Newsletter #9
The world of fine art can be extremely intimidating. Museums are institutions, auction houses sell pieces for hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars, and openings/fairs/events feature old money dressed in expensive threads & jewelry and young people in the latest of high fashion.
Don’t let any of this fool you: it is an illusion. Which is fair, as it’s a necessary one - fine art as a tangible item does not provide what we think of as utility in the way, say, a car, or groceries do. Thus, it requires an economy with a foundation driven by disposable income, which can only come from…people that have disposable income. But as soon as you look past the wealth that the industry is built on, you’ll discover a world that is far more accessible with an entrance that requires only an open mind, not an open wallet.
Most art is free to see
Many museums don’t charge an entrance fee (and offer discounts/free tickets if you just ask), and I’ve never seen a gallery that requires anything other than you showing up (plus openings sometimes feature free drinks). No one is going to question what you wear - I rock athletic clothes and my artbutmakeitsports hat to pretty much every art event I attend, even if others are dressed up, and I’ve never once been looked at differently. And if you take the time to open up, you’ll connect with interesting people that truly care about art.
Art can be affordable!
I’ve only recently started dipping my toes into collecting art. One thing I found that helped me was, around 5 years ago, I took mental inventory of up-and-coming artists that, if I had a little extra money, I would have invested in. Several of them have since hit it big, which gave me an extra layer of confidence in beginning my own collection.
None of us are going to be buying van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, etc etc. And 99% of the people reading this aren’t actively building collections with artists that have work come up at major auction. But there are avenues for us common folk! Last week the SPRING/BREAK show showcased art at a palatable price point, and the Affordable Art Fair in NYC is coming up in two weeks. Social media, for all it’s pitfalls, is a great place to discover new artists. Follow galleries that feature up-and-comers, and spend time researching student shows & exhibitions. Each year Christie’s auctions art from staff/vendors that is on par with what you might find in a gallery, but at a much lower starting point. I fell in love with this piece - which ultimately went for higher than my budget, but I connected with the artist, Bobby Haag, and ended up getting an incredible painting that he had sitting in storage at a price that worked for me.
Bobby is the perfect example that quality art can be found anywhere, you just need to spend time digging beneath the surface and find artists doing work that hasn’t quite hit the mainstream. I thought it’d be valuable to showcase his backstory a bit more in-depth, as he’s the perfect testament against the illusion that the art world is inaccessible.
(LJ) Where do you work and what do you do there?
(Bobby Haag) I have a job in NYC as Janitorial Maintenance for a company that handles artwork. I clean an entire warehouse on my own and organize it when approved. I make sure the well-being of everybody inside is kept everyday, and I try to make everything easy, fun, and safe. While I'm helping give anyone a hand whenever needed, I also get to experience (with my own eyes) the professional art industry. This is fascinating and is amazing to me because the "art world" is very strange.
What’s your background with art – how did you get into it, are you professionally trained, etc?
My story is a magical astonishing never ending real life fairy tale. Ever since I was born I’ve used my imagination to play. This turned into me making artwork as an adult. I never went to art school, and was introduced to oil painting at age 20...then, I taught myself how to paint. I still have my first debut oil painting. Spending ten years alone in Michigan, I developed my relationship with my own artwork, and at the same time was giving everyone around me my paintings out of love. There are hundreds of Bobby Haag paintings all around the world.
Once I turned 30, I was physically picked up and dropped off in NYC, knowing nobody and not sure what to do. There I invented "Bobby Haag Painting" - it was the beginning show of my newly made, more mature artwork (exclusively oil paintings). Now, I put on all my own art shows by myself, as it gives me the opportunity to create new paintings and meet a lot of amazing people. My painting is holy, as if it originates as an artwork made out of itself. It is how I met you, and got this interview, too - this is my debut interview!
What are your ambitions with art – where do you want to take things?
I am doing my best to push art forward for everyone to experience, right in front of their eyes, by being myself in my painting - there is nothing to hide in my work. I passionately study my own original color theory, which I am convinced is an exciting new form of useful information, but I also understand there is much more to discover. The more I paint, the more colors I get to look at, and in the end there is a painting to give. It is a gift. I would not call myself a painter. Painting is the work I must put into the artwork in order to make art. So in that case, I see myself as an artist.
How would you describe your style? Are there artists you pull inspiration from?
I learned how color works from nature, learned what oil paint looks like from Vincent van Gogh, learned 'en plein air' painting from Claude Monet. I am also learning as much art history as I can from going to the Met Museum. As I talk with artists I meet, we support, influence, and inspire each other. Magically, within, are unheard tales that speak themself through original personality as a significant representation in my work. And at the end of the day, I like to make art that is surprising and fun, just like sports are.
On that note, what’s your connection to sports?
I used to play soccer growing up. Defense! My dad and I watched basketball games as a family too. I loved skateboarding all day long, all day strong, for many, many years. I can kickflip and everything.
Do you have any upcoming shows I can promote?
On December 8th, 2024, I’ll have my fourth "Bobby Haag Art Show" behind the Met Museum by the bridge, weather permitting! Also follow my instagram, @bobbyhaagpainting - I post all my art shows and information there. I try to make up new art shows every month of the year, creating work for myself and keeping myself busy. Anyway, thanks for the interview! I love what you do, and am happy you listened to me telling some of my story.
Art/Sports I’m Into
This Josh Allen Piece
More details in the Ebay listing, but one of my favorite artists, Billy Kheel, made this piece based on one of my posts combining a Josh Allen leap with Giordano’s Fall of the Rebel Angels.
It’s a whole bunch of pieces of felt layered and sewn together to create dynamism and texture, and is stunning irl. Feel free to hit me up if you want more info. Also, random, but shoutout the weather. Absolutely killing it this time of year - 10/10
