Value
2016 01 10
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I remember the first time I sold a piece of art - it was auctioned as part of a fund-raiser for the Dundas Valley School of Art some twenty years ago. The quality of the piece was immaterial. I was happy, proud - I'd sold a piece of art.
And, at a time when my family life with my grandfather had seemingly devolved to nothing but negation, insults, devaluing, verbal and emotional abuse, it was the first time - maybe the only time - I can remember him being in any way proud of me. He wanted to give me the value of the sale out of his own pocket, and frame the cheque the DVSA had sent me.
The creative has value, even in so simple a way as this. It would be a lovely thing if more of the world gave it more credence than they currently do.
Is a career in fine arts the most practical thing? No, but its siblings - the packaging, car, clothing, film/ TV, bus ad, and menu makers of the world - are. We see and use these things every day. The pragmatic is also not the be-all and end-all. The creative mind can think in ways that can benefit professions outside of the arts, because a creative mind is adaptable, elastic, fluid, extemporaneous - at least, it should be. But, if your child is creative, why would you want to devalue it at all? This is the conversation you could have with your child: "Okay, you want to be an artist. It's a hard life, so while you're making art, get a certificate in bookkeeping so you can make a living while you paint."
As an aside, I still have no idea who bought the piece, nor where it ended up.