What is “You Should Own Art” for?
To summarize the Y.S.O.A. thesis I have to start by quoting Stephen Fry quoting Oscar Wilde:
Oscar Wilde quite rightly said, 'All art is useless'. And that may sound as if that means it's something not worth supporting. But if you actually think about it, the things that matter in life are useless. Love is useless. Wine is useless. Art is the love and wine of life. It is the extra, without which life is not worth living.
Art can also be goddamn expensive. At least it certainly seems that way. And that perception of expense puts this essential element of life beyond the reach of most of us. The tragedy is that it is entirely unnecessary; there is so much great art in the world, and so little of it is catastrophically expensive.
So, this is what this newsletter is about: every month you’ll receive a roundup of ten(-ish) works of art that are worth owning, that will make life that much more worth living, but cost less than $1000 - often much less.
My hope is that not only you’ll discover something you like, but that you’ll discover entire bodies of work that you like. That you’ll use these works as points of departure into your own exploration of art. I hope that you will follow the threads, find what speaks to you, develop relationships with the work and the artists behind the works.
For timely art-related updates, Y.S.O.A. is also on Instagram at @youshouldownart.
Also, check out the companion website. It’s a living list of all the artists, galleries, and sites that that I come across in my search for art to share.
Aaaand, if you’re into this, you probably know others who will be too. Please take a sec to share with anyone who could use a bit of art in their lives - which is y’know, everyone.
