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Even in tough times, contemporary art sells

April 1, 2012 4:00 PM

Morley Safer is back on the art beat, and although he doesn't like much of what he sees at Miami's Art Basel, there's no denying that sales are strong.

Even in tough times, contemporary art sells

60 Minutes OverTimeMorley vs. the art world: Round 2

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by mbgrafix June 25, 2012 1:16 AM EDT
So called "Contemporary Art"... what can one say? Well, there do in fact exist some pieces that are truly inspired and worthy of admiration. But then there are those pieces which cause those of us who continue to retain our sanity, to inwardly crack a devious smile, and say to ourselves, "Really!? Are these highfalutin, pretentiously wealthy fat-cats buying into the ridiculous notion that some of these overly (or is it "obviously"?) foolhardy pieces are actually indicative of the pure expression of artistic talent? Me thinks the king has no clothes, and that they all are the unwitting targets of a decades long practical joke which has the "artist" creators of the "urinal as art" types snickering all the way to the bank as they continue to ask themselves, "what can I purchase today at Home Depot for under $200, and then modify ever so slightly so that I might have the opportunity to once again hang a four-million dollar price tag on it and continue to swindol these navel-gazing, gullible "art" buyers and investors"?! These "artists" must pinch themselves at least ten times a day and secretly confess to one another when they believe they are far from any of the insane purchasers of their wares that "This is too easy! It's like shooting fish in a barrel! Will these nitwits ever wake from their fool's dream and catch on to how we have actually made THEM our artistic statement, and it is not the ridiculous crap that we sell them that is our art, but rather THEY are our art!" I am here to "out" this insider's secret this day to any who are capable of hearing! Yes people, you silly rich folk who believe your intellect to be far superior to the masses have been severly PUNK'd! Now let's you and I talk once again about the PRICELESS, original, velvet Elvis painting that I am willing to sell to you for only $20,000,000! WHAT A BARGAIN!
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by infinit_zero May 7, 2012 7:19 PM EDT
It's clear Safer's opinion is formed well before he enters a contemporary art museum or gallery. He isn't asking the right questions. He's still seeking aesthetics when contemporary art is beyond that. It is not clear if Safer thinks all art is worthless or if he's expecting to see baroque and romantic paintings at a contemporary art fair. Completely laughable piece.
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by Artist_Dot_Courson April 15, 2012 5:08 PM EDT
The people no longer seek consolation in art. But the refined people, the rich, the idlers seek the new, the extraordinary, the extravagant, the scandalous. I have contented these people with all the many bizarre things that come into my head. And the less they understand, the more they admire it. By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who has understood his time. (Pablo Picasso)
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by RayMannn April 4, 2012 9:50 PM EDT
Hhhmmmm... unregulated buying and selling. And it is booming? Maybe the government should take it over. It has done so well with the general economy! hehehe... Is 60 Minutes willfully promoting Capitalism? Be careful, you might get audited soon.

~R
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by EricNewton1 April 4, 2012 4:28 PM EDT
Delightful piece: Honest to a fault. Congratulations, 60 Minutes!
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by vjfronk April 4, 2012 12:13 PM EDT
i am an artist my self and trying like hell to establish a presents in the art world like many others.i am also assosiated with worth wile causes and donate my work from time to time.this pice was verry frustraiting becaus anyone who is not an artist may think its easy to make contact and have access to the key people who will make your art carear blast off. but no! i have sent paintings and written e-mails to celebs and 99.99% of the time get no responce from any of them.if welthy art colectors and curators from the guggenheim want to finde real art work we are way easyer for them to finde and contact us then it is for us to contact them .they make them selfs none excessable to the generil public.so thats what makes me think its just a huge sham,thats why the one guy would not elaborate on any of it so not to exspose the real truth. hey art world here i am lol http://frankbeifusart.********/
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by hydroxyzine April 3, 2012 3:20 PM EDT
This is Morley Safer in his finest form. Very moving.
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by collagist April 3, 2012 12:26 PM EDT
Mr Safer you are a courageous journalist I greatly admire. I applaud you and the producers of 60 Minutes at CBS whose sense of correctness I greatly respect. Society owes you a debt of gratitude.You present what so many of us, the other 1%, want to say but aren't allowed the opportunity to express because that 1% also includes the gate keepers who vigorously defend and control opposition to their money ball circus (i.e., your interviewer is one of them).

Art today is no longer valued and admired in terms of the inspirational, creative and aesthetic qualities its compositions evoke. The most sort after works in this era of postmodernism possess little if any of these attributes. In its place the gate keepers place before us basketballs floating in fish tanks, cigarette butts in ashtrays and hats of enormous size to name but a few. And this attitude of estrangment does not only present itself at Basel; to be sure it is everywhere. Museums are controled by dealers, particularly in New York, who in turn influence their curators in what exhibits to offer (sell). Art critics no longer "judge" art; they usually just "describe" it mostly in vague "art speak" terms. The academies support the "concept" theory behind postmodernism and in a sense perpetuate and contribute to the degradation of art by indoctrinating wave upon wave of art students with its seriously flawed principles.

The art of the era of postmodernism derives and is measured for its importance by how much it can be sold for. As you correctly conclude Mr. Safer, art has become a commodity object fueled by an excess of new capital.

Art at the summit of human achievement is also well known to be prophetic. Sadly, the worldwide state of art's cultural demise may also constitute its dramatic clarion call to us warning of the decline in human civilization. Collage Artist- George Sakkal
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by cbs_bull April 3, 2012 10:44 AM EDT
Well, some of the 1% are throwing away millions of $ for those junk "art" because many of them use 99%'s money to do it (i.e. many of the 1% didn't get their fortune legally. They got away from their crime.). Thanks Morley for the story. You're an honest man.
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by penartist April 2, 2012 3:36 PM EDT
Excellent work exposing the wacky world of contemporary art. Please consider finding some contemporary art and artists you do like. We artists are not all cut from the same cloth and we need the exposure!
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