06.10.07
$$$Money$$$
The other day I watched a DVD rental called, “Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?” Being that I’m interested in art and that Jackson Pollock was a very prominent artist in the U.S., I knew who Jackson Pollock was, as do many others. I also knew that his artwork sold for LOTS of money, but for some odd reason, it wasn’t until I saw this movie that I saw the craziness of the art world.
Actually, it’s not only the art world, but also the fashion industry, the sports industry, etc. What am I talking about? I’m talking about the money involved. The movie “Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?” features a woman who bought a painting for $5 from a thrift store. This painting looked like an original Pollock. She spent about 10 years of her life trying to prove this painting was authentic. What she found was that trying to get the art world to recognize her find proved very difficult.
Basically, an original Pollock could be worth “$50 million” or more. One painting! And some are worth even more! One artist! How many other prominent art works are out there of which each piece was purchased by the millions of dollars? That’s a lot of money floating around and being spent by “individuals.” What kind of person can buy a painting for $50 million? Certainly that’s not the only possession that person would have. They likely have more very expensive items in their possession, I imagine. And honestly, I have no problem that some people have lots of money and can afford those luxuries. BUT, it’s when I think of all the poverty in the world, then I wonder how much money would it take to feed all the world’s starving people? At that point I start to realize that such extravagance is actually appalling. Food and clothing is such a basic need. There are people starving and naked by the thousands, yet we have individuals who amass so much money as to be able to spend millions on one painting. Somehow there seems to be an evil in that. Somehow, looking at it in that light makes me feel that poverty (at least to the extent of those who are literally starving to death) is avoidable if only the ultra rich would combine forces and drop a few crumbs of their massive wealth to the poor. I have read of the suspected causes for some of this starvation and poverty, and it’s not nice. There’s an imbalance here. And it makes me wonder why that is. Perhaps the cause is lack of love and excess greed.
Thinking of this great imbalance also makes me think of our media and how so much is reported regarding the lives of the rich and famous. Why is it reported? Is it because their lives are more important and newsworthy then the average guy? Or maybe it’s because they are what we aspire for ourselves? There is a natural tendency for people to admire the rich, and at the same time look down upon the poor. James tells us:
“But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?”
Even thousands of years ago when James was alive on earth, it was known that the rich oppress the poor. Why do we admire them so?
Now I’m not a communist or anything like that, and I certainly have nothing against artists and artwork. I enjoy it myself! I have no problem with people working hard and earning a good living and even enjoying the fruits of one’s labor. “A worker is worthy of his wages.” I would even love to be rich myself! I also realize that there are those who do try to help and have given monetarily and in physical labor and time to help the poor such as Mia Farrow, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Princess Diana, etc. However, I think what gets to me is the “ultra rich.” When people have so much money they can buy a single “painting” for millions of dollars or when “one” man can earn $200 million in one year for playing a sport. It just seems so excessive and even a bit evil that so much money is in the hands of “one” person while others starve by the thousands. How can there be starving people when there’s that much money? It makes me wonder if there are some other forces at work keeping the poor poor and continuing to allow hundreds to starve to death. So much produce is spoiled and disgarded every day. It would seem that with proper organization and funding, food would be sent to the right places rather than just allowed to spoil and be disgarded. It’s not like there is not enough food production, but rather lack of proper allocation of it. Too much in one place, too little in another. It’s a sad concept for me. But this is nothing new in life, is it? This is the world in which we live. James was so right when he asked, Why do we admire the rich, when they oppress the poor?
Marlakins
