"Good clothes, good haircuts, good facial products
and wrapping paper for art...."
Makeover shows are all the rage on television nowadays. Everyone wants to think they can redefine themselves with just a little intervention (and a BIG infusion of cash....)
Our favorite is "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".
I only have two complaints about the show.
1. They never choose anyone from Keene, NH. I would like to nominate my dear husband as a candidate. He would look so cute in good clothes....
2. They recommend great clothes, great haircuts, great facial products and great furniture. But when it comes to buying artwork for the transformed abode....oh, my.....
The worst example was when Thom Filicia (now spokesman for Pier 1) recommended framing sheets of really nice wrapping paper for art that "looked great and cost pennies."
Come on, Thom!
I usually adore Thom and his brilliant yet breezy and accessible style aesthetic. But as an artist, this was just too much for me.
Why would you insist someone invest hundreds of dollars in hair care products and then tell them it was okay to go cheapo on what they hang on their walls?
Why would you automatically assume that it's okay to skimp on wall art, because it just has to look pretty, and nobody's really going to look at it anyway??
I'm not an art snob. I have no shame when it comes to exhibiting pieces in my home. I have antique handcarved African masks, and I have a spritely mannequin I found at T.J. Maxx. I have handblown glass and I have a tiny sugar bowl my daughter made for me in first grade that holds exactly two teaspoons of sugar. (She knew at the time I used two teaspoons of sugar in my coffee, and in her seven-year-old's wisdom decided that was the perfect size sugar bowl for me.) I have original woodblock prints and naive paintings I've found in junk shops for $10.
The point is, I've never bought something just because it was cheap. I bought it, and treasured it, and displayed it, because I LOVED it.
Every thing on my mantel, on my walls, on my shelves, is something I LOVE. Something that speaks to me.
That's what art should do. Move us. And speak to us. (Figuratively speaking, of course.)
I suppose if ya REALLY LOVE that wrapping paper, then that's an okay thing to frame and put on your walls. But please, don't make a practice of it.
I'm happy to note that by the end of the second season, Thom was opening his vistas a bit, and encouraging his formerly bear-like proteges to invest in affordable artwork by emerging artists.
If it brings you true joy every single time you look at it, for years and years to come, then the art you invest in is worth every single penny. No matter if you paid $50, $50,000—or 50 cents for it.
