I read this on rec.photo.equipment.35mm [Copied material follows.]

http://www.moma.org/gursky/gursky2.html

The top photo presented on that page, "Paris, Montparnasse," recently sold for $600,000.

A review at: http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/finch/finch3-2-01.asp

-- Vikram (VSingh493@aol.com), March 22, 2002

Answers

Some people have more money than sense. Imagine what could be done with $600,000. World peace? not quite, but a decent step towards.

Though some may say the same about me and owning a Leica!

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002.

Imagine what could be done with $600,000. World peace? not quite but a decent step towards.

$600,000 is...let's see Nothing compared to the $100b that the World Bank wants to end poverty (which they claim is the root cause of terrorism....). And hey they do all their own in house audits and peer reviews, and are seemingly beyond fiscal reproach.

Decent step, hardly.

Let the Nouveau Riche throw their peanuts around and stink up the art world if they want, it would take 1.666666M of them to make up what the WB wants, plus they essentially do the same thing in the 3rd world and we get the Congo and the like in return for our tax dollars.

-- Dave Doyle (dave@soilsouth.com), March 23, 2002.

Slightly off topic, but if the $600,000 could be used to bring some relief to victoms of terroism, say a wife and child who's husband and father have been unnecessarily killed, then I would say a "decent" step has been taken. By decent I also mean "kind".

Argue all you like, but if you think $600,000 couldn't do much for the world, then you shouldn't be commenting. Are we talking about the greater good, or just one family who needs money to fund their next meal? To me it doesn't matter, as long as someone needy benefits.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Oh and you know what else i think: It is people with your attitude (displayed heer) responsible for the lack of financial assistance reaching places of need. Why? Because the gate keepers are also saying that "$XXX" isn't enough to save the world, so lets not care.

So what am I saying? "Every penny counts?" You betcha. Sorry if I seem a little agressive but when 50% of what I see in world news is negative, it's hard not to care. Am I too be flamed now? Probably!

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Kristian:

no offence, but it's their money; i don't think you have the right to say such comments. let's look at it this way: you have x dollars and you bought a Leica. if i tell you that amount of dollars could have been used for relief from terrorism ("Every penny counts?"), i'm sure you would be pissed. and besides, this same person who bought the photo may have been donating millions of dollars to charities.

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Yeah every penny counts and who does the counting is who I'm concerned with. Throwing money at problems is not the way to solve them, and as Dexter said it is their money. As for the victims of 9/11, my understanding is that they have been amply provided for and now it's up to those who control the purse strings to get up off it, much like the RedCross here in San Diego with a certain fire in Alpine....

Accountability my friend, accountability. If those who are the gatekeepers had more of it and answered to the taxpayers directly, much like a board of directors has to answer to it's shareholders the money spent would provide a better service instead of lining the pockets of despots worldwide.

What is this any way, Socialism 101...?

-- Dave Doyle (dave@soilsouth.com), March 23, 2002.

Hmm... This thread started out interesting in the "Leica" sense, but now it's headed toward deletion. I'm not maintaining a "World Politics" forum here. Let's keep it on track, OK?

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), March 23, 2002.

If anything, this demonstrates that no matter what your politics, you at least agree upon your choice of camera.

-- VS (VSingh493@aol.com), March 23, 2002.

It's relative people. If your income is 20 - 30 million a year, then spending $600,000 on a piece of artwork or something of historic value is like me spending a few hundred. And guess what - it's MY money. Another thing. Someone alluded to it above (owning a Leica), but I'm sure there are thousands of people out there who would say 'I can't afford to eat and yet you spend thousands on a Leica when a used Pentax K1000 will take a damn fine photo - where are your priorities?'. It's all relative!

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

Tony's right. Off topic. And political antics never ends, and there is never a right solution. End of this from me.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

And the photo was taken with a 5x7" view camera.

Ilkka

-- Ilkka Kuusisto (ikuu65@hotmail.com), March 25, 2002.