In a message dated 6/27/2002 4:33:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, bikehunter@icehouse.net writes:
<< To me, this is a polite way of saying that, if you don't agree that the Mona Lisa is the top of the heap or that a Confente is worth the outlandish prices that they bring, that you are simply ignorant. That you just don't know enough, and should put more time into the study of the fine things, because you obviously don't have enough knowledge and sophistication to appreciate these things. OooKaaay. >>
Well, actually I think that is sorta true. Aren't you glad I said it in a nice way? Ha!
People are not always knowledgeable about things.That is no crime! It takes study and much exposure to become fully informed about a topic!
It is not so much that these objects are worth a certain amount of money but that one needs an understanding WHY they are admired by many... This is so true in the world of art. The Mona Lisa was not accidentally placed among the great art of the world. There are reasons for this that you must know to understand.
For instance, folks say "That Picasso sculpture in down town Chicago is a load of crap!" Then after a few art appreciation courses and a study of the importance to modern art that Picasso was and what he "is about" in his work, that same person might just have a new idea about that piece of art. He/she might not still particularly like it or want it in their garden, but they definitely understand it a lot better and know why some people are ga ga over it!
The concept of "outlandish prices" is interesting! Outlandish to who? Obviously the person who willingly pays it doesn't think it is too outlandish. Why would someone else not like that this other person pays so much? Could it be that they do not understand the value system that drives that price? How do we come to understand? By studying the why and wherefore of that value system?
Also for instance, I am not knowledgeable about why a certain Belgian shotgun might sell for many thousands of dollars.. but I would not ridicule the buyer nor proclaim the selling price as outlandish.. Instead I would try to learn about those objects and discover the value system that would make is so desirable. That discovery process in itself would be fascinating!!
I think it may be wrong to call someone "Elitist" because he knows and appreciates something that I do not. I can learn about Belgian shotguns myself but it would be premature and a fools folly if I made a statement like "I know what I like and this gun is nothing special" when I in fact had looked at very few truly fine shotguns. I guess it is easy to become self conscious and defensive if you find you are not on the same page as another viewer of an object being evaluated. Everyone's opinion has value, but not all opinions are formed with the same ability to judge..
Douglas Brooks wrote: "But to enjoy owning something as if this were at another's expense (I have one, you don't, I'm cool because I have this or that and what do you have, etc.), strikes me as all too puerile." That is of course true, but has anyone inferred that from what I wrote? Or from Chuck Schmidt? I don't mean that at all. I think more that owning these things is just a by product of understanding and admiring them. In fact, I can enjoy a finely crafted object no matter who owns it! I love museums and galleries!! Of course, I couldn't use an Etruscan urn for instance if it resides in a gallery but I can study it and revel in its shape and color and execution.
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina USA 27408 336-274-5959 Fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/main.htm">Classic Rendezvous</A>