However, when we put a urinal of Hermes and Duchamp together, it doesn't matter. Because conceptual art is precisely against consumerism. Contemporary art advocates freedom and equality, but the biggest enemy of luxury goods is equality, and the essence of luxury goods is hierarchy and isolation. Luxury boasts a sense of history, culture and art, but I have never seen any artist or cultural person really keen on using luxury goods-luxury goods and works of art seem to be out of place.
Art and luxury sometimes have the same origin, sometimes they are cooked together, and sometimes they run counter to each other. But in any case, luxury goods and works of art are like two feet of human civilization: material and spiritual. Luxury is a medal of success, inspiring people to struggle, and works of art are the cornerstone of stepping stones. Let's see the world from a higher position.
Similar: luxury goods are works of art?
Luxury goods and artworks are like a kind of religious worship. Today's luxury goods, like religion, have a mythical creator, and fans are telling his or her mysterious legend. Both have a sacred birthplace (so luxury goods cannot be produced outside the birthplace). Both have famous symbols as symbols of worship. The church in the new era is declining, replaced by the luxury flagship store of fetishism.
Today's art is like religious worship. Great artists have many bumpy, mysterious or romantic legends. The works of great artists are printed on countless commodities and become symbols of fan worship. With the decline of contemporary religion, art galleries have replaced some functions of churches and become a new conversion of people's minds.
Luxury goods and works of art are status symbols. Of course, consumers of luxury goods not only meet basic needs, but the entry-level luxury handbags with a price of 20,000 yuan have no more practical functions than those in 200 yuan. We buy luxury goods because they are medals of success and satisfy our vanity. Luxury goods can make us feel concerned by others and rewarded by ourselves. Luxury goods symbolize a higher social level.
Art is also an excellent choice for collectors to show their taste, grade and identity. Many times, collectors buy works of art not to preserve value or love, but as a stepping stone to enter the upper society and an identity tag to enter the upper social circle.
Another similarity between luxury goods and traditional works of art is: handcraft. Handmade is one of the most important self-promotion of luxury goods. Machine products are undoubtedly more perfect and tidy, but they lack the traces of handwork and the "charm" of life, so they cannot win the favor of luxury lovers. A large part of the symbolic meaning of luxury goods comes from the craftsmanship, which is the soul of luxury brands (at least according to advertisements). Handwork is an honor, but we should be careful to grasp that the handwork of luxury goods must be less complete than the machine, with charming small flaws, but if the handwork is too rough, it will become a sign of cheapness.
The most important thing about traditional artworks is "the artist's hand". No matter how realistic and good others copy, they are not as precious as the original works perfunctory by famous artists. And all kinds of institutionalized art derivatives can only be sold cheaply because they have not gone through the hands of artists.
Artistic sense is an important part of the symbolic meaning of luxury goods. So luxury goods pay for art, and art speaks for luxury goods. Today's luxury brands are an important driving force behind works of art. Almost every luxury brand has its own art fund and art collection, and spares no effort to support young artists and sponsor famous artists. Artists also cooperate with luxury brands to combine their works with luxury design. Designers of luxury goods also draw inspiration from contemporary art to make luxury goods more fresh and artistic.
Luxury goods and works of art are "independent", and luxury designers, like artists, will not please customers. Luxury goods will not even increase production to meet customers because of the growth of market demand.
Conflict: luxury goods are not works of art?
The most fundamental difference between today's art and luxury goods is that contemporary art looks directly at the cold and gloomy reality as if the world would not be better. Luxury makes the world look just beautiful.
Contemporary art believes that works of art should be as primitive as reality and as rough as life. Beauty is no longer a part of the essence of contemporary art, while luxury goods are devoted to expressing "beauty".
The most important thing in contemporary art is ideological content, while luxury goods do not need content, but only pay attention to external forms and symbolic meanings.
Luxury upgrades, luxury daily necessities. Functionally, luxury goods can be easily replaced, water can replace champagne, and plastic bags can replace platinum bags. For art, practicality is almost zero, and art is irreplaceable.
Scarcity is not a necessary condition for an article to become a luxury. A rare thing that everyone loves is a luxury. A Song edition book is not a luxury, because not everyone wants it (if it can't be sold). Obviously, not everyone loves art, especially modern art and contemporary art that have nothing to do with "beauty" and decoration. If a painting by Duchamp or a device by Rauschenberg can't be sold, I'm afraid few people will want it for nothing.
Luxury goods have been a world controlled by women since ancient times. The mistress of the king in the classical era and the lady of the upper class have always been the leaders of various luxury fashions such as luxury clothes, perfumes, jewelry and furniture. Nowadays, it is the turn of middle-class women to become the main force of luxury consumption.
Art has always been a world dominated by men. Many feminist artists, such as Linda Noklin, condemned that this is an art world where men hold all power, so there are no "great female artists".
Feminist art and luxury goods are in conflict. Feminists don't think luxury goods are women's liberation. On the contrary, men objectify women with luxury goods, and even regard women as luxury goods. For feminists, luxury goods just show that this is a patriarchal world.
There is no need to study the aesthetics of luxury goods, as long as you buy the latest models, you can achieve the psychological effect of attracting attention and upgrading the grade. Art, on the other hand, needs systematic study, otherwise even if you win the works on the cover of the auction catalogue again and again, you will be laughed at as nouveau riche.
Luxury goods will gradually go down the altar with the progress of the times, from noble to ordinary. Cars in the carriage era are luxury goods. /kloc-Before the 6th century, sugar was a luxury. Nowadays, desserts like Camaron are too boring to pay the living expenses, just because sugar used to be a cultural sequela of luxury goods. Coffee used to be a luxury to cure all diseases. Daily necessities such as pepper, chocolate, tobacco and porcelain were once luxuries. Refrigerators and separate bathrooms were once luxuries that civilians could not reach.
On the contrary, art and artists are moving from ordinary to noble. Many works of art were cast pearls before swine at the beginning of their birth, and many artists had the painful experience of Van Gogh. Once recognized, regardless of the baptism of time, it will last forever and will never move from noble to ordinary.
Luxury goods are destined to be the glory of only a few people, and only a few people can have a luxurious experience. And works of art can be enjoyed and experienced by everyone. When we wander in art galleries and exhibitions, everyone's experience is the same, whether it is an audience or a collector.
There are essential differences between luxury designers and artists. Pierre Soulange, an abstract painter, said: The difference between artists and craftsmen is that artists are engaged in research and exploration, and there is no ready-made road for their progress. In order to reach their destination, they must explore. And craftsmen, their goal is clear, and the road to achieve it is ready and just around the corner.
Although luxury goods are a symbol of success and a label of social class, unrestrained consumption is also a kind of "politically incorrect" upstart behavior, and working-class people will be laughed at for taking pains to consume luxury goods. However, works of art can be bought at all costs, and art collectors will become legends because of their "overexert" fanatical collection.
Today, many big-name luxury goods were developed in the prosperous period after the end of World War II. Only peacetime and economic prosperity are good opportunities for luxury brands to show their strength. The art market is different. During the war, the volume of art transactions soared because it can preserve value, and art can also be a safe haven for funds when the stock market crashes.
Luxury goods exist only because there is a market. At the beginning of the birth of art, there is often "no market". The value of luxury goods needs to be recognized by the market immediately, but works of art don't, or the value of works of art often takes time to precipitate. Luxury designers live in real-time transactions all their lives, while artists pursue eternity in the future.
Original sin of luxury
Classical moralists oppose luxury. They believe that a luxurious and comfortable life means weakness, femininity and endless profligacy, which is a threat and danger to the prosperity of the country.
Ancient Roman philosophers believed that man would become a beast only if he indulged in sensual pleasures. People should keep simple, moderate and strict self-denial. Aristotle thinks that natural life is the most ideal, and succumbing to extravagant life, physical enjoyment and the pursuit of money will lead to a distorted and corrupt life, so luxury is immoral and worthless-it is noble for him to enjoy the services of slaves himself.
From ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, countless "anti-luxury laws" appeared in Europe. The upper class opposes the luxury of the people, not only because they are worried about the weakness brought by pleasure (luxury and enjoyment make soldiers feel the value and happiness of life, so they cherish life and are unwilling to sacrifice for the nobility easily), but also because the ruling class has enacted the "anti-luxury law" to prevent the lower class from imitating the "ambition" of the upper class. The rulers are worried that if everyone uses luxury goods, it will lead to social hierarchy disorder.
/kloc-since the 0/8th century, people have gradually realized that luxury goods can promote consumption, stimulate employment, prosper trade and bring more general prosperity. Luxury goods are no longer synonymous with moral corruption.
/kloc-economists in the 0 th and 9 th centuries realized that when the agricultural society becomes richer, there will be redundant people to create luxury goods, which will give many people the opportunity to experience unprecedented enjoyment. The motivation of efforts lies in the pursuit of a happier and more comfortable life and exquisite enjoyment. Without endless desires, people will become lazy. People's pursuit of luxury goods brings diligence and vitality, creates employment, makes people behave more elegantly and have more aesthetic consciousness, is conducive to the progress of knowledge and art, and accelerates the pace of urbanization. This pursuit of material is precisely the essence of freedom. Pursuing happiness is not only a human right, but also an obligation and responsibility.
Philosophers and economists such as Hume and Adam Smith put forward that it is not virtue that makes human beings rich, hardworking and powerful, but greed, luxury and enjoyment. A prosperous country can only come from the pursuit of luxury life, not from the virtue of simplicity. A simple and natural society cannot have prosperous industry and commerce, nor can it support a huge army. It is the pursuit of luxurious life by kitsch dignitaries, frivolous prostitutes, dissolute prodigals and arrogant mistresses that gives the poor the opportunity to work, stimulates industrial production and inspires craftsmen to constantly improve their skills. People's pursuit of embroidered clothes, luxurious houses, exquisite food and ball entertainment has given birth to craftsmen, artists and poets. Without the pursuit of extravagant life by ancient Greeks and Romans and the pursuit of luxurious and exquisite life by literati in Ming and Qing Dynasties, human civilization would be eclipsed.
The ancient luxury goods and works of art mentioned above are often difficult to distinguish. Today's conceptual art and contemporary art are no longer on the same front as luxury goods, but on the opposite side. The materials used in conceptual art and contemporary art are more and more daily and life-oriented, and the edge between art and life is gradually blurred. Artists use cheap materials or materials that can't be preserved (sounds and smells) for artistic creation, so as to express their contempt for traditional art and their resistance to the consumption era and the luxury world. Although conceptual art is opposed to contemporary art and luxury culture, we should also know that without the pursuit of luxury, these rebellious artists will have no place to stand.
Social class and identity label
Traditional society is hierarchical, and luxury goods are the label of dividing social classes in the monarchy era. All kinds of "luxury laws" in Europe are barriers to maintaining the social hierarchy. "Only a gentleman can dress like a gentleman." After the disintegration of the old system, the norms of various costumes and consumption collapsed. Clothing and consumption have become the arena and show ground for emerging capitalists and the middle class. Although the formal norms have collapsed, there is a growing desire to promote the upper class through luxury goods.
The French Revolution eliminated rank and privilege, but the new class and freedom and equality brought by the Revolution did not mean that rank and identity were not needed. It's just that identity and economic strength are no longer inherited, but can be won through personal struggle. Luxury goods are the medals of the new elite. By imitating the consumption of the upper class, one day they will surpass consumption and truly become a member of the upper class. This is what entry-level consumers expect of themselves, and it is also a high hope for luxury goods.
Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages believed that luxury was a personal desire and a subversion of social class, so we should support this freedom of choice today, and it is the freedom of modern people that challenges social class. Of course, the freedom of choice is not only a haute couture dress, but also a kind of freedom for Korean beauty salons to choose cup and nose styles.
Like luxury goods, the emerging classes in each era also use art collections to rise to the upper class and even challenge the power of the old class. The literati class, which rose through the imperial examination in the early Song Dynasty, challenged the court painting aesthetics with literati painting aesthetics, thus laying the cultural strength of the class. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, after accumulating primitive capital, challenged the status of the literati class by getting to know and sponsoring painters and buying artworks. /kloc-bankers in Florence in the 0 th and 5 th centuries promoted themselves to the upper class by buying works of art and sponsoring artists. During the industrial revolution, American industrialists collected European classical art to find traditional cultural identity, and created the label of cultural nouveau riche by sponsoring modern art. Today, nouveau riche collect antiques, red art, contemporary art and even western abstract paintings in a high-profile way. From their chaotic collections, which conflict with the values of their own Confucian businessmen, what we see is not their enthusiasm for art, but their efforts to create cultural identity labels for themselves.
We can say that salt merchants are too vulgar and local tyrants are too vulgar, but we can't deny that everyone has the freedom to choose and challenge. It is generations of local tyrants and nouveau riche who challenge and subvert the old order and the old class, which keeps the world moving forward.
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China has the world's largest market for art consumption, but it has no right to speak about contemporary art. It is also a pity that China has the world's largest market for luxury goods, but there are no domestic luxury brands.
The most important thing for the establishment of luxury brands is historical inheritance and cultural roots. China has a history, a culture, a tradition and a legend. There was once a class in China who pursued a refined and luxurious aesthetic life. Today, China lacks cultural self-confidence and business operation ability, and cannot combine these elements to build a luxury brand.
We don't have domestic luxury brands, but works of art have created many "brands". We treat art with the mentality of buying luxury goods, so we only look at the "brand" when buying art, not the quality. The titles of various art associations and academies are the "brands" that we long for.