THE BLUE PAINTING
by Patryk Rebisz

George Zimmerman - the man who shot up to fame by killing a black teenage boy while on neighborhood patrol in a Florida town - posted a painting for sale on an auction website. In a few short days the painting (whose opening bid started at very modest 99c) shoot up in its prize to over $100,000.

The painting depicts an american flag painted all in blue as if seen by blue-died sun glasses. One can hardly accuse Mr Zimmerman of witt or profound thoughts but the fact that the picture is monochromatic does mean something. If we look up the definition of the colors we’ll learn that although the original red, white and blue of the US flag did not attach any importance to meaning of colors, in due time that meanings emerged on its own. Blue stands for “vigilance, perseverance & justice.” Obviously the message is clear with the blue painting. Neither white (which stands for “purity & justice”) nor red (which describes “hardiness & valou”) is important.

What is curious that the painting means something beyond what it is too. On the surface it’s an awfully simple statement. Ebay search for other US flag paintings brings a plethora of flag inspired images priced at around $20 and yet this ONE painting brought 5000x this amount. Clearly the purchase of this picture wasn’t related to what the imaged of the flag stands for, clearly the purchaser’s motives were much different. The “art collector” wasn’t buying a painting as an object of certain aesthetic value - those values are readily available from other, much cheaper, painting - but rather the idea the painting (made by this specific man) stands for.

It’s important to remember that the painting as a physical picture isn’t totally irrelevant. In terms of actual value the picture is worth probably as much as the other US flag pictures - maybe around $20. It’s the concept “beyond” the picture that IS worth the $100k. An abstract idea was materialised in the form of a tangible product. The banality of the image doesn’t matter. What matters is that an idea, “this” idea, was materialised. Now that the idea is materialised it can be “made stronger” by the purchase. By exchanging significant amounts of money the idea is being given validity.

Drowning in the ocean of messages we need to remember that the surface of things often isn’t as relevant as what the surface stands for. EVERYTHING is trying to accomplish something - that “something” often it outside of the work. Thus if we were to be conscious consumer of messages (political, commercial, religious - whatever) we need to know how to question the media to know what the real message is.