Scarcity is Sacred

As I move through the art world’s many echelons, I like to remind myself that scarcity is sacred.

I joined two of my studio neighbors on the floor of our hallway for a conversation the other day and immediately challenged on of their points. With reluctance, she wished that more of the art world was accessible to more people. She also wished for better art education so that people from low-income households could also reap the benefit of art the way that the upper class does. We all agreed that we think it’s funny that most of the West knows what a Birkin bag is before they could guess what a Van Gogh looks like. But that’s not really the issue that we are talking about, is it?

We’d quite literally have to change people’s minds and habits for us to be able to live in a world where art isn’t just a commodity, but a necessity in everyday life, our well-being, and in growth. I wonder what the world would look like if every household across the planet enjoyed art in their daily lives as much as my studio mates and I all did. It’s a beautiful idea, but the more I think about it, the less I want it.

Artist Assembly with Kairos Futura at the Aspen Space Station

I think my studio mate is sharpening a double-edged sword.

Let me just clarify some things, first. I unequivocally agree that art education should be more present in our education system. I still remember when Mr. Harris turned my world upside down in 6^th grade when he quite literally flipped my drawing 180 degrees, allowing me to see my creation through a new lens. Moments like these give children opportunities for greatness and happen far less often than we could hope for.

Back to the double-edged sword bit. I challenged her to think about how there are so many aspects to art. You have your “First Friday” art fair walks across every major city displaying local artists. Some bedazzle, other’s pour. There’s more wolve portraits than one could ever want, and the prices are relatively affordable, offering accessibility and community in an effortlessly approachable way.

Sure! I went on my fair share of art walks in Denver, but they were never my forte. I just didn’t quite align with that caliber of art or knowledge base. Is that a snotty point of view? Maybe to some, but I don’t look down on this corner of the art market… I’m merely more ambivalent about it. We all agreed that it didn’t affect our art practices, our markets, or our goals, and it never will—And we should be happy about that.

Whether we like to discuss it or not, artists are incredibly judgmental. Many of us want art to be more accessible but judge artists character based on how much art history they know or don’t know. I commonly name drop artists in conversation with my friends and they make fun of me for expecting them to know who they are. In my opinion, if you call yourself a painter, you should know painters from history. If you don’t, you’re not any less of a painter, but I think you are doing yourself dirty by not keeping up. Chances are you’re working through some of the same issues as our greatest painters and that’s an experience I can’t even begin to explain to you.

Not a painter — but sick photo right? This is Richard Serra and that’s molten lead he’s throwing. RIP

Then on the opposite end of the spectrum from first Friday art walks, you have blue chip galleries and premier art fairs in world-renown locations. You’ve got the big galleries that won’t tell you the price of a painting even if you’re curious and collectors who only buy art to resell for astronomical prices down the line leaving artists in the dust. And there are so many levels in between. There are galleries that sell massive Jimi Hendrix portraits for thousands of dollars with colorful butterflies that would light up and foyer of any home. These establishments all have a place and serve different communities with different tastes all over the planet.  

Back to the Birkin bag. Although I have seen far more fashionable bags for a fraction of the price, this bag represents wealth and prominence in a way that glazes over people’s eyes like the allure of exhilarating sex on the beach. While I have no interest or desire to attain this bag, people know about it, they know its value, and they understand what it represents.

Here’s a way cooler bag by Los Angeles designer, Spencer Daly.

Art is the opposite in many ways. People don’t know about it, and they most certainly don’t understand its value. The mere fact that art is often misunderstood gives it that allure that I can’t find in other arenas.

Artwork by PEKOE LESLIE from our partnership at the Aspen Art Fair

“Scarcity is kind of sacred…” I exclaimed to my studio mates.

It is a rare feeling to know how to do something that nobody else knows how to do, or to know a story about an artist you admire and only one other person in the room knows it. We love to put art in front of people’s faces and explain its importance, but nothing really changes someone’s mind but themselves.

I can’t convince someone to make art important. That’s a special treat for some people and an even more exclusive one for the people who decide to spend their life working in it. You won’t find me spending my time stressing about art to people who couldn’t give a damn The idea of democratizing all of the art world is naïve, but to challenge it—well, that is already happening.

Take this Substack as an example. I write about lessons and stories that I have picked up while working in the art industry. I view it as an offering into this segment of my life, a place where I can tune into my observations and possibly search for enlightenment while bringing others along for the ride. It’s exciting to share little tidbits of knowledge and information that many of you may not experience in your professional lives and I hope that this opens the doorways to the world of art in a digestible way. Maybe I have helped you overcome a certain feeling or introduced a website, artist, or resource that you call back to in your creative journey. Whatever it is that keeps you reading and keeping your Art Spirit alive—I am grateful for.

Exclusivity, accessibility, sustainability, whatever! There is a place for all of it to exist. There are corners, crevices, gaps, holes, and spaces for anything you could dream up and laundry lists of people working within each realm.

So, keep it cool. Do your work. And don’t let anybody—including yourself—tell you that there isn’t room for you.

Because there always is.

Thanks for sticking around and see you next time!

Eli

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Quick story: This is my friend, David. I met him at the Aspen Art Fair. He travelled from Ghana with his artwork prepared to show anyone and everyone what he does. He’s an unbelievable example of what it looks like to go out and make it happen.