Why are artists poor? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why are artists poor?

#31

Post by abefortas » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 8:12 PM UTC

gatormax wrote: post #22

tjic wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I value lots of works of art very highly, but I've hardly ever considered buying art. Then either the art you admire is way out of your price range (I admire Alphonse Mucha, but I don't own any originals!), or the artists you admire are doing a poor job of letting you know that their work is affordable, and would add to your quality of life.

"The principle of revealed preference." If he's not buying it, he's not really valuing it. Like the old joke about two economists who walk past a porsche. One remarks that he'd give anything to own that car --- the other responds, "Clearly not."

No. There are other kinds of value besides monetary value.

An artwork is not a porsche. Even if I had anywhere near enough money to buy a Kiefer, there would be no room for it in my house, and it would not belong there anyway. I think it is valuable simply that Kiefer's paintings exist, and would be even if museum's weren't willing to pay for them.

Re: Why are artists poor?

#32

Post by pg » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 8:34 PM UTC

Short version: supply and demand.

The longer version is that artists still make things by hand. In 1500, handmade things were all there were. Now paintings have to compete with manufactured products, and they're so expensive that only a small number of people prefer them. (And if you subtract the people who buy art for reasons of fashion or prestige, you get close to zero.)

Re: Why are artists poor?

#33

Post by lux » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 8:40 PM UTC

indigoshift wrote: post #30

lux wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Rare is the artist who takes the time to build a solid foundation of fans/patrons. Amen. I'm just getting back into music as my next "career" move (touring musician/technomad starting 2010 :). This year has been spent getting the small stuff in place and slowly building a listener-base online and around town. Blogging, twittering, posting songs for feedback, playing open mic nights, joining song circles, networking…

> It will take as long as it takes, doing what it takes, but it's the only approach that works. And that right there was my first big mistake. I'd jump into an art career half-assed, and if it didn't take off like a rocket in six months, I'd put it aside and collect a Day Job paycheck. As a result, I'm pushing 40 and my art is at a stage right now where it should've been fifteen years ago. But I didn't stick with it,…

I like your drawing style! I love horror stuff :) Got you bookmarked now, thanks for sharing!

My music site is http://www.johnnybroadway.com/ The main album up there is basically unplugged/acoustic but there are clips from my next one in the player on the left. I'm actually working on 3 more projects now, a 12 song album about a mobster (with a producer too, first time in a proper studio in 10 years! :), one EP just for fun I'm recording at home, and I've started writing a handful of songs for the next one as well...

The styles seem to be ranging from folk/country/blues to faster pop/rock and with the newer stuff more electronic as well (getting into Ableton, super fun!). On stage, it's pretty much me on vocals/guitar and I do some harmonica and use a looping pedal for a lot of stuff too. The video on my page is a song that starts with just a drum loop and ends up with five guitars going over it :)

Re: Why are artists poor?

#34

Post by indigoshift » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 9:43 PM UTC

lux wrote: post #33

indigoshift wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It will take as long as it takes, doing what it takes, but it's the only approach that works. And that right there was my first big mistake. I'd jump into an art career half-assed, and if it didn't take off like a rocket in six months, I'd put it aside and collect a Day Job paycheck. As a result, I'm pushing 40 and my art is at a stage right now where it should've been fifteen years ago. But I didn't stick with it,…

I like your drawing style! I love horror stuff :) Got you bookmarked now, thanks for sharing! My music site is http://www.johnnybroadway.com/ The main album up there is basically unplugged/acoustic but there are clips from my next one in the player on the left. I'm actually working on 3 more projects now, a 12 song album about a mobster (with a producer too, first time in a proper studio in 10 years! :), one EP just…

That's some good stuff, man. I dig it.

I'm an old metal fan, but going back to college gave me a taste for this kind of stuff.

Hands In The Air is spot-on. It's my favorite. You've got good story-telling skills, which isn't common in music nowadays. And the guitar work is great!

Question, though:

How on earth do you keep it together on stage when people are talking and girls are cackling in the audience during your whole performance? That would totally blow my concentration.

Re: Why are artists poor?

#35

Post by lux » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 10:19 PM UTC

indigoshift wrote: post #34

lux wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like your drawing style! I love horror stuff :) Got you bookmarked now, thanks for sharing! My music site is http://www.johnnybroadway.com/ The main album up there is basically unplugged/acoustic but there are clips from my next one in the player on the left. I'm actually working on 3 more projects now, a 12 song album about a mobster (with a producer too, first time in a proper studio in 10 years! :), one EP just…

That's some good stuff, man. I dig it. I'm an old metal fan, but going back to college gave me a taste for this kind of stuff. Hands In The Air is spot-on. It's my favorite. You've got good story-telling skills, which isn't common in music nowadays. And the guitar work is great! Question, though: How on earth do you keep it together on stage when people are talking and girls are cackling in the audience during your w…

Thanks, glad you like!

The camera had to be positioned in the middle of a table of girls at that show, so any talking came through as loud as I did unfortunately. You couldn't hear them at all from on stage though, and people are going to be talking -- or rather yelling to each other over the music! -- at a bar on a Saturday night :)

Re: Why are artists poor?

#36

Post by gnaritas » Tue, Aug 25, 2009, 10:25 PM UTC

cwan wrote: post #27

gnaritas wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I'm saying is the correlation between wealth and talent (creativity) is much weaker than the correlation between wealth and who you know or who your family is and what opportunities those connections got you. I don't believe rich people are more creative, they're just much better connected and able to apply what creativity they have than unconnected people.

Let me ask you this - who would you consider to be more creative? (a) a person who could be more creative doing piece work at a factory (b) a person who may be less creative performing some form of art Both these individuals may have arrived at their respective current jobs in life but I'm not saying that opportunities had nothing to do with it. With respect to rich people, I am saying that high income earners have t…

I'll agree with that in some sense; they have a better opportunity to fully apply whatever creativity they have. However, when creative people aren't fully utilized at work, they tend to shift that creativity into hobbies. Creativity doesn't always pay well, many people are very creative in very unprofitable ways. It's the lucky few who's talent and job cross paths in a way that pays off financially for them.