Art Market Update
I was reminded that quite a few celebrities have made a foray into the art world last week when Brad Pitt and Nick Cave made headlines with their exhibition of sculptures at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Finland.
Off the top of my head, I can name a few more that have dabbled in art making, including Jim Carey, Bob Dylan, Ed Sheeran, and Shia LaBeouf. Even former US President George W. Bush and King Charles III have been known to produce a painting or two.
But, a question I have, from an art investor perspective, is how many of these famous-for-other-reasons artists worth collecting? I would consider this question completely separate from an ‘art appreciation’ perspective, mostly because the artistic merit of art is already so hard to judge without having to try to filter out your thoughts and feelings toward the artist (a task that becomes more difficult with uber-famous celebrity artists).
I would suggest that the art collecting worthiness of these celebrity artists might entirely depend on their celebrity status’s longevity. This factor may be the only thing that would help sustain any investment value in their artwork. So, if you feel the urge to invest in ceramic sculpture from Brad Pitt, or any celebrity artwork, it might pay to consider how much space they will take up in the public consciousness in 20 years.