Mass Debates

I don't know whether it is the cold but it would seem that I am becoming preoccupied with various philosophical debates about art of late.
My newest food for thought is this....Does the title of painting influence the sale of a piece of art?
I have been thinking a lot about this. I don't think that it does. I think that more often than not the piece of art is the first thing that you see and the title is secondary. You react to the work in the first instance and then the title may or may not gel with you. Would what something is called sway you into a purchase?
Or do we just bring our own experiences to every piece of art? If a painting was called 'Field of Death' and was in fact a picture of a field full of daisies, would it put you off buying it?
If you like daisies probably not, or if you remember a field from your childhood that was full of daisies every summer, probably not. If you hated daisies? Who knows.
All of this thought has come about from having typed up numerous price lists. Sometimes the titles are literal 'Swanage Bay at Dusk' would imply that you will see some fairly representational image of the afore mentioned bay.
I must add at this point that it does tend to be abstract art that has the more lateral titling taking place.
Where as this title has a few clues but not necessarily ever going to result in a conclusion of what it actually is.
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living
It is a very famous piece of art and no doubt the more well versed in modern art you are the more likely it is that you will know exactly what this particular piece of art is. For those of you who don't, here it is.

Yes it is Damien Hirst. Now if you Google this you will find it simply by typing Hirst Shark. Try it for yourself if you don't believe me. 

I do think it is an apt title and the more I think about it the more I understand the title and the work. But the title in this instance does explain the work to a certain extent.

The bigger question is do you appreciate it more now you know what it is called? Let me know.

As an artist myself I have to tell you that for me personally it is a chicken and egg scenario. Sometimes I have the title before the work and sometimes the work itself generates the title.

Okay, time to talk gallery stuff. It has been a little quiet today, the weather is too nice. I'm just glad that it is nothing like yesterday. I had to come down early and clean my windows. They were grim.

I have had a spring clean and cleared the decks, it is looking very white and spacious in the studio and the gallery.

Feeling creative? Come and do a workshop!