Banksy, and things you'd like to leave behind.

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I note that Banksy's partially shredded 'art-work' is back under auction at Sotheby's with an expected price tag of between 4 and 6 million pounds. It never ceases to amaze me that there are people in the world with so much money that they cannot see they are being taken for the biggest, most expensive ride of their lives. The collection of art for these sums of money is similar to the madhouse collection of tulip bulbs in the 17th century, but just a little more protracted. I suppose if one is worth 10 billion dollars or more, 7 or 8 million is just lunch money, but nevertheless, do they not feel just a little bit ripped off. I'm no socialist but even I couldn't just blow that sort of money on a trinket without some feeling of guilt.

Art is worth what people will pay for it I suppose but if I had that sort of money to waste I'd feel I had to leave something worthwhile behind when I died and a piece of partially shredded paper in a frame doesn't quite cut it for me.

I'd like to have built a few dogs homes as my legacy. If you were stunningly rich, what would you like to leave behind as a memorial?
 
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A private game reserve in Africa, with enough funding to prevent poaching, and limited visitor access ...

I agree with Martin about the silly financial 'values' placed on art at auction. The work known as Salvador Mundi, believed to have been painted by da Vinci, sold for $400m. Really? AFAIK, there's no certainty that it was painted by da Vinci at all, and is it really worth so much even if this is true? Many Renaissance paintings came from the studios of the masters but weren't entirely, or even mainly, their own work.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
I don’t think I would like to. My memorial would be three happy, well-balanced offspring.
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When my wife and I decided to have kids we also decided that earning money would take a back seat to giving them as good a start to life as possible.
Cutting a long story short we now have 2 beautiful, happy, outgoing and friendly girls who seem happy with people of any age. We also have no money.
I'll die happy, leaving behind me a world that will benefit slightly from my girls lives. Couldn't ask for more.
 
Agree on the Banksy piece - which was done in the first place to demonstrate the ridiculousness of the art market.
My memorial - I don't especially hanker after being remembered except by those with whom I have had personal contact. But if I were rich enough, I would want to fund a UN force of airborne anti-poaching rangers in Africa covering Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda primarily. I once applied for such a job, but was told I'd be flying flexwing microlights in the bush and living in the bush with the ground rangers, eating the same food as them and being shot at by any poachers I saw. I chickened out. But with more substantial aircraft - gyrocopters mainly - with backup available, more could be done.
 
An ex of mine is rather well off but not £XXM for art wealthy although she used to buy paintings costing £40-80K a piece and has quite a collection plus antique jewellery. It always baffled me as a bit pointless as the paintings are IMO big but otherwise uninspiring and the jewellery lovely but ultimately soulless as they are just nice pieces with no family or emotional connection to stir anything in me.

If I / we were stunningly rich? Mrs WW is dog and animal mad so something along those lines would be appropriate but apart from that I might go for funding something in the local area along the lines of a weekly bingo / night out and feed for the elderly, lonely and isolated, pick up and drop off back at home included.
 
Banksy is the troll of the art world, as said, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I never thought of any of his 'pieces' as being anything but 'meh' tbh. But I do admire him in that he's made millions out of rich folk's band-wagon jumping
 
Cagey75 said:
Banksy is the troll of the art world, as said, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I never thought of any of his 'pieces' as being anything but 'meh' tbh. But I do admire him in that he's made millions out of rich folk's band-wagon jumping
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Why is he a troll?
Because all the poor, jealous artists don't like him?
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Why is he a troll?
Because all the poor, jealous artists don't like him?
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Because of how he sneaks into forbidden areas to leave controversial art pieces, I would see that a bit trollish, no idea about other artists or how they feel about it. Just my own opinion, I'm not an artist nor jealous of him either, I admire that he's unique in what he's achieved but I do think it began as a bit of a troll
 
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ShinySideUp said:
It never ceases to amaze me that there are people in the world with so much money that they cannot see they are being taken for the biggest, most expensive ride of their lives.
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So I believe it went originally for $1.4 million, it's now up at £5.5 million, sounds like a good investment rather than "being taken for a ride"
 
Art, like bitcoins, is another fleeting investment - catch it and make a profit if you can.
 
Fleeting? Hardly, people have been using art as a commodity for hundreds if not thousands of years
 
sirch said:
Fleeting? Hardly, people have been using art as a commodity for hundreds if not thousands of years
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Somehow I don't think 'away from the flock' or Banksey's wall paintings will be changing hands for millions in 100 years time, in the way a Rubens piece does. Guess we'll never know. ;)
 
sirch said:
So I believe it went originally for $1.4 million, it's now up at £5.5 million, sounds like a good investment rather than "being taken for a ride"
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Can't help wondering if the shredding might be completed as the next gavel descends. Maybe each individual shredded portion will have a(n inflated?) value...
 
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