25 Myths About the Art World

You might think you've got it all figured out.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Typically gallery openings feature endless booze and insufferable small talk, so it's pretty easy to believe the art world's stuffy reputation. But there is a lot more to the art world than meets the eye. Artists are not idea machines that create either masterpieces or total failures. Gallery owners are not rich and snooty—well, not all of them. In fact, a lot of work, passion and money go into creating and selling art, and it takes a whole team of people with a range of skills and personalities to make an artist successful. To clear up any misconceptions about several aspects of the art world, here's 25 Myths About the Art World. 

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Art that's easier to understand sells better.

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Artists are lazy and let galleries do all the work.

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You have to be a good salesman to sell any kind of art.

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Only prodigies create great works.

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Not everybody can understand art.

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Traditional art is dying because of advancing technology.

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Artists are emotionally unstable.

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Michelangelo's David is the best sculpture you'll ever see.

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Artists don't know how to do business.

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Figurative painting is dead.

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Everyone in the art world is nauseatingly pretentious.

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The higher the price, the higher quality of art.

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Gallery owners only party and hardly ever work.

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Good reviews lead to good sales.

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Going to the Louvre is like the Da Vinci Code.

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Putting your art in a gallery will make your career as an artist.

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Not enough women create decent work.

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Galleries have lots of money.

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You have to go to art school to be succesful.

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Old sculptures are boring.

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You can make it in the art world if your art is unique.

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Gallery openings are for the free booze.

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No thought goes into minimalist art.

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The Mona Lisa is the best painting you'll ever see.

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Everyone in the art world is white.

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