VALUE OF ART

Art is a reflection of the human being and the society they live in. Often, it grows from common and uncommon human insights and feelings. When we are so deeply moved by an experience that we want to share it with others, we are where art begins. Art does not need to be 'understood' to be enjoyed. Like life itself, it can simply be experienced since it is a vital and persistent aspect of human experience.

One powerful motive for making art is the wish to leave behind a legacy of value. It has been argued that works of art symbolically prolong an artist's life since they act as objects of recognition long after their creator is dead. This parallels the idea that having children ensures genealogical continuity and immortality.

Art and Spiritualism

Related to the role of art, as a memorial is the wish to preserve one's likeness after death. Over the ages, artists have been commissioned to paint portraits or representations of people. They also make self-portraits 'that make absent men present and the dead seem alive'. In 17th Century Europe, skulls were modeled into faces with plaster with shells being inserted in eye sockets. In ancient Egypt, a pharaoh's features were painted on the outside of his mummy case so that 'his soul could recognize him'. Spiritualism has for many years provided motivation for art. Some of the finest examples of African ethnographic art are from West Africa where chiefs and kings, who were often revered as divine beings, kept retinues of craftsmen to create sculptures, jewelry, weapons and other artistic items. These craftsmen were commissioned, or ordered, to make items that served the highest spiritual realm.

In the thirteenth century, the kingdom of Benin perfected the art of bronze casting using the lost wax method, a skill regarded as one of the highest achievements of African art. But it is the isolated pygmies who inhabit the dense lturi Forest in North Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who developed the purest African ethnographic art form. The women would gather pigments from plants and use them to paint rhythmical patterns on wafer‑thin slices of pounded bark.

The Value of Art

The value of rare ancient, and even modern art collections has increased dramatically over the years. Works of art are valued not because of the precious material they are made from but by the value they uphold and their aesthetic character. Intrinsic value largely depends on the general assessment of the artist who created it. The Mona Lisa for instance, was made with relatively modest materials ‑ paint and wood ‑ but it has become a priceless piece of art. Painted in 1503 by Leonardo da Vinci, an artist wide acknowledged as a genius, it is not only the world's most famous image, it is also priceless. Because of their worth and intrinsic value, art objects have been stolen and plundered in total disregard of their cultural, religious or artistic significance. There is a flourishing legal and illegal art market worldwide as people realize the significance of art as a form of investment and cultural identity. Institutions and individuals, such as the Aga Khan and the Ford Foundation, are today among the leading financiers of art restoration projects around the world.