just a thought about "Popeye" by Jeff Koons

from today's new york times ... here, let me read the caption for you ...

  'this stainless steel "popeye" by jeff koons is expected to draw 

$25 million when sotheby's auctions it next month.'

 

hmmmm .. after a really busy week at the shop, i found this article hit me kind of the wrong way.  i have an idea for whoever is the runner up bidder at the sotheby's auction.  why don't you take the $24,950,000. you didn't spend on this rather questionable piece of art and pick 20 artists whose work you really like (do you really like popeye $25 million worth?) and give 'em each a million bucks to make you some stuff.  give em a year or two to do it.  then, when all that stuff is all done, you can decide which of those five artists did the best job, and divvy up the other $4,950,000. among the five of them.  i bet you'll be a lot happier in the long run.  maybe you won't be able to flip the stuff in 10 years for $50,000,000., but you will have quite an experience; you will have validated some serious artists, and, in the end, will have acquired a small museum's worth of stuff with a good story attached to it.  hey.  take a shot.  maybe one of the 20 you pick will be the next hot ticket.  wouldn't that somehow be more interesting?

end of rant ...