The article under review is 'The Most Expensive GIF of All Time' Is Being Sold for $5,800 published by the Atlantic. The article has a minor undertone of satire and critique towards the subject. I have a similar opinion towards this topic. The article presents the Gif of Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog (Orange) deflating.
The author, Megan Garber, coins it as “the most expensive GIF of all time” in tribute to the original sculpture form of Balloon Dog (Orange) being the most expensive art item sold in auction at 58 million dollars.
Well, the highest auctioned art piece when the article was written - 2014. The outdated publication of Garber’s article disproves the content written about the digital age, as we read it 7 years later, in 2021. The creator of this GIF, named Balloon Dog Deflated, posted it on ebay originally starting at $2,000 then when it had no bids, he increased the bid to $5,800 to match the bid of Jeff Zoons’ version.
Garber quotes the posting by Michael Green which says some total BS about physical museums being dead and that digital tumblr museums being the main form in today’s digital age. He comments on the medium of digital art and how new wave technology makes it basically the only acceptable form of art. As an aspiring digital artist, I don't agree with any of Green’s statements. I think that digital art is real art, however that does not disregard any other form. His ideas did not stand the test of time because now tumblr is dead and physical museums thrive. I mostly think where digital artists make money is through commissions and selling physical prints of their work. Similar to how photography has been in the past century.
Digital art sells amazingly, if commissioned and is marketable. This is an unfortunate fate for the future of art in Capitalism. In some quick google searches you can find some corporate millennial infographic type art which is used by countless of beauty brands, activist websites, organizations, and just corporations in general. I think there is a grey area between marketable art and expressive art. In digital art, expression doesn't really sell and if it does, it's usually printed in a physical format that is hung in museums, living rooms, and waiting rooms. The original format is digital, so all sold physical forms are just copies, which will be less profitable. NO ONE WILL BUY IT DIGITALLY, IF THEY WANTED IT DIGITALLY THEY WOULD JUST TAKE A SCREENSHOT. The only thing I can think of that is purchased digitally is through copyrighting rights to the image/gif.
Green's visions of the future shines in online exhibits created amidst Covid-19 restrictions and complications. Online exhibitions show physical pieces that are digitized amongst digital pieces. Despite all my anger towards the idea of selling gifs, I think Green’s post is more performative and I don't think he expects anyone to purchase it.
(an online exhibit)
I just want to close with that I hate Jeff Koons. He is a businessman more than an artist. He pays other people to create his work which he gives himself full credit for. I think the only reason he is successful is because his work is at a large scale and he is an amazing businessman con. BOO JEFF KOONS im sorry.
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