At what point does a piece of art cease to be art and merely a possession / investment?
When people buy works because the creator’s previous works start to increase in price, and they become an investment. I’ve been going to the RA Summer Exhibition for over 20 years, and I’ve seen various contributors work’s increasing in value by really significant amounts, and many are works that one really wouldn’t want on a wall, some are too sodding big! You’d need a warehouse wall to hang some, but they sell, and for massive amounts. Same with sculptures as well. If I buy something, it’s got to be something I really want to be able to live with and enjoy looking at.
Apparently the woman who bought the Banksey was horrified, but now accepts it as a legitimate part of the work and is keeping it.