Art Pops at Auction

So a Francis Bacon went for $142M, an Andy Warhol for $105M and a Jeff Koons for $58M – all records at auction this month. Most of the public don’t even know Bacon yet his work is worth more than most old or modern masters if you can get them… and who is the BIG MONEY driving the contemporary art market like this? Apparently there’s alot of 1%ers with cash to burn and nowhere else to invest, I’m sure Hirst INC and  Koons CORP have their names on speed dial. I always thought the best artists tended to be reclusive creatures obsessed with exploring the boundaries of ART not sales and marketing – man is that WRONG, at least in the Art Establishment of 21st Century America. Quite the opposite, it seems to be ALL about the marketing – and Pop fits right into that mold.  Pop art and Pop music are both in a rut and like Sinead O’Connor says prostituting artists to feed the system. Warhol’s celebration of boredom and lack of meaning have never seemed so fitting. I always thought old rockers should retire while young – or at least not OLD – but there’s Mick Jagger at past 70 strutting on stage like he were still a ‘rebellious’ 20 when WTF he IS the Establishment selling live stadium concerts to make bucks hand over fist one more time… it would be really amusing if it weren’t so sad that it’s not about the music in the least anymore LOL. And he’s not the only one. Don’t these old geezers have any respect for what their art represented? It’s one thing to continue to perform to small groups in private clubs and another to try to maintain status as musical cult figures while their tunes run in TV ads.  Seems like both the music and art scenes have diverged into the Rich Corporate few who sold out and the Struggling many. Is this a reflection of today’s polarized society or was it always like this? Probably both. I don’t want to worry that the ‘right’ collectors are interested in promoting the value of my art. Think I will just continue pursuing a more humanist art and a relaxed lifestyle with good friends and good sex.