How Art Is Created

An oversimplified explanation would be, it is created with the seven elements of art: line, shape, form, space, texture, value, and color. They serve as the building blocks of visual arts, from a pencil sketch to a 200-year-old painting at the Louvre.

Some say art is a product of its time. It is created with a heavy influence of the current art movements and styles: the Renaissance, the Baroque, the different -isms, etc. However, this leaves a broad stroke on Contemporary art, or artworks created after the second half of the 20th century.

Further Reading: Art History Timeline: Western Art Movements And Their Impact

Inarguably, art is a product of many things: major cultural and societal trends, the artist's life experience and imagination, or simply the process or technique. But throughout history, art has mostly been created with a certain purpose.

Since the early days, art has been serving religions. Countless paintings, murals, and sculptures have helped illustrate the Biblical texts and miraculous acts found in the Christian beliefs. Art could also be a form of memorialization of important people and events, from The Coronation of Napoleon to a portrait of George Washington to someone's family reunion. To strip it even further, down to its most utilitarian purpose, art can be used as a tool to create beauty for the eye or record what the eye sees. In modern days, art has been used for various purposes, such as communicating a message, sharing an experience, or simply expressing oneself.

Art can be created through a simplistic or sophisticated thought process

The creation of art, however, continues to evolve. It sometimes can turn into complex processes as artists try to incorporate new concepts and instill new meanings into their work. Some artists take it even further and turn art-making into a philosophical pursuit: crossing the line between reality and perception, exploring the subtle difference between existence and being, etc.

No. 14, 1960 by Mark Rothko,  Photo by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art — No. 14, 1960 by Mark Rothko, Photo by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

This painting by Mark Rothko might have a simplistic appearance but was developed through a careful thought process. Rothko preferred large canvases with a short viewing distance to dominate the viewer's field of view. His bold and seemingly illogical shades and gestures aimed to detach the viewer's mind from the physical world and evoke the most basic human emotions. Rothko didn't arrive at this approach right away. In fact, he only started incorporating these large abstract shapes after almost 20 years in his career.

Further Reading: Mark Rothko: Early Career (1903 – 1948)

How Art Is Understood

Art is quite often misunderstood. Physical artworks, along with the thoughts behind them, aren’t always well persevered and articulated. This is particularly true when we try to interpret art pieces from a different period or region.

Augustus of Prima Porta (left) and a painted replica (right), Photo by Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford

Contrary to common beliefs, Roman statues were actually made in vivid colors, but those pigments slowly eroded after centuries, exposing the white surface. While many of us enjoy the pristine marble and its angelic appearance, there was a different consideration back then. Ancient Greek and Roman preferred the expensive blue or purple dyes to make clothes for their royals and portray their gods, due to the scarcity of those pigments

Further Reading: The Myth Of Whiteness In Classical Sculpture

The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour by Wang Hui, Photo by The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Traditional Chinese art might look confusing in the western view: Landscapes seem missing perspective, as objects are laid flat. Figures look unfinished, with many parts lack details. To better understand it, we need to touch on Chinese culture and philosophy. As a gentleman's pursuit, Chinese painters focus on expressiveness rather than representation. Instead of being articulate, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and poetry all have a referential quality, hence the minimalism and conciseness.

Further Reading: Why The World Relies On A Chinese “Perspective”

The ultimate reason for misinterpretations in art is perhaps the inevitable subjectivity. Our understanding is often misguided by our knowledge of art and prior experiences, but this isn't necessarily bad. Art, at a basic level, is what we make of it. People love the Mona Lisa for many different reasons: Some people are mesmerized by her beauty, some appreciate the color palette, and some enjoy the mysteries around it. All are valid reasons, even though some might not be what Da Vinci intended. Once art is created, it tends to break away from the artist and take on a life of its own.

However, to fully appreciate a work of art, we need to understand it from different perspectives. Besides our own, the artist's original vision and public opinion could be equally important, especially if the artwork was meant to start a dialogue or discussion. It is also helpful to restore the artwork's context: what kind of mental state the artist was in when creating this work, what kind of social and political climate it was in at the time, and what the public's perception was of this work. All this could add extra dimensions to understanding the same artwork.

How Art Is Valued

Artworks do have some intrinsic value, but that is usually not the number shown on the price tag. If we pick a 16" x 20" oil painting, the material costs (canvas, brush, and paint) could sometimes be less than $50, but it is very rare to see an oil painting with that price. Obviously, we need to factor in the artist's labor. It is hard to gauge the labor cost as not many painters are on an hourly rate. It would also be widely different from artist to artist, as a masterful painter could render a realistic portrait in a few hours, while many painters would need a few days.

The monetary value is less reflected in the artworks themselves on high-ticket sales because that is not what people pay top dollars for. Instead, they are purchasing luxury items created and/or owned by influential people. Scarcity, fame, and provenance make up the price tag. Most physical artworks, especially when well-crafted, are scarce upon creation, due to the difficult nature to be replicated. The artist's career standing (recognition, exhibition and sales history, etc.) will guarantee the quality and justify the hefty price tag. And lastly, any notable prior ownerships will serve as an endorsement as well.

The price of art is ultimately in the hands of the market

Comparing to the creation and appreciation of art, selling art is much less romantic. It comes down to basic economics, as the market price is determined by supply and demand. The art market could expand significantly with a massive influx of investments from wealthy Chinese buyers, or shrink drastically when we head into an economic downturn. On a micro level, certain periods, styles, or subjects could be "in" one year and "out" the next. With all these variables, the best way to understand the art market is through actual data.

Salvator Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci, Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Art can be expensive. When purchasing an Old Master from an art dealer or auction house, we could be looking at astronomical figures. A well-known example would be the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci, which was auctioned for $450.3 million by Christie's New York in 2017. However, most art sold is nowhere near that price range. According to a 2020 market report by Artprice.com, over 80% of the auction sales were under $5,000. This "top-heavy" structure also extends into the Contemporary art category. A 2019 report from Artprice.com states 64% of the Contemporary art auction turnover was from only 50 artists. So how much does an average artist make a year in the US? It turns out to be very underwhelming, at $65,020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment Statistics program.

We should not forget that an artwork's worth isn't the total value. Art often plays a significant role in major cultural movements. Liberty Leading the People by French artist Eugène Delacroix is such an example. The painting was so ahead of its time that it was returned to the artist by the French government. However, its symbolism of liberty, diversity, and modernity still influences us to this day. Some artists were so innovative that their work changed art history and influenced generations of artists, such as Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschior who devised the linear perspective, or Claude Monet who first developed Impressionism. And finally, art could have sentimental value to someone, especially if they have a connection with the subject or the artist.

Conclusion

There is so much mystery in the art world, but it really shouldn't be that complicated. Art is an integral part of our lives. It is a powerful language that deeply connects people. Art can be exclusive, but there is always something for everyone. Some people use art to decorate their homes and brighten their days, some collect art to appreciate the work and nourish their souls, and some purchase art as an investment to make a fortune. It is important to understand that there might be more stories behind the artworks we see. While art is for everyone to enjoy, each person might have very different takeaways. And the market data illustrates that most art is reasonably priced, but art can be expensive for the added values.

How Art Is Created, Understood, And Valued