by John Durant

Created on: March 03, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

We all know the old saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"; no two people can look at a piece of artwork in exactly the same way. There are experts who can compare and estimate the monetary value of artwork, much like a real estate brokers estimate the value of a home by looking at the properties surrounding it, but can art experts really be the sole judges as to the legitimacy of a piece of artwork?

I can hardly imagine what people were thinking when they saw the first abstract paintings by Picasso, seeing distorted faces that hardly resembled anything that we would call serious art. I'm certain that Picasso was the brunt of many jokes and insults, but he continued to paint his abstract visions with conviction. When did we decide that these abstract paintings were serious works of art? Picasso's paintings routinely sell for millions at auction, and have become legitimate investments for collectors and corporations all over the world.

I love original artwork, but I can't afford to spend thousands, or even hundreds of dollars on something that's just going to hang my living room wall. I've painted oil paintings that have sold in art galleries that I couldn't afford to buy myself. I've walked through galleries to see what my competition was getting for their work, and would often ask myself, who would pay that much for this piece of trash? I'd come back the following week to find out that the "piece of trash" had been sold, and I couldn't figure out what the buyer was seeing that made them fall in love with it.

So how do you know if what you're looking at is a work of art?

If what you're looking at stirs feelings and emotions, touches your heart, and looks beautiful through your eyes, then I guess you can call it a work of art. How much should you pay for it? I guess that depends upon how much you want it. The experts may disagree with your investment decision, but they aren't the ones in your living room having to look at your new-found artistic treasure on a daily basis.

As an artist, I realize that serious art collectors prefer to buy and trade established works for investment reasons, and I fully understand that; I just wish more collectors would consider visiting retail art galleries around town to purchase original artwork from promising local artists. Artists who are still alive need the money a lot more than the dead ones, and I'm sure they'd appreciate the business.

Some of these artists could be the next Monet, or the next Rembrandt, but they just need people to believe in them and support their artistic efforts. Only time will tell if the artist you support will create famous works of art that will be cherished by generations to come.

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