Over the past 17 years, contemporary art prices have grown by 1,400%. What is it if not evidence of increased public attention to art? However, it seems that the galleries are still empty, and the excited crowds are in no rush to reach for the beautiful. Could it possibly mean that art is the subject of concern for the artists themselves, as well as for a very limited number of gallery owners, art critics, collectors, and businessmen (who so far show the greatest enthusiasm in purchasing art)?
The artists whom I am personally acquainted with often complain that no one cares about art today. But in fact, it has always been that way. The value of art for humanity is hugely exaggerated. The illusion of demand for works of art from past eras today is created by a stirred up commercial interest. The pieces of classical masters of art are a profitable product now, and the fewer of them left, the higher the price. The laws of economics rather than those of love of beauty play a key role in here. In the same way, wealthy people develop the demand for truffles. It is not about their marvelous taste, but rather the rareness of occurring in nature, and the inherent desire of a person to possess them inversely proportional to their level of rareness.4
