In 1839, the English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, a historical play about the famed 17th-century French clergyman and statesman, Cardinal Richelieu. In his play, Bulwer penned a line that was, according to the literary critic Edward Sherman Gould, “likely to live for ages.” Uttered by the titular character, the passage bearing the line reads: “Beneath the rule… Read more →
Values can be defined as a system of beliefs that a person or group of people hold dear. They provide a guidepost for people to make decisions based on what is important to them. For example, values could promote individualism, esteem simplicity, or celebrate nature. In the context of art movements, values usually center around ideas or aesthetics that the… Read more →
Art is a human endeavor that takes numerous forms and fulfills innumerable purposes. Its diversity is celebrated as an example of Homo Sapiens’ potential, representing the unbounded and endless nature of creativity—something transcendent. Indeed, art is mainly spoken of in terms of the incalculable and the immaterial, with language verging on the religious. “The aim of art is to represent… Read more →
The cognoscenti are a group of people who have have expert knowledge or understanding of a particular subject. In the art world, these are people with knowledge about art, culture, and taste. They are often gatekeepers, meaning they control what is shown to the public or, at the very least, how it is seen. But cognoscenti may also play an… Read more →
The fine art industry is a difficult one to be in. It’s an even more difficult business to succeed at. There are many factors that may affect the success of artists, but one factor many may not have considered is information cascades. Information cascades are a phenomenon in which people often rely on the opinion of others to determine how… Read more →
Information asymmetry is when one party in a transaction has more information than the other party. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but it often favors the person or institution with more information. There is a great deal of information asymmetry in the art market, and its impact is profound: decreased trust, valuation disparities, and rampant inequality. The… Read more →
According to Miriam Webster, a charlatan is “a person who practices quackery or deception in order to prey on the credulity of others.” In other words, they are a fraud. A charlatan will exploit their victims’ lack of knowledge and trust in order to get them to believe that the charlatan knows something the victim does not, and thereby profit… Read more →
What does it take to be exceptional? Countless books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels have opined on this particular topic, and from them what have we learned? Well, we get a very specific image of what exceptionalism entails. Exceptional people, we are led to believe, are wealthy or famous, they hold Ivy League degrees (or teach at one of those… Read more →
For many creatives, money is a difficult issue. Walk into any arts organization or art school and you’ll find artists who have been told that their art is supposed to be pure and untouched by commercialism. In fact, many arts graduates emerge after graduation railing against capitalism and its perceived evils (while clutching their newly-minted degree in one hand and… Read more →
LANDER,WY—On February 1st, award-winning artist and writer Nick Thornburg will begin teaching a four week workshop through Lander Art Center, entitled ‘Designing a Creative Career that Works for You.’ The workshop, which will be offered as a live workshop as well as a virtual class, will provide students valuable insights to help them make better decisions, improve planning, and narrow… Read more →