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Her presence
Found color photograph, thread, magazine clipping from "Better Homes and Gardens" (circa 1950's), graphite
21 x 27 cm, 2008
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I have been in California for the past week. It is clear that the presence of the economic down turn is more pronounced here than in Berlin. I went to the Westfield Mall on Market Street here in San Francisco and the atmosphere was the usual holiday frenzy - people carrying multiple shopping bags - but that fever was mixed with sales everywhere. I don't really remember that being the case years before. Usually there are sales after Christmas and then you hit yourself because you bought that great present for cousin Jessie and now the price has been slashed to half of what you paid for it. Anyway - sales everywhere and if you didn't know Christmas is next week.
The first run of this project has brought up some interesting questions (and wonderful feedback) that I would like to take the time to respond to:
I have been asked what an 'appropriate' bid could be. This is something for each individual bidder to determine for themselves. There is no unacceptable bid. Anything is possible and that amount should be what you, as the bidder, feel is appropriate to you and your pocketbook.
Secondly I was asked to lengthen the amount of time for bidding - which I have done. The next round of bidding will last the length of time between the postings, which could be up to 3 weeks.Finally - the next post will be on the 17th of December.
The Economy Inn has sold to the highest bidder.
Thanks to all who put in a bid.
As the economy has begun sputtering and spitting with what seems to be, at certain moments its last breath, I would like to present my new project Wager. I find myself in a precarious position as an artist. I am in essence the maker of a "product" that in times like these, is considered by many as superfluous. As art is considered a luxury item it is in essence one of the first things to stop selling. Galleries are closing, art fairs are not selling like they have in the past and artists are (very) nervous. In many ways Damien Hirst couldn't have had better timing. The British artist who went beyond the gallery structure and sold 200 of his works at a Sotheby's auction which grossed a staggering $125 million on the first day alone. All of this happened about a month before everything went all wrong; like the country of Iceland going bankrupt.
Keeping all of this in mind I have set up Wager. Once every couple of weeks a work will be up for sale on this blog. The work will be posted on a Thursday. Anyone has the chance to obtain the work by making a wager or bet on the work. The wager can be based on what the viewer deems the value of the work is. The basic structure will be that each person will only have one chance to make me an offer via email. The bidding will last until the next posting is posted. The person who has offered the most amount of money for the work will receive the work after payment has been made.
Earlier this year I finished a year long project titled The 38 Project. This project was set on the premise that a work would be made available for sale on a blog for the sum of 38 euros. The catch was that the buyer had to be the first one to email me for the work. The works always sold out the day of posting. As that project came to an end, I was getting offers to buy the work both for double or triple the price and sight unseen. The project created a sort of frenzy of buying. That was in June - pre-economic crisis.
It is through Wager that I would like to question the essence of the value of (my) work. Although there are many questions to ponder, the most prominent one for me is how the value of art work is determined - especially in an economic crisis like this.
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Here is the first work for Wager
The Economy Inn
Digital print, 40 x 50 cm, 5 + 2AP edition
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