WHY SO EXPENSIVE?

I really still struggle to wrap my head around the supposed reasons why certain paintings cost so much, running into scores of millions of dollars. I do understand antique value, and as an artist, I appreciate artworks, their aesthetic value, more so, the effort that goes into them. However, the insane prices attached to a lot of the so-called classics, and recently certain 'modern art' still leaves me breathless.

Being a mostly self-trained artist with little formal education in the field, I might just be exposing my chronic ignorance here. However, the value attached to paintings, like the value attached to diamonds (which of course has a lot of practical usage being perhaps the hardest substance in the world, and having unique refractive properties) is ridiculous. I think certain people just conspire to give certain things unreasonable value, then expect the rest of us, the unsuspecting public, to go along with their schemes. Hollywood is definitely in on this ploy too. There is no doubt in my mind that the most popular painting in the world is the 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci, which owes a portion of it's fame to Hollywood.  Please, do pardon my paranoia and comical conspiracy theory. But, take the works of the now famous Vincent van Gogh for instance into consideration.

'Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers'

By Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) reportedly sold only one painting, 'The Red Vineyard', in his entire lifetime for a value projected to be about $1,650 today (400 Francs). He lived out a very ordinary life, austere infact for stretches, and squalid at other times, and must have been disillusioned at some point. He was just 37years old at the time of his death, after years of mental illness and 'painful anxiety'. He probably killed himself, since it was reported that he died from a likely self-inflicted gunshot wound. The gun, however was never found.

"In just over a decade, he [Vincent van Gogh] produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings, sketches, and prints. His work included self portraits, landscapes, still lifes, portraits as well as paintings of cypresses, wheat fields and sunflowers."
---wikipedia.org


In 1987, almost 100 years after his death, his painting, "Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers" sold for £24,750,000, more than tripling the previous record held by Mategna's "Adoration of the Magi". This criminally insane amount of money translates into a projected value of at least $83,000,000 today!

I do admire his perseverance and tenacity even when things didn't work out. His art was hardly appreciated and he kept on trying to improve his works by studying under several 'masters' and trying out varied techniques. But this guy, was probably a little beside himself; he literally painted 37 self-portraits in a space of less than four years. He got financial assistance from his younger brother, Theo, but the money was soon spent up without even breaking even, a scenario that played out repeatedly. He had a really hard time. Fate, or should I say, the conspirators, played a fast cruel one on him. They waited for him to die before they started appreciating his works, and by mid-20th Century, he was considered one of the greatest artists that ever lived. Today, he has seven (7) paintings in the Top 50 most expensive paintings in the world, with a combined estimated value of almost 800 million dollars!

Now, like I said, putting antique and aesthetic value into consideration, this is still a misnomer.

I do like to mention here David Choe, a graffiti artist, who accepted to be paid in shares for graffiti he painted at the Facebook headquarters prior to their Initial Public Offer. At the time of Facebook's IPO, those shares were worth about two hundred million dollars!

What really makes paintings this expensive, and should they be?

Please drop your comments.

THE REWARD

“Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen. The determination to see the idea through is what's priceless.”

---Robert Dieffenbach

We could always come up with 'reasonable excuses' for doing or failing to do something. If, for instance, we wanted to set up a coffee shop, we could come up with scores or 'reasons' why we shouldn't attempt the venture ... general decline in coffee consumption, too many people in the industry which translates to too much competition or an already saturated market, inadequate funds, not enough time to put into it, economic downturn, increase in security threats, unavailability of fresh coffee beans, 'staff management hazards', unpredictability of market forces, to mention a few ...all sorts or reasons would come up.

China's richest man, Alibaba's Jack Ma claims he discussed starting his online business with 24 of his friends. 23 of them said he should drop the idea since it was silly and undoable. The last one said he could give it a try since there was no harm in trying...if things turned out wrong, he could just go back to what he was doing initially.

An all too familiar story, I guess; at least for me it is. There are naysayers at every turn. When I say naysayers, I refer not only to people, but also to circumstances and conditions surrounding us. Our default setting is to remain where we are, maintain the status quo, and do nothing.

"Every wealth has its story; none came by wishful thinking."
---Dahlin Chigozie Ilechukwu
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Like the footwear giant's slogan goes, "Just do it!" Start something. Bring that idea to life. Don't look at the half-empty glass, see the half-full one. Start with what you have, from where you are. You are sure to grow if you persist and stay on the right track. Life has principles. Financial success has it's too. Just do it. Start! This is the first principle to follow if you are to succeed at anything at all. You must take that bold first step.

"A sluggard says, "There's a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"
---Proverbs 26:13 (NIV)

Does every rose have a thorn? Well, yes! I guess every blessing is accompanied by its baggage. My dad is always quick to say that risk and reward travel side by side. To make more, you have to do more. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. If you stake more, you have the chance to win more.

I stumbled on a poem by exactly that title, and can't resist sharing it here:-

"Every Rose Has A Thorn

The beauty of a Rose, its pure innocence,
The glee it brings when it’s greatness is gifted.
The heart of the beholder filled with wonder,
The senses are taken and one by one are lifted.

The eyes compare this single and individual flower,
To other types, different kinds and breeds.
By far it exceeds its expectations, its presence causes delight,
By comparison other flowers are weeds.

The nostrils take in this pleasing aroma,
The smell of perfection oozes even from its very name.
The inhaled pollen gently nests inside the smeller;
The Rose and the lover become indistinguishably the same.

But alas, perfection, beauty, love, all only mask what is hidden below, A secret that must remain.
The reality of the Rose shows a sorrowful being,
Saddened by its curse, the potential to cause great pain.

The happiness and the joy, the eternal unquestioning love,
The Rose can turn all this to scorn.
The beautiful creation, the sad and scared soul,
Only too aware of the truth; Every Rose has a Thorn."

---Daniel P Martin

There are obstacles and risks with embarking on any venture. Research 'The Greats'. They all had one thing or the other to contend with in getting to where they are now. They only arrived at their destination because they started, persisted, and kept at it. Don't let the obstacles on the path to your goals stop you. Look at the reward, that final goal, and the thorns won't hurt that much.

Jack Ma & his friends

HOW TO TRAIN THE BEST

All through recorded history, man has sought various ways to pass acquired knowledge and skills to succeeding generations. It is an established fact that the ability or inability to achieve meaningful and sustainable development in any society is tied to it's ability to pass knowledge, information and acquired skill to others within the society and to future generations.

For development to take place, one has to study, and as quickly as possible, absorb what has been already 'established', then build upon it. It would be a total waste of our time and those of our predecessors to start every process or procedure all over from the scratch.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
---Sir Isaac Newton

In chess, the works of François-André Danican Philidor in the 18th Century made it easier for players like Paul Morphy and Adolf Anderson to develop much more rapidly than they probably would have without his influence. Morphy's style of play influenced others and so did Wilhelm Steinitz through his games and published works.

The works and games of Siegbert Tarrasch and Aron Nimzowitsch, the fathers of the hypermodern school of chess, in the early part of the 20th century, paved the way for rapid chess development over the next decades. In fact most of their teachings would still remain relevant as long as the game of chess lingers. These two players radicalised the way chess development and study was viewed. Whether one accepts their scientific approach to the game or not, their well-documented journals ensures a wider grasp and understanding of the chess discipline.

"The best chess player of his day was Francois Andre Danican-Philidor... His published chess strategy stood for a hundred years without significant addition or modification. He preached the value of a strong pawn center, an understanding of the relative value of the pieces, and correct pawn formations..."
---GM Boris Alterman

In the world today, it is arguable that the 'Western World' is still ahead in development because they kept, and still keep, better records. The foregoing arguments will probably meet little resistance, if any. Where most of us won't align will be in our approval/preferrence of one teaching/training method over the other. What is the most efficient way of passing across knowledge and skill in our rapidly evolving world, where concepts, innovations and products, in certain cases, become obsolete in years, or even months, after hitting the scene? Like with every other discipline these days, the chessplayer has to quickly learn the basics, then constantly update his knowledge; more pertinent now that theory considered accurate decades ago would probably be grossly flawed or inadequate today.

> The world record for the youngest chess Grandmaster ever is held by the now 24year old Sergey Karjakin, who achieved this feat when he was just 12years and 7months old. It is no longer considered a spectacular feat to have a child trained to become a chess grandmaster by age 16. In 1991, Judith Polgar broke Bobby Fischer's long-standing record, by becoming the youngest chess grandmaster in history at age 15years and 4months. Fischer's record had stood for 33years! This was 'news' more so because she was female and Bobby Fischer was considered an exceptional genius. Bobby Fischer though had the arduous task of being his own personal trainer for the most part. Judith, on the other hand, was homeschooled with her major being chess by her chess coach dad. These days, the new normal for becoming a chess grandmaster is 15/16 years of age. In fact if by 20, one still hasn't achieved the GM title, he is considered a self-made GM - a term reserved for late bloomers, who like Fischer, probably had to organise most of their training/study themselves - if he eventually does attain the title. At 30, most chessplayers begin to relinquish hope altogether. To produce a GM within the limits of our perceived timetable is therefore something sought by chess coaches the world over. I guess the same, or at least similar 'time-cages' plague other fields of endeavour.

"A teaching method comprises the principles and methods used for instruction. Commonly used teaching methods may include class participation, demonstration, recitation, memorization, or combinations of these. The choice of teaching method or methods to be used depends largely on the information or skill that is being taught, and it may also be influenced by the aptitude and enthusiasm of the students".
---wikipedia.org

What then is/are the best training method(s)? How do we ensure students get optimal training? Numerous training curricular have sprung up all over. Various studies and researches have been carried out on this matter, mostly inconclusive or conflicting. The truth is, just like I attempted to state in an earlier article, a method that works for one student might fail when applied to another. That is why even when monozygote twins are subjected to the same environment and training, they still end up slightly different. For training to be effective, it must be subject-specific. This fact not withstanding, there are definitely certain general methods that work across board. One of this is actual practice. Someone training to be a world-class player in any sport must play in world-class events or at least simulate them. A child having the world's best coaches on his team, with the best training materials and conditions will almost certainly fail if he gets no practical feel of what he is training for. This is more so evident in a game as complicated as chess, where psychological and numerous other 'non-chess' factors like nutrition, physical fitness, number of hours spent sleeping/resting, marital/relationship status, age, as well as a lot of other mundane and sublime things, have a huge say on a player's tournament performance.

A trainer must first strive to understand his student and his needs, and only then develop a tailor-fitted regimen. We are all unique creatures, but mostly, man is what he repeatedly does. There is no substitute for practical experience. Personally, I totally believe in the 10,000 Hour Rule:- For one to become a Master in any field he/she must spend a minimum of 10,000 hours on it.

No matter how good the training methods used on a student, his interest level and passion, or absence of it, will play a major role in his development. The role of mentorship cannot be over emphasized either. The student must have an 'image' of that which he wants to become, equal or surpass. Then both the trainer and his student must believe it is attainable. The rest will turn out, as they say, like magic.

Truth be told; there is no magic formula. However, there are methods that work well for most. Once you decipher your student and his training needs, it becomes easier to train him at optimal capacity and speed.

Be Prepared!!!

Going through the Forbes List of the Fifty (50) Richest People in the World, I was astounded by the sheer percentage of those who inherited the wealth that earned them a slot on it. I guess financial success isn't tied solely to hard work, training, education, or any of the numerous other virtuous tenets we are usually encouraged to imbibe or abide by afterall. Well, we aren't all evenly priviledged. Palpably, over 90% of the world's estimated 7billion humans have to earn their own 'bread'.

Most people have to be productive in order to earn a living. More than 90% of earth's population aren't interested in being on the Forbes list. Surviving day to day proves to be a formidable distraction from this vain goal. It is arguable that there aren't enough jobs to go round. The opposite case is also arguable. Whichever side of the divide you belong to, you will be able to draw up a convincing argument. Most people won't accept certain jobs because they feel they are overqualified. Some label certain jobs as demeaning. Then for others, certain jobs are beyond reach because they don't have the requisite qualifications.

We must learn to look beyond being employed as a means of earning money. If everyone thinks this way, it's obvious that we will conclude that money-making opportunities abound. What are you good at? What do you enjoy most? With the vast, and ever increasing 'needs' of the human race, money can be earned from almost anything imaginable. Find a 'need' then meet/fill it. Be the best at whatever you do. The nuggets will come naturally. There is hardly anything as gratifying as making money out of something you love doing.

Whether one desires to be gainfully employed or earn money one way or the other, depends a lot on 'preparation'. Preparation could mean getting formal or informal education, practicing, getting a mentor/role-model, etc. Whatever the case may be, there must be ways of improving at a task that was followed by people who previously took that route. If it's a new idea, it could still be improved upon, one way or the other.

"A good (chess)player is always lucky."
---Jose Raul Capablanca

A popular saying goes thus, "Luck is when opportunity meets preparation." How true this is! The difference between competence and incompetence is preparation. No matter the field of endeavour one would like to use as a case study, we will always arrive at the conclusion that the more prepared we are, the more likely we are to succeed or excel.


"Any opening that you know well is good no matter what its reputation".
---Dan Heisman (Chess Coach)

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times".
---Bruce Lee

Improve at whatever you do. Strive to be the best at it. You can never be sure when the opportunity to show your worth, or usefulness will arise.

Be prepared!