Once some blokes have some surplus dollars, they begin to grab originals of great masters. This fixation for original is quite irrational as owning a good copy provides nearly the same sense of exhilaration and excitement as the original. In any case what good is a multimillion dollar original Rembrandt ensconced in a bulletproof glass, strung high on wall of the living room! You cannot even have a good look at it while
Picture above is "Persistence of Memory" By Salvadore Dali
a good copy at five hundred dollars will be available to touch, feel and enjoy. What is substance of art? It is the idea and original visualization, skill is secondary because there are hundreds of artists who can make copies that even critics and experts find dificult to tell the difference. Idea and visualization is not physical, therefore not tradeable. Perhaps our sense of exclusivity drives this urge to have the original. When art was in public domain it was appreciated and touched by the common folk and there was no need to protect it from thieves. Once a price was attached to it, destruction of temples and monuments followed. What sustains this multibillion-dollar charade, a bubble built around perception of critics/art auctioneers and a playing field of very few individuals and institutions? Why do we see the price of these work of art going through the roof in complete disregard to market rules. Actually the two attributes of this business provide momentum to each other and push the price up, 'Value' and 'exclusivity'. If the price is high it becomes more exclusive and when it is more exclusive it is more pricy. Someday these owners are going to very unhappy.
