control over by the profit machine of "art museums"and pushed to this extreme. It defies sanity until one digs a little deeper to discover how the complex structure of the art world really works. Head counts, ticket sales, hype, controversy, etc. $$$$$$$$$ Evil genius.

I'm sure most here do not care but I had to post some stale old news

The Scream sells for record $120m at auction | Art and design | guardian.co.uk

text from the link above;

To mere mortals it hardly seemed like a bargain but someone, somewhere, has decided that owning a rare version of Edvard Munch's 1895 painting, The Scream, was worth shelling out an eye-watering $119.9m (£74m).

The price, one of the highest ever paid for a work of art, was reached after just 12 minutes of bidding and paid by a so-far anonymous telephone bidder.

As the auctioneer's gavel came down at Sotheby's in New York, the crowd in the room cheered the remarkable event. Bidding had started at a relatively modest $50m with at least five interested parties but the field narrowed as the price sky-rocketed.

One of only four versions of the work in existence and widely regarded as the best, the painting sold on Thursday night is one of a handful of artistic images that have crossed over from the world of high art to popular culture.

It has inspired film references, from the knife-wielding villain of the Scream slasher movies to a famous scene in Home Alone, where child star Macauley Culkin imitated the painting's famous pose.

It is also celebrated by the therapy industry with its horrific depiction of stress and terror.

"This is not a a beautiful landscape in Surrey or a harbour on the French Riviera. It is a representation of extreme anxiety. Imagine if a shrink in London had this on their wall. It's a fantastic painting for their profession. Of course, they could not afford it," said Mark Winter, director of Munch Experts, a company specialising in appraising and valuing works by the Norwegian expressionist.

This version is the only one whose frame was hand-painted by the artist to include his poem explaining the work's inspiration. Munch described himself "shivering with anxiety" and feeling "the great scream in nature".

It was sold by Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend and patron of the artist. Proceeds of the sale will fund a new museum, art centre and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway, where Olsen's father and Munch were neighbours.

"It is a unique chance for someone to acquire this version. It is the crown jewel of the four but you really need a national budget to buy it. And not the budget of a small country either," said Winter.

The Scream will join a select group of works that have sold for more than $100m, including Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust, which sold in 2010 for $106.5m.

Yet even that hefty price tag feels like a snip compared with the staggering $250m paid by oil-rich Qatar to snag Paul Cezanne's The Card Players for a new art museum. Details of the deal struck in 2011 only emerged earlier this year.

Simon Shaw, head of Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art in New York, said the work was one of the most important to ever emerge from private hands on to the open market.

"Instantly recognisable, this is one of the very few images which transcends art history and reaches a global icon. The Scream arguably embodies even greater power today than when it was conceived," he said.

[GH85Carrera]

Yea, it looks like it was drawn with crayons.

It is way better than a lot of the "art" out there, but that is like saying a punch in the gut is better than a punch to the nuts.

The only good news is none of my tax money went to buy that.

[widgeon13]

Pretty silly considering all the people that will go hungry and homeless tonight.

An anonymous purchase I suppose.

[Head416]

^ that's what I was thinking. If I had $120 million to blow I hope I would use it to help people who are suffering.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Head416

If I had $120 million to blow I hope I would use it to help people who are suffering.

No, you - or any one of us - me included - would only give that money away if we could get a substantial tax break or . . . or . . . OK, that's the only reason.

But it IS a stupid price. And it is for one of nine (iirc) so not even unique . . .

Ian

[mikeesik]

For that price you ought to get the hand that made it as well.


-Absolutely insane and something shameful in that.





No wonder other civilizations have not made them-selves known to us. And they probably look like that fella in the drawing.

[mikeesik]

-btw, I will admit that I am a very- very good drawer.

I will make an exact copy for you by hand and with pastel for a price.

-I will charge 0.0001 % of the original and I will include some cuttings from my fingernails.
price is negotiable.

[craigster59]

How about $86.9 million for this Rothko that sold on Monday...

[imcarthur]

That Rothko is the painting that is one of 9 that just sold for a crazy price.

At least the Munch 'Scream' has an easily decipherable visual statement. Compared to the $87 Mil for the Rothko, it is worth the money.

Ian

[island911]

120,000,000 for a pastels?

makes me want to scream.

[sc_rufctr]

That's the modern art world. Don't even try and understand it.

[mikeesik]

Originally Posted by craigster59

How about $86.9 million for this Rothko that sold on Monday...

I can certainly see the value in that for sure.

Excuse me while I adjust my eyes........... by PICASSO..

[mikeesik]

Originally Posted by island911

120,000,000 for a pastels?

makes me want to scream.

I almost pissed myself laughing...

You ought to make some posters of that and sell.

I'd buy one.


That was really great .

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Head416

^ that's what I was thinking. If I had $120 million to blow I hope I would use it to help people who are suffering.

I bet the new owner doesn't see it as blowing money... Thats an investment...

[regency]

Dang, with that kinda "jack", I might could buy, those used Pauter rods for sale on the used parts board.

Steve

73 911 T MFI Coupe, Aubergine

[mikeesik]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

I bet the new owner doesn't see it as blowing money... Thats an investment...

It may be an investment but the value is ****e.


Can you imagine a society that has formed after an absolute tragedy such as a nuclear war or an asteroid hit or whatever..dealing on this picture and fighting perhaps to use it as, a$$ wipe.

I sometimes think about the value of a person and things after having to form a -very -new society. This is in the same group as follows- celebs, movie stars, sport stars, cars, jewellery and whoever and whatever else is getting paid the big bucks for fundamentally doing and giving useless and over rated value.

They are placed in that niche (pre- catastrophe) and the expectations and the norm are- super high pay for these people because it is expected and the multi- millions that are paid to them to stir up the masses, mostly commoners.

Imagine this art going for $2k. Imagine celebs and sports getting paid $35k per years.
It changes all of the dynamics .

[sketchers356]

Iconic art takes $. Quite the bragging rights to have a painting that 99% of people are familiar with.

[Bill Douglas]

It's just a collectable and someone has a bigger budget than us. They can enjoy it in the meantime and they assume thay will make a profit when (if) the worlds economy is not in such a depressed state.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

That's the modern art world. Don't even try and understand it.

Yup. Connect an impressive and deep enough BS description to a painting and it's worth millions.

[Superman]

I'm getting ready to paint something. It'll have lots of colors and stuff. I'm starting the bidding at $1 m.