Take The Money and RUN.

[Bongo]

An artist took $84,000 in cash from a museum and handed in blank canvases titled "Take the Money and Run." He's been ordered to return some of it

Artist Jens Haaning was given money to use in a work of art, but instead, he pocketed it. He had until January 2022 to return the cash to the museum, and a legal battle ensued.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Artyczar]

I like how he is compared to Banksy. I don't see how it's the same. They also keep calling it a "stunt." What were the artists's true intentions? To steal the money or make a real point?

 

[Bartc]

In my not at all humble opinion many of the mavens of the art market - museums and auction houses - are engaging in DIY colonoscopies with the naked eye. If that's the point the artist wanted to make, he did a great job of it. But I doubt the courts are going to allow him to laugh all the way to the bank, unless it's to get a cashiers check for returning the funds.

On the other hand, somebody did pay almost $10M for that Bob Ross original and I'll bet that check is cashed quickly.

FWIW, I wonder what the artist in the 60s got paid for actually delivering this point making piece (which actually has a point that I do appreciate):

 

[Artyczar]

I thought it was great that someone paid that much for a Bob Ross original.

 

[Bartc]

I thought it was great that someone paid that much for a Bob Ross original.

Would have been better had they paid it to Bob himself originally! LOL

In all seriousness, whoever bought the Ross original knew in advance exactly what he was getting and why he was willing to pay for that. Not to my taste (though I give Bob much credit for his teaching millions of folks), but I'm not the buyer either.

I'm sure the museum did not know exactly what they were going to get and it's kind of doubtful (or blind stupid) that they hadn't had some agreement on what they were supposed to receive. Yes, there are totally white paintings with actual paint that hang in some museums, but I believe they bought those having seen the work, not sight unseen. Either the museum failed to specify the deliverable, which is totally stupid in that business, or the artist failed to deliver or attempted to fraudulently renege. Someone is at fault in this somewhere.

Sure, I know the history that Da Vinci didn't deliver on quite a few of his commissions. He's dead, this artist is alive in a litigious era.

I do know personally a collector couple - quite wealthy - who amassed a sizeable collection of artworks and art/craftworks that they eventually bequeathed to a major museum. They started out small and developed deep relationships with specific artists, some emerging and others established. Only with those long term relationships did they commission works for which there may not have been a specific deliverable. I believe they did this on a classical "patronage" basis. While they developed their art connoisseurship over decades, they started when they were already highly successful in business, so they were not foolish in their commissions.

One would expect that institutions like museums would be smart about the art business, although it does appear that outright fakery has fooled some of the best.

 

[Bartc]

OK, having re-read the article it appears that the museum DID specify deliverables. Articles don't delineate exactly what is in the contract if there was one, and I assume there was something in writing. The guy just literally "took the money and ran" while thumbing his nose at working for money altogether.

 

[Marc]

I know someone who trained to become a teacher and attached to this were required options at the college, one of these was art. She found it most unpleasant with nasty critiques, and personal attacks in presentations. The final straw was the whole room being forced to act out their own suicides in manners chosen by the 'artist'. Basically, she decided I'm not doing this anymore whist still doing the rest of her training.

A few months later her art tutor spotted her walking across one of the quads, "Hello haven't seen you in a while. I'll need to see your work." Her reply with restrained panic, "you can't it's a secret!" expecting to be called out for this BS, but he accepted it with great interest.
Good God she thought, what am I going to do? I've got nothing! Nothing! Wait; my work will be nothing. At the end of the year, she submitted a sheet of A4 explaining the work with a folio of blank sheets of art paper, and a dozen cassettes with nothing but empty hiss on them. She got an A.

 

[Bartc]

I know someone who trained to become a teacher and attached to this were required options at the college, one of these was art. She found it most unpleasant with nasty critiques, and personal attacks in presentations. The final straw was the whole room being forced to act out their own suicides in manners chosen by the 'artist'. Basically, she decided I'm not doing this anymore whist still doing the rest of her training.

A few months later her art tutor spotted her walking across one of the quads, "Hello haven't seen you in a while. I'll need to see your work." Her reply with restrained panic, "you can't it's a secret!" expecting to be called out for this BS, but he accepted it with great interest.
Good God she thought, what am I going to do? I've got nothing! Nothing! Wait; my work will be nothing. At the end of the year, she submitted a sheet of A4 explaining the work with a folio of blank sheets of art paper, and a dozen cassettes with nothing but empty hiss on them. She got an A.

I would have laughed, given her a handshake for cleverly fooling me, and then failed her outright. Your mileage may differ.
Although I would have walked out on the bullshit she was expected to absorb as well. Seems petty and foolish and a waste of time.
There's a whole history of folks eagerly seeking and applauding things that shock - "shock of the new" as I recall. If all you want from art is shock, your local wall outlet can satisfy you greatly at very little expense or effort. Just my opinion.

 

[Jo Castillo]

Crazy, eh. I remember years ago we went to Washington, DC, for Gene's work. There was a long line in front of one of the museums I wanted to visit but we couldn't wait. Heard later that the exhibit had a large blank signed canvas called "Infinity" or some such that the folks were in line for. I don't remember the artist or museum.

 

[Bongo]

I thought it was great that someone paid that much for a Bob Ross original.

hasn't sold to my knowledge.

 

[Artyczar]

hasn't sold to my knowledge.

Oh, I thought it sold. My bad.