Famous, And Alive
You Should Own Art, Edition Fourteen
Before we get into it, an announcement: You Should Own Art now has a companion website. Since many have asked where I find the artworks that I share, I thought it would be neighborly to put together directory of all the artists, galleries, websites, and auctions that I regularly trawl for great art. TBH, the website kind of sucks right now. Eventually, I will make it better. In the meantime, I’ll be updating it regularly as I make new discoveries. Check it out, I hope you find it useful/fun to browse.
About this edition
An employer from my early working years famously had a Picasso in the bathroom. To us early twenty-somethings this signified not just wealth, but a level of wealth that afforded a casual disregard towards work by a famous artist. It was a Picasso in the bathroom! I don’t think any of us had any thought towards what, exactly, the work was. Was is a particularly good Picasso? Was it a drawing? A lithograph? The work as signifier overshadowed the work as art.
The theme of this month’s edition is works by artists that are both famous and alive. On one hand, it’s an interesting challenge, can I find works by famous contemporary artists for under $1000? On the other hand, who cares? Mega-star artists occupy a micro-climate that is governed by the global financial infrastructure as much as it is by artistic merit. While it is a very noisy micro-climate, record-breaking sales numbers are reliable headlines, it is actually small potatoes. In truth, the art world is much bigger, and far more interesting than the playground of oligarchs.
And yet, there is something about owning a work by an artist that our culture today celebrates. Critics write about them, and other artists refer to them because their work means something to the time we live in. And we, normal people, buy tickets in advance, and line up to see works by these artists for a reason. They are relevant to our lived experience, even if they serve to transcend it. Perhaps, having their work in our homes connects us to the best aspects of our culture.
Here I need to offer some caveats. Not all of the works below were actually touched by by the hand of the artist. They are all reproductions, which is not by itself a problem. Creating multiples, prints, or editions of works is a legit artistic practice. That said, because of the scale of the production and the titanic prices of original works, in selecting works for this edition, I have struggled to avoid sliding into souvenir territory.
The second caveat, is that all of these works are on the upper end of the Y.S.O.A. price spectrum. With that in mind, if you’re not already a denizen of the contemporary art galaxy, maybe use this edition as a diving board into these trippy waters. But of course, if somethings speaks to you, go with it.
“Study for Ovid-Windfall”
Chris Ofili
Giclée print on paper, 19.09 x 12.40 inches
Edition of 175, signed by the artist
USD$684
Chris Ofili is one of a group of artists that emerged in the 90’s. The “Young British Artists” were famously provocative, but never seemed to burn out and fade away as you might have expected. His work now is more important than provocative - perhaps that makes it all the more so. This is a print of a study, but truly I like this more than some of his finished works. You can see his mind at work.
I loved this interview with Chris and the Homeric scholar Emily Wilson.
You can buy this work via ArtSpace here.
“Lack of Charisma Can Be Fatal”
Jenny Holzer
Screenprint on cherrywood, 3.94 x 5.91 inches
USD$479
Jenny Holzer is best known for her text-based “truisms”. When I came across her work when I was in design school I realized that I knew nothing about art. I really recommend you track down more of her work and see how far she has pushed it. You’ll find that it stays with you.
You can buy this work via ArtSpace here.
Jenny’s website
Jenny Holzer studio Instagram
“Untitled (Achilles Heel...)”
Raymond Pettibon
Lithograph, 17.38 x 13.62 inches
Edition of 14, signed, numbered, and dated
USD$900
I learned of Raymond Pettibon’s work through music, in particular his design for the crucial Sonic Youth album, Goo. His work is both bonkers and poignant. It would be very satisfying to have a work of his in your life. Here are some videos of him at work.
You can buy this work via ArtSpace here.
Raymond’s website
Raymond’s Instagram
“Blomster uden titel (from ": tingsted")”
Tal R
Woodcut, sugar lift aquatint, 16.54 x 13.19 inches
Edition of 24, signed and numbered by the artist
USD$878
Tal R is sometimes described as a painter’s painter. He might not have the same profile as some of the other artists in this edition, but his work is incredibly ambitious and universally respected among other artists. Sometimes I think I know what he’s doing, but most of the time I don’t. And that is just fine by me.
Here is a loooong video following him as he talks about his life and goes about creating a series of works. I think about it all the time.
You can buy this work via ArtSpace here.
Tal R opium beds Instagram
Tal R website (check out the book section)
“Naoshima Yellow Pumpkin”
Yayoi Kusama
Resin sculpture, 2.99 x 3.74 x 3.27 inches
USD$700
Yayoi Kusama is a globally famous multidisciplinary artist, most known for her Infinity Room installations and her large-scale sculptures. And dots, lotsa dots.
This is a miniature version of a version of her pumpkin sculptures. In testament to the love for her work, the world had a bit of moment when a much larger Kusama pumpkin was carried away by a huge storm.
You can buy this tiny Kusama here.
Yayoi Kusama’s website
Yayoi Kusama’s Instagram (not sure this is entirely legit, but has some great images regardless)
“Michael Jackson and Bubbles”
Jeff Koons
Porcelain Plate, 12 inch diameter
USD$450
Edition of 4500
Ok, this might be a bit much, and in really bad taste. But that is, what Jeff Koons does. He forces us to not only look at our culture, but to see it in all its gilded, seedy, lobby of Trump Tower glory. I love that it’s a plate.
You can buy this work here.
Jeff Koons’ website
Jeff Koons’ Instagram
“Companion 2020 Brown”
KAWS
Vinyl figure, 11 inches
USD$750
How to explain KAWS? It’s probably enough to say that he has gone from making, shall we say; “unauthorized” street art in New York, to works of truly epic scale for a global audience. The Companion figures are part of a family of works that are maybe toys? maybe statements about out-of-control commercialism? maybe just out-of-control commercialism? Here’s a podcast that might help you figure that out.
You can buy this Companion here.
KAWS’ Instagram
“Chapter (for Linda Nochlin)”
Jenny Saville
Full color digital archival print, 24.00 x 20.00 inches
Edition of 100, signed, numbered and dated
USD$1,500
This is quite a bit out of the Y.S.O.A. cost range, but I couldn’t resist. Perhaps not as blindingly famous as some others in this edition, Jenny Saville is one of the world’s great living artists. A global treasure. You should own this.
Here’s a lovely interview with her.
Jenny Saville’s Instagram
“Sunflower Seeds”
Ai Weiwei
Sixty hand-painted porcelain multiples
Estimated value: £500–£700
I didn’t know much about Ai Weiwei until I saw the film “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”. The work that stood out for me from the film was “Sunflower Seeds” in which he filled the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London with 100 million (million!) hand-sculpted and painted porcelain sunflower seeds. It was a super simple, yet profound gesture that spoke to the mind-boggling scale of human industry in China.
This work is currently at auction for a few more days. You can bid here.
Ai Wei-wei’s website
Ai Wei-wei’s Instagram
Thanks as always for subscribing. Do please check out the website, it’ll get better. I promise.