[artinfo] Buy MY Art?

[George(s) Lessard]

BUY ME!

Several artists are examining the question of what, exactly, is an art=
 object by selling everything they own to online buyers, says Mirapaul. One=
 such artist, Trong Nguyen, hopes to unload 1,001 of his personal=
 possessions via eBay over the course of 2001.  "Like many young artists,=
 Mr. Nguyen, who is 29, is using the Internet as a new medium for exploring=
 familiar aesthetic issues," Mirapaul writes.  "Does an artist's touch turn=
 an everyday object into an art object?  How does an artwork receive its=
 value?  How does [sic] one's possessions define an identity?"=20

Other artists doing the same kind of work (or making a few quick bucks,=
 depending on your perspective) include Michael Mandiberg, whose books, CDs=
 and checkbook are available at Mandiberg.com, and John Freyer, whose AllMyL=
ifeForSale.com site offers everything from his gas bill to gum.

My favorite detail:  Freyer sold his birthday party in New York to a=
 stranger who now hangs out with the artist's friends.  "We all agree it's=
 the best $1.25 I ever spent," says the lucky bidder. =20

Want to participate in Trong Nguyen's art project?  Buy his roll of =
 undeveloped film.

Mirapaul:
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/arts/05ARTS.html

Mandiberg.com:
http://www.mandiberg.com/

AllMyLifeForSale.com:
http://www.allmylifeforsale.com

gas bill:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D552554061

gum:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D553153934

roll of undeveloped film:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3D554130966

=20