The Price of Personal Style…is Perhaps Priceless?

I came upon an article about weathervanes. It was about Massachusetts artist Edwin Waskiewicz and his 20 year old practice of hammering custom copper and brass art pieces into animated creations to indicate wind direction or just for the charm of them as a decorative embellishment. You can imagine the twinkly shine and patina of these manipulated materials perched atop shingles spinning their eclectic forms into the skies. But how many people are in the market for these fine pieces of art and at what price when layered with other retailers’ representation? By that I mean mark-up – or in the case of a gallery, the sharing of the selling price to cover the cost of said representation. After exploring these channels of selling his work, this artist recognized that he could do better with direct representation – this direct market approach has been the basis for entrepreneurialism for artists (and other manufacturers for that matter), since time began.
People looking for unique pieces of anything are willing to research the myriad sources to seek their private find. Exclusive at the least, these treasures are often regarded as private due to the buyer’s opportunity to intimately create with the artists to achieve one’s desired and very custom results. What is the price of personal style? This is true in Interior Design as well when you strive to create combinations of fabrics and furniture that nobody else has – your own personal statement for your environment. Fashion – look for the finds or create your own – it’s all about personal style.
What a contrast custom commissions are to commodity production. Yet, the mass produced items that flood the marketplace every season to emulate these custom pieces still constitutes a treasure hunt – just not as expensive or exclusive. Whether searching retail firsthand – the tactile and seemingly old fashioned way versus the seemingly limitless offerings available when scouring cyberspace – the hunt is on!
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” says it all as relates to this experience in relativity. Perfectly good wing chairs sitting on the curb for pick-up…NOT because they are no longer useable or even presentable – but merely because there is no room for them. Donating is good – and it’s interesting to see what treasures can be found from curbsides to Goodwill stores, junk shops to antique boutiques. It’s fun and exciting – it’s challenging and satisfying – regardless of the price-range, budget and scale, maybe we’re all just a little bit “pickers.”
The price of personal style…is perhaps priceless?