Despite the rumors plastered on bathroom stalls across the south, I happen to be quite the cultured young lady. I mean, I never take a sip of my $4.99 jug o' wine without first raising my pinkie stiffly in the air.
From art and music to literature and the performing arts, I take pleasure in the finer things in life. However, with my paycheck, the finer things in life are resigned to discount CD's and framing famous pieces of art that are torn out of pages from art books (I'm on Barnes and Nobles most wanted list).
But now there is hope for us wanna-be art collectors. A woman by the name of Jen Bekman has found a way to connect emerging artists with emerging art collectors and all for about 20 bucks.
In a Wed. Houston Chronicle article, Bekman describes how she came up with the idea to make art affordable to those of us who barely have our heads above the poverty line.
Twice a week, her Web site, 20x200, offers high quality, limited edition prints by various artists in different sizes and ranging in price from $20 to $2,000.
According to the Chronicle article:
"Each week, Bekman sends funny e-mails to 'all you fine collector people,' explaining in plain English why she picked the week's offerings: usually, one photo and one fine-art print...stuff that's 'pretty freaking thought-provoking,' like this week's haunting offering by photographer Nina Berman, about the aftermath of 9/11.
'I want to demystify art,' Bekman says. 'I want to make it OK for people to say, 'I like that because there's a lot of green, or because there's a bird in it.' And then they can look at it longer, and see more, and have a deeper experience.'"
Considering the art world is often thought of as a closed off circuit, available only to the hip or the wealthy, Bekman is changing not only the perception but also the reality of the art world. And now, the rest of us can finally take down our college posters of Jim Belushi and Bob Marley and actually put some grown-up art into our rented apartments and townhouses.
Could shedding our diet of Ramen Noodles and Natural Light beer be too far behind?
Well, let's not push it just yet.
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Ah shucks. Afetr I found you name and number on a bathroom wall I was so hopeful. Darn maybe next time
March 31, 2008 at 7:56 p.m.I usually like a more homey, crafty art form. My mom made me a quilt that I'm working on hanging on my wall.
March 29, 2008 at 3:33 p.m.But I did do a profile story on a resident artist for Baylor when I was a student there. He had these amazing pieces of molded plastic that I wanted to get, but didn't have the money for. Kind of makes me wish that the mediums would expand beyond just prints.
I love that you mention having a poster of Jim Belushi and Bob Marley! It's great because not everyone your age knows who they are and the fact that you just makes you that much cooler IMO. As for the actual topic of your blog, as you know, art in my room is more or less restricted to...my calendar and clock. So the fact that Ms. Bekman is making art affordable really intrigues me. I love paintings and drawings and sculptures and lots of artsy things, but usually feel out of place in hoity-toity art galleries. If I can get some of these things for my home, I can walk around and look at them all day if I want...in my pajamas. Ha!
March 29, 2008 at 12:20 p.m.