Any Bidders?
Sotheby’s auctioned Edvard Munch’s The Scream for nearly $119.9 million today, the most ever paid for an art work at auction. I am pretty sure that I can get you the above (elephant included) wholesale.
************************************************************
I am linking this post to Emily Wieranga’s Imperfect Prose. Yes, I know, there’s precious little prose, but Emily asks for descriptions of things that are broken, and honestly, as much as I love Edvard Munch (I do), and art of all kinds (absolutely), I also think 120 million is a bit out of whack. It turns art into a commodity instead of an expression and overvalues certain popular pieces and artists while undervaluing others. Also, it causes viewers to see dollar signs rather than images. All that said, congrats to the seller, Peter Olsen, Norwegian businessman and shipping heir, whose father was actually a friend, neighbor and patron of Munch.
Tags: "The Scream" Turned Trumpet, art as commodity, Edvard Munch with elephants, manicddaily, Sotheby's auction of The Scream - a Competitor, The Scream with elephant
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
ManicDDaily 
May 3, 2012 at 5:38 am
I love this, including the trunk. Do you know, I do think it shades the original, but thing is these auctioneers and others are so staid – dyed in the wool, my mum would have said. They are quite oblivious of the fact that the other’s a bit old hat now – and anyway, he’s dead and doesn’t need the money! If it weren’t for all that, I’d be straight in there with a bid!
May 3, 2012 at 6:29 am
Ha! Thanks. k.
May 3, 2012 at 7:46 am
i agree.. it’s crazy.. it asks the question ‘what is art’?
May 3, 2012 at 8:11 am
I agree though I tend to have a very broad answer to that question. I accept many many things as art. And, of course, I am happy to see art valued by society-but at this level it is not valuing art as art but art as a commodity or investment–an asset class. (And that’s not even going into the question of rich and poor and countervailing needs, etc., or the poor artists who are living!) Crazy.
May 3, 2012 at 8:19 am
Ps Thanks so much, Luke, for stopping by. k.
May 3, 2012 at 8:38 am
Huh. If I were a millionaire X 120, I don’t think The Scream would be my purchase. Thanks for calling my attention to some things I wouldn’t have otherwise known, or thought.
May 3, 2012 at 8:58 am
Thank you, Brandee. k.
May 3, 2012 at 9:09 am
ha…it is rather sickening…dont get me wrong, i love the art world and art def inspires me but that is a bit outrageous, when so much could be done with that money, you know…nice elephant yoruself btw…smiles.
May 3, 2012 at 11:18 am
Thanks! k.
May 3, 2012 at 3:12 pm
You make important points here, totally worthy of Imperfect Prose. Love the elephant 🙂
May 3, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Thanks so much. k.
May 3, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Cool 🙂 I love art…nice elephant but a bit much 🙂
May 3, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Interesting perspective!
May 4, 2012 at 5:43 am
I had to come back for another peep anyway! Still priceless!