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Originally posted by Snick500:
Does anyone know if the art auctions are really good deals? I sat in on one but don't really know much about pricing of art.

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My knowledge is like yours, shall we say limited? In my mind that's the best reason for NOT BUYING.

Like anything else touted to be 'a once in a lifetime deal' you're probably being ripped off!

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Originally posted by Green:

Like anything else touted to be 'a once in a lifetime deal' you're probably being ripped off!

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In deed you wont be stupid enough to make such a deal again in you lifetime.

But serious If you want to by something on an auction to make a profit out of it then don’t because the one who is selling it at the auction is probably the only one that makes a profit. My advise is trust your feeling, if you want a piece of art that you really like then go for it. If you don’t like it or your feeling tells you it’s not worth spending money on then don’t. If you do decide to bit then set an limit on how much you want to spend and don’t go over it, be firm! It’s a lot like gambling if you stay by your limit then the game is al about fun.

So if it is a good deal? When you like what you bought and the price is within your set limit then I would say YES, If not then NO. so trust you feeling and don’t go bidding over your limit. And if you are in collection high quality art from famous artist then I would guess a ships auction is not the place to go from the beginning.

Best, Onno

[ 10-29-2002: Message edited by: Onno ]

also, formal apprasials are extra--not all art work is framed and they will try to sell you frames and last of all if you dont want to lug the art work with you for the rest of the cruise you have to pay for shipping

we bought on one cruise and the work had to be shipped from their warehouse at their expense, when we got home we received a letter stating that the piece we bought was unavailable and we were offered other pieces to choose from with all sort of incentives attached to the other piece.
free shipping free frame.etc

there was nothing that we wanted from the new options so we asked for our money back and the original piece turned up and was sent to us.

I recommend to clients that they buy art from young artists starting out.

The major art schools: Pratt Institute, Parsons, Art Center, Moore College, Art Students League, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and others, have thesis shows near the end of the semesters.

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Originally posted by desirod6:
The art auctions are essentially shlock art done on an assembly line..............
I recommend to clients that they buy art from young artists starting out.
......... All you have to do is like the work. If it becomes very valuable in time, great, if not you have a real work of art you can enjoy for your lifetime.

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Makes good sense to me!

[ 10-29-2002: Message edited by: Green ]

If you like it, buy it. There is also the concept of "The Emporer's new clothes". The best critic is yourself. The artwork I have seen at the auctions, in my judgement of working in fine arts at one point in my career is essentially overcommercialized craft of little original thought.

The same way certain ships are art and others are not, Normandie, Rembrandt, and Canberra are, Island Breeze, Topaz, and Sea Breeze are not. True art expresses the emotions of the creator. That cannot be done on assembly line [which is how they are done] paintings of wide eyed kids, Elvis on black velvet, or countless sunsets. It is comparing Muzak to Beethoven or Duke Ellington.

IMJ, the artwork done by 5 year olds, although not mature in technique is most expressive and free.

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Originally posted by desirod6:
If you like it, buy it. There is also the concept of "The Emporer's new clothes". The best critic is yourself. The artwork I have seen at the auctions, in my judgement of working in fine arts at one point in my career is essentially overcommercialized craft of little original thought.

The same way certain ships are art and others are not, Normandie, Rembrandt, and Canberra are, Island Breeze, Topaz, and Sea Breeze are not. True art expresses the emotions of the creator. That cannot be done on assembly line [which is how they are done] paintings of wide eyed kids, Elvis on black velvet, or countless sunsets. It is comparing Muzak to Beethoven or Duke Ellington.

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Indeed the line between Art and kitsch is very thin, and that is the reason why kitsch objects sells so very well and of course nothing is wrong with that but do not expect quality because then you will be disappointed. The main difference with Art and kitsch is that art came forward out of an artist ideas, while kitsch is the other way round. The object came first or the need to sell the object came first and then the idea behind it gets formulated (and even most of the time it is not) so kitsch is founded on a false emotion pretends as long as you realize that then there is nothing wrong with buying it I would guess.

Princess does it all in house. I met the director of the program on the Grand a few years ago (a former NBA player named Stu). They headquarter in Ft Lauderdale and warehouse the art there. He claims by doing it in house Princess can offer cheaper prices.