Storytelling in Fine Art

[vanvlietart]

An interesting speech was given by Fred Ross on Academic art to the Oil Painters of America. I think it is worthy of note and highlights many objectivist values. What do you think?

Link:

Fred Ross Speech to OPA

[Jonathan]

I didn't read the entire speech, and I don't have time to read it now, but in skimming through it, I noticed this:

"This must be done if art history as a field of scholarship is not to be ultimately discovered to have devolved into nothing more than documents of propaganda geared towards market enhancement for valuable collections passed down as wealth conserving stores of value."

This is interesting coming from Fred Ross, who owns paintings by Bouguereau, the artist he seems to promote most often in his speeches, in his activism, and on his website. A few years ago he tried to stir up controversy when the Minneapolis Institute of Arts decided to sell Bouguereau's painting _Bohémienne_ in order to finance the purchase of Albert Moore’s _Battledore_ (Moore is generally considered to be a much more important realist artist than Bouguereau). Ross publicly campaigned to try to prevent the sale. If I recall correctly, he placed ads in the Star Tribune attempting to stir up public outrage, and offered $30,000 to the MIA if they would back out of their arrangement with Christie's. He failed. The painting was sold at auction to a private party for about $650,000.

J

Edited September 11, 2006 by Jonathan