Wonga!

How much would you pay for this? Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions? It doesn't matter really because it probably isn't for sale.

I was reading a new book yesterday and it pointed out something that should be obvious. Paintings, whatever the era were created to be sold. In the Industrial revolution there was a lot of money floating about for luxuries, like paintings. 

Then came environmentalism as explorers returned with examples of rare species. I'm not cynical but guess what started to sell and that we have many of from the era? Yep landscapes and animals. We can stick as many meanings as we like on art but it is still a commodity and at least they are honest about it. Are we having our money sucked out of us by modern art because that is what is trendy rather than it having a meaning? Or am I devil's advocate?