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Perota · 11-11-2011, 02:44 PM

#1

It may not look like much, just some grass on two sides of a river, but this Andreas Gursky photo has just set a record for the most expensive photograph ever sold.The photo, captured in 1999 titled "Rhein II", recently sold at a Christie's auction in New York City for more than $4.3 million."It spans over three metres in width and two metres in height, enwrapping the viewer in the sheer beauty of its scene," says the narrator of a Christie's video about the work. "He (Gursky) creates a dramatic and profound reflection on human existence and our relationship to nature on the cusp of the 21st century."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...203208467.html

# 2

Self-portrait of celebrated photographer Cindy Sherman taken in 1982, Untitled #96, was sold for a whopping US$3.89 millions at a Christie's auction on March 2011

# 3

#1 and #3 are from the same artist, Andreas Gursky, #2 is from Cindy Sherman.

So simple but so perfect at the same time ...

_

Davis Knowlton · 11-11-2011, 02:59 PM

All in the eye of the pretentious beholder, I guess. All three look like total crap to me. The one that sold for $4.3 million I wouldn't give you 43 Baht for. The one with the girl(?) with part of her head cropped off is shit also. Don't have any idea what the fuck the 3rd one is. None of them pleasing to the eye, none of them in the slightest bit interesting. A lot of folks appear to have far more discretionary cash than brain cells or taste. Probably bought by a Jap or an Arab who can hang it in his office with the price tag displayed prominently.

Perota · 11-11-2011, 08:10 PM

^ I believe it was americans who bought all of them. And they are professional, not some rich guys with too much money to spend

The 3rd one is the picture of the aisles of a supermarket. It's called "99 Cent II Diptychon" because you can see the big labels 99 cents, I guess everything is at 99 cents, and it is made of two pictures side by side. The original is a bit bigger than 2x3 m, that's why it's a bit difficult to make any sense of the picture at such a small scale.

Why are they worth so much money ? I guess because they are perfect in a way, and also because they are boring. They don't seem to be attached to a particular place, to a particular time. You can't really never get tired of them.

I wouldn't spend so much money on them, but if I have them I would definitively find somewhere to hang them.

Jeremia · 11-11-2011, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

. Probably bought by a Jap or an Arab who can hang it in his office with the price tag displayed prominently.

No..They will hang a print of the photo.......or a photo of the photo....

Don't want to get it knicked or pay too much on the insurance do they..fcuking bizarre..

Looper · 11-11-2011, 09:07 PM

Very striking photographs but what are you buying when you buy a photo?

With a painting it is a tangible object and work of craftsmanship and pure creative imagination at least.

With a Man Ray it might be the original negative but with a photograph that is just digital information and can be copied in such a way that you cannot say what is the original and what is the copy what are you actually buying?

The Ghost Of The Moog · 11-11-2011, 09:33 PM

^Good point.

Though there is a market for digital art.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

All in the eye of the pretentious beholder, I guess. All three look like total crap to me. The one that sold for $4.3 million I wouldn't give you 43 Baht for. The one with the girl(?) with part of her head cropped off is shit also. Don't have any idea what the fuck the 3rd one is. None of them pleasing to the eye, none of them in the slightest bit interesting. A lot of folks appear to have far more discretionary cash than brain cells or taste. Probably bought by a Jap or an Arab who can hang it in his office with the price tag displayed prominently.

Japanese? You're 20 years out of date there. Japan doesn't rank high in the art buying markets anymore. Chinese buyers are hot - in certain specific areas.

CaptainNemo · 11-11-2011, 10:20 PM

^
Time to get out there and start photoing them rivers then (especially in Thailand... you could combine the aisles, riparian scenes, and gingerhaired girls - mint it!).

Davis Knowlton · 12-11-2011, 09:12 AM

Since Perota thought so much of these, I went back and took several more looks. Sorry. I still wouldn't hang any of them in the bathroom of a Greyhound bus station. I just don't get it - at all. They are ugly, stupid, and photos not paintings. Seeking a second opinion, I showed them to my wife, who has decorated our house with some stunning pieces of Asian art - paintings mostly, but a few really great photos - she agreed with me, and thought they were all ugly and pointless. Sorry OP - stand by my original comments (minus the Jap reference, which I guess is passe).

Chairman Mao · 12-11-2011, 09:39 AM

I'd rather 100,000 short-times.

Looper · 12-11-2011, 03:31 PM

^How far short of your target are you?

Chairman Mao · 12-11-2011, 03:57 PM

At least a good dozen.

Neo · 12-11-2011, 05:24 PM

Quote:

"It spans over three metres in width and two metres in height, enwrapping the viewer in the sheer beauty of its scene," says the narrator of a Christie's video about the work. "He (Gursky) creates a dramatic and profound reflection on human existence and our relationship to nature on the cusp of the 21st century."

I guess it's all down to how badly you want to buy in to the post-modernist folly.

Ever seen that 'Real Hustle' programme where they talk up the price of a painting to sell it to some mug, then after they show him the artist, a five year old boy throwing paint at the canvas. Hirarious!

Chairman Mao · 12-11-2011, 07:04 PM

http://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lou...ting-sell.html (How much did this painting sell for?)

Bettyboo · 12-11-2011, 07:10 PM

Crap.

Chairman Mao · 12-11-2011, 07:13 PM

Thought it was quite a good thread myself.

Bettyboo · 12-11-2011, 07:33 PM

What kind of a delusional kunt pays $4,300,000.00 for that photograph? Is a digital photo too???

It's a sad indictment of the state of the human race - really fuked up.

11-11-2011, 02:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
Perota Fat Cat Last Online: Today 09:50 AM Join Date: May 2008 Location: China, Korat Posts: 1,871	Most Expensive Picture in the World #1 It may not look like much, just some grass on two sides of a river, but this Andreas Gursky photo has just set a record for the most expensive photograph ever sold.The photo, captured in 1999 titled "Rhein II", recently sold at a Christie's auction in New York City for more than $4.3 million."It spans over three metres in width and two metres in height, enwrapping the viewer in the sheer beauty of its scene," says the narrator of a Christie's video about the work. "He (Gursky) creates a dramatic and profound reflection on human existence and our relationship to nature on the cusp of the 21st century." http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...203208467.html # 2 Self-portrait of celebrated photographer Cindy Sherman taken in 1982, Untitled #96, was sold for a whopping US$3.89 millions at a Christie's auction on March 2011 # 3 #1 and #3 are from the same artist, Andreas Gursky, #2 is from Cindy Sherman. So simple but so perfect at the same time ... _ __________________ The things we regret most is the things we didn't do Last edited by Perota : 11-11-2011 at 03:00 PM.

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11-11-2011, 02:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
Davis Knowlton Philippine Expat Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Philippines Posts: 7,407	All in the eye of the pretentious beholder, I guess. All three look like total crap to me. The one that sold for $4.3 million I wouldn't give you 43 Baht for. The one with the girl(?) with part of her head cropped off is shit also. Don't have any idea what the fuck the 3rd one is. None of them pleasing to the eye, none of them in the slightest bit interesting. A lot of folks appear to have far more discretionary cash than brain cells or taste. Probably bought by a Jap or an Arab who can hang it in his office with the price tag displayed prominently.

11-11-2011, 08:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Perota Fat Cat Last Online: Today 09:50 AM Join Date: May 2008 Location: China, Korat Posts: 1,871	^ I believe it was americans who bought all of them. And they are professional, not some rich guys with too much money to spend The 3rd one is the picture of the aisles of a supermarket. It's called "99 Cent II Diptychon" because you can see the big labels 99 cents, I guess everything is at 99 cents, and it is made of two pictures side by side. The original is a bit bigger than 2x3 m, that's why it's a bit difficult to make any sense of the picture at such a small scale. Why are they worth so much money ? I guess because they are perfect in a way, and also because they are boring. They don't seem to be attached to a particular place, to a particular time. You can't really never get tired of them. I wouldn't spend so much money on them, but if I have them I would definitively find somewhere to hang them.

11-11-2011, 09:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
Looper Latex Panda Hit Last Online: Today 09:18 AM Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 4,720	Very striking photographs but what are you buying when you buy a photo? With a painting it is a tangible object and work of craftsmanship and pure creative imagination at least. With a Man Ray it might be the original negative but with a photograph that is just digital information and can be copied in such a way that you cannot say what is the original and what is the copy what are you actually buying?

11-11-2011, 10:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
CaptainNemo Fresh Seaman Last Online: 23-05-2013 03:09 PM Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: in t' naughty lass Posts: 1,879	^ Time to get out there and start photoing them rivers then (especially in Thailand... you could combine the aisles, riparian scenes, and gingerhaired girls - mint it!).

12-11-2011, 09:12 AM	#8 (permalink)
Davis Knowlton Philippine Expat Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Philippines Posts: 7,407	Since Perota thought so much of these, I went back and took several more looks. Sorry. I still wouldn't hang any of them in the bathroom of a Greyhound bus station. I just don't get it - at all. They are ugly, stupid, and photos not paintings. Seeking a second opinion, I showed them to my wife, who has decorated our house with some stunning pieces of Asian art - paintings mostly, but a few really great photos - she agreed with me, and thought they were all ugly and pointless. Sorry OP - stand by my original comments (minus the Jap reference, which I guess is passe).

12-11-2011, 09:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
Chairman Mao Banned Last Online: 30-01-2013 08:22 AM Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10,926	I'd rather 100,000 short-times.

12-11-2011, 03:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
Looper Latex Panda Hit Last Online: Today 09:18 AM Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 4,720	^How far short of your target are you?

12-11-2011, 03:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
Chairman Mao Banned Last Online: 30-01-2013 08:22 AM Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10,926	At least a good dozen.

12-11-2011, 07:04 PM	#13 (permalink)
Chairman Mao Banned Last Online: 30-01-2013 08:22 AM Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10,926	http://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lou...ting-sell.html (How much did this painting sell for?)

12-11-2011, 07:10 PM	#14 (permalink)
Bettyboo Member Last Online: Yesterday 09:39 AM Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangkok Posts: 12,171	Crap.

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12-11-2011, 07:13 PM	#15 (permalink)
Chairman Mao Banned Last Online: 30-01-2013 08:22 AM Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 10,926	Thought it was quite a good thread myself.

12-11-2011, 07:33 PM	#16 (permalink)
Bettyboo Member Last Online: Yesterday 09:39 AM Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangkok Posts: 12,171	What kind of a delusional kunt pays $4,300,000.00 for that photograph? Is a digital photo too??? It's a sad indictment of the state of the human race - really fuked up.