What Makes Art Valuable?

I've been wrestling with this question for a few months now and so far, I'm unable to come up with a concrete answer. From what I've gathered, the artistic prose has always seemed to gain its value through the affections of those who admire it...or better yet, those who are willing to dig deep into their pocketbooks for it.

Artist, filled with emotion and often unable to express how they feel with words, seem to become most candid in their revelations of self via the strokes of worn out paintbrushes. Nowhere have I seen this more vividly than in my wife's paintings. This one in particular:

I've named it "Delilahs Secret" first of all because it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it, and second of all, because everything about it made me melt in awe of its beauty. See Delilah, a cunning Philistine spy many a century ago, took down arguably the strongest man that ever lived - Samson the lion-slayer. She didn't use force or weaponry nor did she summon a barrage of soldiers to take him out. She simply enchanted him and mystified him with her subtly complex, yet unmistakable beauty and affection. She, like this painting, connected with a deeper part of Samson's humanity - his heart. This is why I gave it this unofficial name(still waiting for wife's approval). This painting "slew" me the minute I saw it.

Nowadays, Delilah's Secret hangs in our living room and often speaks true of the one who conceived it. Like my wife, the conceiver, this complex rose-like mishmash of assorted acrylics displays a beautiful picture of completeness that could have only been discovered through a beautiful mess. My wife didn't start this painting off with a plan to create a rose, she merely discovered it along the way. What began as faulty strokes of a paintbrush slowly evolved into repurposed outlines of connected thought. She discovered life hidden in her mistakes, and once she did, she cultivated that flicker of life into a perceptible reality. This painting is now a reminder that, like paint splashed on canvas, our mistakes and screws ups don't always have to lead to disorder. We too could produce beauty from chaos.

Of course, this is just how the painting moved me...

With art, there really is no right or wrong answer to how it is interpreted. It's merely a bridge that connects us with emotions we may have forgotten even existed. It's a path to unmarked trails of both misery and joy. Many see art as simple fillers for their blank walls, but I contend that they are more. As the demand side for contemporary works of art increases, I often wonder if we are going to value art based mostly on who acquired it...Or will we finally take notice and value art based on those who conspired it?

I notice Mrs. Adderley! I see the value of your artistic prose. One day I hope others will see it too. Keep conspiring...

Craig A.
Dreamer | Investor | Business-minded thinker | Writer | Friend

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By the way... I've tried to convince my wife to put some of her various paintings up for sale, including this one, but she loves them too much. She says I'm only allowed to sell Delilah's Secret for $1 million dollars! (rolls eyes) ....She's the boss, so I guess that is that.