David Berkowitz Chicago

Why does this painting cost so much?

There is almost no person who, when meets with abstract art painting, do not get confused. A few spots on a canvas, a field of pure color, a web of lines that does not cause any association... While others stand in front of the picture and watch it impassively, you are wondering what the thing is and what have you missed. But don't despair this is a completely normal reaction.

Art can be confusing

What makes abstract painting so much confusing, for David Berkowitz Chicago is the complete absence of references (historical, mythological, biblical, psychological ...) and the impression that nothing is presented in the picture. Unlike the subject painting, abstract images do not have specific, recognizable physical objects from the phenomenal reality. Only visual elements can be seen in the picture, and the observer gets the impression that it is a mere decoration that does not have any particular artistic value.

This "absence" of content and the impossibility of attaining the meaning of an artistic work in people, unfortunately, most often causes negative reactions and ridicule. How many times have you heard or pronounced the sentence "It could've been my child painting this"? People like to see things in the pictures they want to see in reality and most of us like images that look "real". As the only correct rhymes of the forms and colors of the old masters, it is undesirable that any innocence that the modern artist deliberately represents. But "there is no greater obstacle to enjoying great artistic works than our own habits and unwillingness to reject our prejudices," says painter David Berkowitz Chicago.

Is Naive Art Important?

Of course, this does not mean that works of classical or some other artists are less important or valuable. There is no such thing as progress in the art world, there is only an evolution of different styles. Where one painting direction gets - the other loses and vice versa. What, however, is defeating is the categorical refusal of the contemporary observer to give the opportunity of naive art.

And in order to truly understand a naive artwork, David Berkowitz Chicago believes it is not enough to go to the museum and flick through the exhibits in seconds. This kind of observation is extremely superficial. Every work of art is related to a particular social context, created in a special environment, and only when a basic insight into the ideological circumstances at the time of its creation is reached, its position within the developmental flow of art and learns more about the life of its creator, it is only then that it is possible to obtain a more realistic picture of the work and appreciate it more. Art should not only be viewed, but art should also be read.

After all, quite logically, the following questions are posed: Why would artists spend their time on education and invest so much effort in perfecting artistic skills to later "pull three lines"? Why should these art objects be exhibited in museums, if they already do not have any artistic value? Why would naive arts be dedicated to the entire monograph? Why would naive painting be an integral part of the study program of art academies and departments of art history around the world? Why do these art objects at auctions reach the price of several tens of millions of dollars?

David Berkowitz Chicago Answers Questions

In order to answer these questions and understand the essence and value of intangible painting, it is very important to explain what type of changes David Berkowitz Chicago painting has experienced to date. More on this subject can be read from Berkowitz's interview for Medium.