"My Lonesome Cowboy 2001" by Takashi Murakami (no I am not related to him) has been auctioned off at a staggering price of 15.16 million USD. It was made in 1998 out of steel, fiber glass and acrylic. Height = 254cm.
And what does this 'figure' look like?
A fucking DBZ style anime character with an epic cumshot.
Wow lol, to think someone paud 15 million or so for that, just wow. You could do much better things with that kind of money -__-. Not to mention the art is just rofl nc
On May 16 2008 06:08 thedeadhaji wrote: Chill opened it at work before I put in the NSFW at the top (which was literally a minute after I made the post) lawlll.
When I was at Canada's National Gallery (most of the stuff is good), there was this section of like, filthy pictures of guys holding their dicks on web cam... and like a framed cyber-text conversation with people who type thing like "ur gay" and "suk me off" and stuff. I don't know how much it cost the museum, but it was pretty ridiculous.
Sometimes art is valuable, just because a tonne of people will visit the museum to see why they paid so much money for some piece. They'll determine they still don't understand, but they'll see all the other art too, and not think ill of their visit. Still, it's always a bummer when some dumbass makes a tonne of money doing something you could have done way better (I could totally set up blocks in a perfectly straight line more interestingly than that guy! And my social commentary would be even more illusive and appealing to pseudo-intellectuals!).
That said, I really like abstract art, which is almost equally retarded (and yet I can explain exactly why I like it, so I know I'm not a pseudo-intellectual ^^), so who knows. There's art as a business (hollow and almost vacant of any meaning), and there's art as art (which is usually the type you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount to enjoy) that will touch your soul. It's best to just ignore the ladder world and hope it goes away.
that's ridiculous... I don't mean the art, I mean the guy that spend the money. He should've bought a shotgun, put the barrel in his mouth and I'd be more than glad to help him pull the trigger.
u gotta know a little bit about art before you can bitch at it obviously u guys are clueless about history of art and what has happened ect.. and besides the ppl buying this are obviously loaded, and they wouldn't of bought it if it wasnt a masterpiece so educate urselves u ignorant fucks
On May 16 2008 06:12 minus_human wrote: I can't fucking believe this. Haji, your source must be wrong. Unless that thing's made of solid gold or something
here I went and found a fucking english source for y'all
u gotta know a little bit about art before you can bitch at it obviously u guys are clueless about history of art and what has happened ect.. and besides the ppl buying this are obviously loaded, and they wouldn't of bought it if it wasnt a masterpiece so educate urselves u ignorant fucks
It's all about the flourish with the right hand. Really frames the cum, brings it to life, making it worth over $15,000,000. You people don't know art.
studied this artist back in high school art class. he's actually quite famous and specializes in radically presenting anime in a new blown out over-the-top way. I'm not really impressed but i respect it.
On May 16 2008 07:07 NoNameLoser wrote: 87% of people who buy art are just speculating on higher resale value. if in 10 years that thing is worth 60 mil, who cares about how ugly it is.
which is what the previous owner just scored on today~
Ya I agree so much. When I look at some "modern" art that's just paint splashed on a canvas I just LOL. Seriously when I compare that bullshit to the portraits in a Dutch museum, I just want to tell those "painters" how much they suck in comparison to the old masters.
I can't begin to describe how frustrating it is to think that whoever made those is probably richer and, as a result, more successful than I will ever be.
you can't compare modern art to the "old masters".. that's like trying to compare sean kingston to beethoven.
for all you people who blantantly claim this isn't art.. then tell me, what is art? the last time i checked, there is no exactly "definition" of art and for all i care i could just bend a paper clip and it could be labeled as art.
this artist does what he does best and made a lot of money from it. though many of you do not understand art for its true meaning and just laugh at the fact that it's a dbz looking character hold his sperm.. this is a respectable piece of work
Since when does someone need qualifications what is and isn't art to them?
87% of people who buy art are just speculating on higher resale value. if in 10 years that thing is worth 60 mil, who cares about how ugly it is.
87% is the most random made up number I've ever heard, but you're exactly right. No one spends 6 million dollars on a paper weight because they think it's beautiful. They spend 6 million dollars on something thinking it's an investment that will procure them more monetary gain. It's probably going to some rich guy's museum to attract visitors (the more controversial, the higher the curiosity, hence the success of things you would easily call "the dumbest shit I've ever seen").
This is one of the reasons I like communism. Without a capitalist system of economics, stupid shit like this can't exist (I mean, lucrative purchases, not the art itself).
Although, wouldn't it be amazing if the whole auction was rigged, that the seller would secretly return the money, and the purchaser and the seller would share the profits on the publicity of the item. It would not surprise me if this happened often, as it would turn the investment into a little to no risk venture (as apposed to depending on people to get riled up over the latest retarded art debacle).
this artist does what he does best and made a lot of money from it. though many of you do not understand art for its true meaning and just laugh at the fact that it's a dbz looking character hold his sperm.. this is a respectable piece of work
On May 16 2008 07:45 d.arkive wrote: And, pray tell, what taste am I exactly trying to validate with my statement?
He's just trying to say that there's no need for hamerD to rephrase his statement as "This is not art according to my own standards" since it's pretty much implied that it's purely his opinion.
On May 16 2008 07:45 d.arkive wrote: And, pray tell, what taste am I exactly trying to validate with my statement?
He's just trying to say that there's no need for hamerD to rephrase his statement as "This is not art according to my own standards" since it's pretty much implied that it's purely his opinion.
Yes, but there is also nothing wrong with my statement either, as I AM genuinely interested in what brings hamerD to erect such a hard line. It is not necessarily an attack on his individual preferences.
Reading uneducated (meaning you did not take art history classes) responses truly shows how ignorant you guys choose to be.
The people who buy these are intellectual millionaires who understand the art world, if its not them the Museums try to buy it (usually if they get lucky and no millionare bids on it they can get it)
On May 16 2008 08:09 mel_ee wrote: Takashi Murakami is my favorite artist of today.
Reading uneducated (meaning you did not take art history classes) responses truly shows how ignorant you guys choose to be.
The people who buy these are intellectual millionaires who understand the art world, if its not them the Museums try to buy it (usually if they get lucky and no millionare bids on it they can get it)
Alright I'm glad you stepped forward. "Hey guys a naked anime character jizzing is fucking amazing."
On May 16 2008 08:13 PsycHOTemplar wrote: Ah, "ignorant" and "uneducated," the catch-all insult of the pseudo-intellectual.
He's just suggesting that maybe you should take a look at this guy's background first... Well OK that's not all he's saying but that's the part I agree with him on.
Honestly When I clicked on this link I was expecting another rant against minimalist art like this or this. Pieces like that, you could maybe make the argument that "I could have done that myself." I really really doubt that any of you could have made this statue. Now, granted, it's not something I'd put up in my living room, put it's still got a lot of craftsmanship and thought put into it. You really shouldn't judge it just by glancing at a tiny picture of it for 2 seconds.
If me_lee wants to explain the social/political commentary, the hidden messages, the witty references and allusions that make this artist deserving of 15 million dollars for his genius idea, I'd love to hear them. But I'm pretty sure he's just trolling, and he knows they're as non-existent/shallow as I do.
I really really doubt that any of you could have made this statue. Now, granted, it's not something I'd put up in my living room, put it's still got a lot of craftsmanship and thought put into it.
It would not cost much to find a mediocre artist to create a replica. This isn't being bought cause anyone wants to look at it, or to show off to your friends while sipping brandy in your private lounge. There's better, and bigger, everywhere. This isn't more artistic than lemon party, or goatse. There isn't any artistic reason this is worth 15 million dollars, and why God knows how much hentai there is on the internet is worth jack squat.
Yes but I've never seen a full size statue made of hentai before, because it would be quite difficult to do. Also, I would totally buy a statue of goatse if I could (although not for $15 mil obviously).
On May 16 2008 08:09 mel_ee wrote: Takashi Murakami is my favorite artist of today.
Reading uneducated (meaning you did not take art history classes) responses truly shows how ignorant you guys choose to be.
The people who buy these are intellectual millionaires who understand the art world, if its not them the Museums try to buy it (usually if they get lucky and no millionare bids on it they can get it)
Alright I'm glad you stepped forward. "Hey guys a naked anime character jizzing is fucking amazing."
KEEP AWAY FEEK
hahah keep in mind he's a japanese artist, hes just portraying otaku/japanese culture.
Also just an fyi Murakami just doesnt do these -obscene cum shots-, he ranges from toys to album art (Kanye West) to Louis Vuitton hand bags.
Edit: If someone has 15 million to spend on "art" theyre more of a success @ life than a failure.
On May 16 2008 08:13 PsycHOTemplar wrote: Ah, "ignorant" and "uneducated," the catch-all insult of the pseudo-intellectual.
And just repeating what the "pseudo-intellectuals" say over and over without contributing anything remotely worthwhile to the discussion nor refuting anything they say other than to say they're elitist just makes you look stupid. I personally don't know anything about art history, and I gotta say you really come off that way too. You ARE ignorant. Ignorance is not subjective; it is simply an adjective to describe how something is.
Also, your theory of conspiracy for selling shit to generate publicity could be applied to everything that is ever sold for large amounts of money.
It's not like artist is some chump fool like you who says HEY I CAN MAKE MODERN ART LOL and then his first piece sells for 15 million.
And just repeating what the "pseudo-intellectuals" say over and over without contributing anything remotely worthwhile to the discussion nor refuting anything they say other than to say they're elitist just makes you look stupid. I personally don't know anything about art history, and I gotta say you really come off that way too. You ARE ignorant. Ignorance is not subjective; it is simply an adjective to describe how something is.
Tell me what the difference is, other than medium (which is trivial, at best, considering that model creation is an occupation, not some godly imbued talent that only 1 in a billion could possible do).
Well... what's special about the statue of David? Other than the fact that Michelangelo made it out of a shitty piece of marble there wasn't anything particularly difficult about it... "average" artists of the period could have probably succeeded with a bigger piece of marble. It's fucking naked too. Or Mona Lisa. What the fuck? Just a smiling woman. What's the big deal? Sure it's very well painted, but Leonardo da Vinci is not the only guy who could have done it. Or what about The Scream? I bet even I could paint that one! Or Botticelli's Birth of Venus, it's just pr0n, like hentai. Or Les Mademoiselles d'Avignon, not only is it pornographic (like hentai!) it's also drawn with like .0001 of the skill. Why criticize just this painting on these grounds when there is a host of others to criticize for these same reasons?
On May 16 2008 09:29 Hippopotamus wrote: Well... what's special about the statue of David? Other than the fact that Michelangelo made it out of a shitty piece of marble there wasn't anything particularly difficult about it... "average" artists of the period could have probably succeeded with a bigger piece of marble. It's fucking naked too. Or Mona Lisa. What the fuck? Just a smiling woman. What's the big deal? Sure it's very well painted, but Leonardo da Vinci is not the only guy who could have done it. Or what about The Scream? I bet even I could paint that one! Or Botticelli's Birth of Venus, it's just pr0n, like hentai. Or Les Mademoiselles d'Avignon, not only is it pornographic (like hentai!) it's also drawn with like .0001 of the skill. Why criticize just this painting on these grounds when there is a host of others to criticize for these same reasons?
Why criticize just this painting on these grounds when there is a host of others to criticize for these same reasons?
Because this topic is about just this piece. Make a new topic if you want to discuss lucrative art in general =/ You're trying to open up a whole new argument, when this one is already big enough, I don't want to drown myself here.
the problem with most people is that they cannot overcome the "wow that looks exactly like what i've already seen in my life". they are limited to how well an artist is able to copy something - paintings of sunsets, coasts and still life. when a normal person is presented with something outside of their comfort zone and cannot really understand what it is, they immediately reject it, without trying to look past what it is, what it is trying to convey, what it is trying to communicate.
a good artist is not one who is able to recreate what everybody knows already on a piece of canvas. anyone can do that with a camera.
my interpretation on this piece of art... never really thought about it but I know it's hella famous and didnt know it was for sale until this thread. I've seen it featured in numerous art compilation and reference books.
pornography is an ever prevailant matter. we have all come in contact with it at some point in our lives and probably have more to do with it than we openly admit. anime and specifically hentai is a very large part of japanese culture, but the very modest outward appearances of most things in japan, the extreme politeness and "wearing a mask" when at social events, this piece of art is the exact opposite. it is an exaggerated take on the whole hentai culture, but also pays tribute to anime - the large spikey hair, the skinny body, the large eyes and of course the semen that flies out into a large swirl and the character's hand giving the impression of "controlling" the semen in flight, to me is all a very obvious nod at anime and japanese animation, as if the artist is paying homage.
my take anyway. i wish people were more understanding and acceptable of things than not giving an ounce of strength to trying to understand, instead just ridicule of anything new or alien to them =/
it doesnt matter how elaborate you backstory is, or how grand your interpretation. It doesnt matter how much it sold for, or how many art books you've seen it in.
People can tell when something isnt great art. All the arguments and indoctrination in the world isnt going to change this fact.
Its merely arguing that you did, in fact, provide the emperor with new clothes, despite the fact the common person can see him in all his naked glory.
my take anyway. i wish people were more understanding and acceptable of things than not giving an ounce of strength to trying to understand, instead just ridicule of anything new or alien to them =/
Except that it's not alien, because the artist just took a recurring theme in Hentai and modelled it into a gigantic 3 dimensional statue (I actually missed the fact that it was life size... Which I guess makes it slightly more impressive). That's what I don't like about this art TBH. It isn't original, and I don't understand why it should be so valuable to anyone other than as a business tool. I could see something rare, like say the last animal or plant of a species being sold on auction for that kind of money, but something that is so recreatable... why not just pay a couple 1000 dollars to get your own, custom made? That's my perspective on lucrative art deals. I just cannot honestly believe anyone cares so much about having the original that they would spend that kind of money. It's just a liability if it ever gets stolen or destroyed, so it would only make sense if you wanted it for business opportunity (or maybe they think it's safer than real money if the dollar is falling?).
I mean, think about it. You just spent 15 million dollars on a piece of art for your personal viewing pleasure with no financial incentive. Don't you think you could have used that money better? Like donating the majority to a charity, and spending the rest on a replica that looks just as good? It only makes sense to me if the person buying it thinks they will profit off it. The controversy and media hype only convinces me further (a deal like this could be kept quiet if they were just buying it for their personal enjoyment).
I don't doubt this man's artistic ability...but seriously, 15 million for a statue of an anime character blowing out a massive cum shot...The statue of David you can say shows the beauty of the human form, but this seems like something someone would do as a joke, not something to be taken seriously and sold for 15 million dollars.
All I'm going to say about this thread is that Takashi Murakami's career is pretty much dedicated to how he feels Otaku culture works as a representation of 'ordinary' Japanese life. Plus, IIRC his goal is really to sort of rejuvenate the contemporary Japanese art scene. Is his work doing that? No idea.
It's getting discussion going though, I suppose. This thread is evidence of that. Be it negative or positive discussion, there's a reason he's getting enough attention for even magazines to take notice of his influence (hurhur time hurhur).
I'm somewhat torn on this issue. On one hand, I do understand that there may be a lot of depth and intellectual value behind this piece of work, which may just be difficult to comprehend to the common man. I can relate because I feel much the same way about music sometimes when I talk to people who don't have any music background.
One the other hand, when I look at this work, the only thought that crosses my mind is WTF.
Well, 15 Million IS a lot, but don't hate on the artist, hate on the collectors. Usually it's a collector who puts it up close to that price for it to be auctioned on, as it is considered bad manner in the art world to put your own work up for auction.
I want to know the number of bids though, that's more telling.
Wow amazing indeed. Still i don't really like the way how he painted the guy though :x He looks somewhat scary or creppy, dunno can't find words to describe this. Really really impressive though.
I wouldn't go around with the word 'fuck' around this kind of 'art'
'modern art' now of days is eh I remember this one new York artist I think her pieces looked to the common man as well a 5 year old scribes which sold for thousands and thousands art is what sell I guess
I don't know, I'm a 3d animator and I've had discussions with people on film crap about how people will say things like "oh the way he shot that scene was so amazing" and its just holding a camera watching the people do their thing, wasn't that amazing, but people try to make something out of nothing to declare genius. Seems like the same thing, don't need super saiyan cumshots in the forms of statues to be declared art. If anything I think it shows how materialistic and unfocused art has become. Its more about making crap people will buy for absurd amounts and "art" in so many varying degrees that its hard to believe it all falls under the same category.
Actually crap was already sold as art in the beginning of the last century. Art=crap and crap=Art Art is lost. It exsist to shock and to non-conform it has become a slave to these terms. It is sad.
To all the Artsnobs with masters and PHD's who think the people are not sophisticated or intellectual enough. A lot of artists and students of Artacademies who think the same thing. They go back to making estetics and art that has a real message. Time to kill the hollow hypes.
I'm pretty much hypnotized by the picture of it. If there was a real person standing next to it that would like, make my mind explode. It's like, so, soo, out of this world. But for 15 million? Blow me.
I wish these rich modern art afficionados would pay me 15 million to record myself doing random noise for 30 minutes with a mandolin and a pan flute or something.