Expert’s advice

There are currently 10 categories of art, from painting to comics, through photography or fashion, and even video games:

In November 2012, the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) decided to include 14 video games in its collection of artworks. Similarly, since 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States officially recognizes video games as an art…

The classification of art has become chaotic, in the sense that chaos is the expression of what is undifferentiated and without hierarchy. One could notice the paradox if one were interested in the etymological origin of the word “hierarchy”, which in Greek hieros means “sacred” and archie means “command”.

Indeed, the major arts have long dealt with religious subjects, therefore sacred, and the Church would not have appreciated if a Botticelli virgin was called minor art, so there was a certain sense in “hierarchizing”!

Emmanuel Radnitsky, known as Man Ray (American painter, photographer, and filmmaker naturalized French), once said:

“A bad painter is and will always remain minor whereas a brilliant photographer can become a major representative of a trend or an era.”

So let those who enjoy it, replay the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns forever…

…and to the extreme, for some artists, there is not even a debate: everything would be good for the trash!

Serge Gainsbourg, whom I mentioned in the introduction for example. Did you know that he tried his hand at painting for decades? With a certain talent, it seems. And yet, like some major artists, he was never satisfied with his works to the point of almost destroying them all during his lifetime. And even when asked about his songs, he replied with disarming sincerity that he would only save 2 or 3 from the lot!

This reminds me of Alberto Giacometti who confessed just before he died that he had tirelessly created the same structure of his walking man, because he hadn’t finished with it and hadn’t achieved what he wanted.

Perhaps we are touching here on a definition of major art: creative doubt, creative demand, the search for creative perfection of an idea, humility.

This definition certainly has nothing academic about it, but I like it.

It’s up to you to write your own, with the eyes of a poet, whose Greek root means… creator!

If you’ve fallen in love with one, you don’t even have to think about it: you can just go ahead and buy it.

If you have several favourites and you don’t know where to start? Go for a small format or an edition and see how this work transforms your everyday life. It will then be easier to choose a second, and then a third work, once you’ve experienced the world of an artist at your side.

The more you observe the work of artists you like, the more you’ll learn to recognise what makes you tick, and therefore to get to know yourself. Appreciation of a work of art is very personal. Don’t choose a painting just to impress your guests! Surround yourself with what makes you dream! This will make the interior of your home more authentic and unique, just like you.

Finally, understanding a work of art is a long process that could take several years. In fact, it could take a lifetime. You’ll grow older, you’ll change, and so will the way you look at the things around you. Your relationship with your painting or sculpture will evolve just as much, and that’s the magic of art!

Let’s be honest, if you’re looking for a work by Andy Warhol or Jeff Koons, you’ll probably have to break the bank.

However, it’s important to note that “contemporary” art also encompasses emerging artists, which means more accessible prices!

There are so many talented artists, few or not yet known, who offer their works starting from a few hundred euros for editions. We offer them too!

Believing that contemporary art is reserved for snobs is an illusion. Certainly, “snobbish” people are interested in art, and certainly art can be perceived as primarily accessible to a social and intellectual elite. However, art is much more than that!

By its very essence, it is universal and indefinable, touching all social classes, crossing epochs and cultures.

There’s something for everyone and for every taste. If you still hear that art is reserved for snobs, invite these sceptics to explore galleries and museums. That will make one less snobby visitor!

This question instantly takes us back to our old philosophy classes. If a work doesn’t seem beautiful to us, it’s simply because it doesn’t touch us, and we’re not receptive to it.

But that’s not a big deal! Beauty is, by its very essence, relative and subjective.

If a work doesn’t appeal to us, we just need to move on and explore what other artists have to offer. In fact, it’s even gratifying to see that not everyone appreciates the same things, because it saves us from relentlessly fighting to acquire them.

Diversity is a beautiful thing!

Many wrongly believe that you need a certain expertise to understand contemporary art.

However, unlike learning a language which requires a thorough study to master its subtleties, the language of art appeals, more than any other domain, to emotion.

Your eyes, your emotions, your thoughts, and your memory are all elements that will be stimulated by a work of art.

It will touch you even more as it doesn’t deliver a clear and official message, allowing your sensitivity to appropriate the work. In short, art is accessible to all, regardless of the level of prior knowledge.

Mais que signifie exactement “ce qui marche” ?

Si l’on parle du marché de l’art, ce n’est pas tout à fait vrai.

De nombreuses œuvres qualifiées de “provocantes” ne trouveront pas preneurs, car considérées comme trop choquantes ou excessives.

En revanche, d’un point de vue de l’histoire de l’art, ce n’est pas totalement faux. Ce qui pouvait être perçu comme de la provocation à une certaine époque, comme les œuvres de Caravage ou de Manet, nous paraît aujourd’hui tout à fait acceptable.

Bousculer et repousser les limites fait aussi partie du rôle des artistes.

It’s undeniable that money plays a predominant role in our society.

The price of a work is often determined by factors that may seem superficial, such as the network and influence of the artist and his gallery owner, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect the intrinsic quality of the work.

However, don’t limit yourself to the few hundred artists who make the headlines and are exhibited in major international fairs.

It’s important to keep in mind that most artists fail to make a living from their art, and that many gallery owners also struggle to make ends meet. This shows that it’s primarily the love of art that drives them.

We regret having to deconstruct the myth of the tormented and cursed artist.

Just because an artist has a particular sensitivity and strives to perceive the world from a different angle doesn’t mean they’re necessarily antisocial, withdrawn, or even mentally ill.

They’re individuals like everyone else, with their flaws and peculiarities, but just as real and human.