An Object of Beauty

I finished reading the book An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin and it is very entertaining with just enough truth about the capital letter Art World tossed into the mix. Art is not all it seems to be there is a huge amount of savvy business tricks and quite a lot of corruption going on out there.

As I ponder the twists and turns of the book one thing comes clear, the "persona" that an artist, art dealer, art collector, and art consultant takes on is as much a part of their success as their knowledge and passion on the subject. Being unique in some way is all about being remembered and being seen, because if you think about it the art is what is usually being looked at.

I think about my art world persona all of the time. Currently, I am in graduate school studying for my MFA. I have professors telling me to "make up better stories" or "leave that out." 

I hear the truth in their words, but the truth inside of me has begun to scream louder. My hope for myself is that I find a stronger voice of my own in my second year of grad school. I want to graduate as me, not who they want to mold me to be.

I digress. The book: An Object of Beauty is a worthwhile read. There are pages and pages of Art World anecdotes and artist name dropping – I enjoy the images that pop into my head as I read. Especially since most of the name dropping is of famous painters.

This book is entertaining. Much like any summer novel. You do not need to be an artist to enjoy the story.