To not see the point?!

[Sallzanne]

First post.

Now it may be me who is U and in fact just the uncultered idiot i suspect myself to be and id love to be corrected if thats the case.

Concerns art. Mate (good job but not mega rich) has bought a piece of art. I commented that it was v nice and asked how much she paid. £1000 and a further £150 to frame it!!!!!!!

Its a print so not even original! I asked why she wouldnt have just tried to get it printed herself and frame it with nice frame? Same thing surely? She said that it wouldnt be a "collectable" then and didnt really understand my point? She is buying a second one in a few months.

Aibu to think she has flushed £ down the toilet effectively?!

[BreconBeBuggered]

YANBU to not see the point of it for yourself, but then nobody has asked you to spend £1150 on a picture. YABU to expect everyone to be exactly the same as you. Do you think your friend secretly judges you for your IKEA prints; is that where your resentment lies?

[YoniMitchell]

I'm with sqoosh and co on this one. Different people like different things and it would be a very dull world if we all bought everything at Ikea.

I have some limited edition prints, numbered/signed by the artists because I love them. They cost varying amounts, but I don't expect anyone to really care how much or what I spend my money on, as it's not affecting them.

Likewise your friend's art budget (or taste) is not really any concern of yours.

[DisappointedOne]

If she paid £1k for it she got a bargain.

www.renniesgallery.co.uk/product/nymphea-style-claude-monet-john-myatt/

[Waitingonasunnyday]

Its all personal taste isn't it? No point being snobby in either direction. Ikea do some lovely Picasso prints. I have a gorgeous Lowry on my wall courtesy of TK Maxx. Plus an original painting by DC1

[BreconBeBuggered]

That's a beautiful picture, isn't it? Would look cracking in my bathroom

[PassMeTheFrazzlesPlease]

I think it was rude of you to ask how much your friend paid for it.

[StrawberryTot]

I'm more shocked she paid £150 for a frame?!?! What on earth is it made from? Gold with diamond detail?
We have a stall in town, where the man makes frames to measure for a fraction of the price.

[QTPie]

If she is buying as an investment, then she is a bit mad (politely put).

If she is buying a lovely print that she loves and she loves the frame, then the money is not unreasonable.

I had a lovely photo of DS blown up (very big) and framed for a Christmas present for DH. The framing (very large, special conservation glass) cost £250. Could have done cheaper, but it is a great picture that we will love for the rest of our lives - so worth it to us.

[Cobain]

Art and collectables is a good way of buying assets, usually better than the stock market in terms of risk and if you can get enjoyment all the better.

[loopylucylou]

You see, I don't think mass produced stuff from ikea does look as good as lots of other stuff.

Difference of opinion innit.

[loopylucylou]

You see, I don't think mass produced stuff from ikea does look as good as lots of other stuff.

Difference of opinion innit.

[NakedFamilyFightClub]

i asked how much it was

Wow. How rude.

its not my business to discuss my friends financial situation

Quite.

[notnaice]

I don't see the point either

[loopylucylou]

It's really lovely...

I'm tempted!

[Piratesloveunderpants]

its not my business to discuss my friends financial situation

No it's really not and yet all you've done is comment on how much money she has, how she spends it, where it came from etc etc. I'd be pissed off if I thought a 'friend' was chatting about me in this manner. But I guess that's AIBU.

And btw you seem to be becoming more and more unreasonable. Verdict was more or less YABU so accept it and move on!!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

"Yes but it is not original? Whats to stop people just printing it onto a canvass themselves?"

Hopefully the fact that they might have she respect for the amount of work that the artist put into the original work, and into making sure that the authorised prints were of good quality, Sallzanne.

That is someone's livelihood you are suggesting other people should rip off! I have done some amateur painting in the past, and it know how much time and effort I used to put into my poor efforts - and professional artists put so much more time, effort, skill and inspiration into their work. It is good to know that there are people like your friend who value that.

I have no problem with people buying properly authorised prints, whether they are expensive ones like the one your friend bought or the cheap ones in ikea and similar places - or buying art cards from WHSmith or from the museum shop or wherever - and framing them. In all those cases, where the art work is still under copyright, the artist will get a payment. But if someone just copies an image, they are robbing the artist of that payment. It is like pirating music or films. I am sure it is only a small amount of money, but I still don't think it is a good thing to do.

I have no doubt I will get flamed for this viewpoint.

[TeddyDreadful]

the artist is quite collectible despite ( because of?) his forgery background, so I think she'S got a bargain tbh.
£1000 isn't much at all for a decent piece of art you like.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Well as it's now selling for £2250, I'd say she got herself a great investment!

[kinkyfuckery]

That's a gorgeous piece of work. Slightly beyond my budget though, sadly.

[squoosh]

Completely agree with STDG re. paying for art rather than ripping artists off. This goes for music too. If there's an artist I like I'm happy to pay for their work, it's the best way to ensure they'll continue working in the future.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

SDTG I agree with you 100% - no flaming here!

OP you said "I just think the main reason ppl 'invest' in this stuff is to show off" Well I am really sad that people think this way. I have no doubt there are some shower-offers in the world, but there are also many people who love art for the sake of it - for the feeling it brings to them, the emotional reaction they have to it, the things it makes them think or reminds them of. Have you never seen anything so beautiful, so unique, so you that you really wanted it in your house? There are a lot of things I can't afford, true Faberge eggs Ming vases and Kandinsky or Ansel Adams originals but I choose to surround myself with things that are beautiful and give me pleasure, as long as they are in my budget. TBH I don't think I have ever bought something for investment purposes, or at least not only. I have used the "well it will increase in value!!" argument in my favour though

[Jermajesty]

I've recently bought a limited edition painting. It probably will increase in value. However, I didn't buy it for that reason, but because it stopped me in my tracks when I saw it and it's my money to spend as I see fit. Good on your mate.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

For me, the thing about IKEA etc. prints (and I have had them on my walls in the past) is the unoriginality. Anyone walking through IKEA could buy one. There is no story there.

The stock in IKEA each season feels like it must be sourced by some corporate buyer who gets stuff from goodness knows where and has it mass produced in some factory.

Unless, of course, you see something in IKEA and fall in love with it. Then my previous argument applies.

[DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease]

If it's worth £1000 then I think it wasn't flushing money down the toilet.

I am quite uncultured myself, don't really 'get' art- have nothing on my walls at home apart from a mirror in my living room, a clock in my kitchen. I've never seen a picture I would like to spend money on to put on my walls and look at multiple times a day/week.

So, I would much rather have a print worth £1000 hung on my wall than one worth £30 as, even if I didn't appreciate the beauty, I could appreciate its value.