In London, will open an exhibition devoted to art from eBay
ARTinvestment.RU   27 августа 2008

Hayward Gallery curator Tom Morton is at online auction more than a hundred works, made for the most part unknown, but quite inventive artists

Everyone knows that eBay - this is a site where you can buy absolutely everything: from a paper cup, from which drinking water is your favorite musician, and the opportunity to visit kinopremeru in the company of your favorite actresses. Lovers of art, too long «feed» at this online auction, because there may be cheaper to buy, say, California psychedelic poster artists toy with the signature fashion Takashi Murakami (Takashi Murakami) and Esitomo Nara (Yoshitomo Nara), and even Pablo Picasso lithograph (Pablo Picasso).

But those who are seriously engaged in investing in art, trying to circumvent eBay side: the likelihood that bought at this site lithography great artist would be an original, very small. Certainly, many are buying works of art, not to then resell them. Although in this case, Picasso buy on eBay will be unprofitable - much better to buy a good reproduction, then just do not torment twinge of conscience because of the fact that heavily overpaid for the work, the authorship of which is doubtful. eBay is good to buy works by unknown artists. In this case, the probability of being «from nose» is not so big.

Hayward Gallery in London recently decided to draw attention to the art, which people do not buy for investment, but for their own pleasure. August 28 is open exhibition View Basket ( «View Cart»), which will be presented over a hundred pieces, bought at eBay. Exhibition curator Tom Morton (Tom Morton) within ten days looking at the online auction interesting work. All exhibits were spent 5 thousand pounds - so much is, for example, a small risunochek Demiena Hirst (Damien Hirst) . How does Morton chose work? After all, eBay is pieces of amateur art (paintings «by Picasso» or «under Kandinsky» to lovely vinyl toys, loved youth fashion), and in this ocean of short-drowning. The curator decided to search for items by keyword «conceptual».

What is conceptual art? On this subject there are thousands of books and articles. The works of the main representatives - Sola Levitte (Sol LeWitt), Yves Klein (Yves Klein), and others - sold at auction for a lot of money. Conceptual art of love museums: remember recent exhibition Krida Martin (Martin Creed) in the Tate Modern . Nevertheless, ordinary people, conceptual art often prompts boil over and grind the teeth. During its existence it obroslo so many senseless and merciless theories that most people sincerely believed the conceptual art of what-what «features a leg break», and what mere mortals do, and never for anything not understand. All of this leads to question: is there a light at the lay (non-curators, no gallery, no artists, and art schools are not students) who really loves «conceptualism»? Do those who buy such an art, not to get in the future with a profit, but simply for their own pleasure? View Basket exhibition proves that there are all the same.

When reading the description of the works presented at the exhibition, one can not help thinking that it would be, if these works were signed by Damien Hurst or Prins Richard (Richard Prince), and would not be sold on eBay, but in a a fashionable gallery. Byustik Freddie Mercury (Freddie Mercury), made out of Lego, a toy My little pony in the «Gothic» makeup, figure, which depicts Harry Potter, tseluyuschy his archenemy Draco Malfoya, sculptures frightening head beaver in turbans, tiny pictures for doll house , one of which - a copy of paintings of René Magritte (Rene Magritte) ... Of course, the classic conceptual art like Sola Levitte hardly would do such things, but some trendy modern artists - it is.

Almost everything works in the exhibition anonymous. But there is there and works of famous artists, which can not be refused to any major auction like Christie's. Among the exhibits, in particular, released a copy of limited edition sculptures Demiena Hirst Snowblind ( «Snow blindness»), as well as illustrations of the Finnish artist called Tom of Finland, famous for its bold designs gomoeroticheskogo content. In addition, there you can see pictures of all the forgotten artists of the Victorian era, the page of «religious» comics and other works that someone once bought, kept in their homes and loved.

The exhibition raises questions not only about what a huge role in determining the value of works of art played by the name of its creator. Each exhibit is some interesting history. We can say that the main characters of the exhibition - not the product, but people who put them on sale on eBay. Why did they once bought these strange work, and why they decided to part with them? Maybe they got tired of them? Or maybe someone gave a small treasure in an online auction because it brings to mind the man who was once a favorite ?..

View Basket The exhibition displays works that you never see in museums, in galleries and at major auctions. They are like away from the «official» art world and art market. But they still «live» in somebody's house and like someone no less than artists, millionaires like Hirst and Jeff Koons (Jeff Koons).

The exhibition will run until 28 September. After its closure of the move into storage Hayward Gallery, and thus join the ranks of «official», cataloged and exhibited works of art.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: independent.co . uk , southbankcentre.co.uk , artinvestment.ru