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Steve Martin discusses his love for Indigenous Australian art

Comedian and actor Steve Martin has long been an avid art lover and collector. After making onto ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list several times in the 1990s, he has recently turned his attention to Indigenous Australian art and its deep cultural history. With his wife Anne Stringfield, he’s bought works by Indigenous artists such as Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Timo Hogan, Carlene West, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, and Doreen Reid Nakamarra, among many others. His love for these works began almost 10 years ago, as he shared with <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/actor-steve-martin-on-the-joys-and-the-difficulties-of-collecting-contemporary-indigenous-australian-art-1234644806/">ARTnews</a>. He said, “It all started with one picture by this artist, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. I just really liked it, bought it, and hung it in our house for several years. I really didn’t know that there was a whole big funnel going back this way of its history.” “I hadn’t really seen anything like this before. And they were available, which is an aspect of the art world now that is the opposite—most things are unavailable. And I loved them. I thought they were great.” He said his collection, which includes over a hundred works, is “hard to improve” when dealing with art pieces that are increasingly rare. Some of the works he owns have been displayed in non-selling shows at Gagosian locations in New York and Beverly Hills, California, with Steve saying he “loves just getting these pictures seen” by like-minded art fans. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Check your attic for this rare collectors’ card!

A rare Pokémon card has fetched a whopping record $546,000 (US$420,000) at an auction. The insanely rare 1999 Pokémon Base Set Shadowless 1st Edition Holo Charizard card was sold on March 19. The description of the card on the auction website describes the inspiration it holds even a quarter of a century later. “Emblematic of the strength and power its design was meant to portray, the 1st Edition Base Set Charizard card continues to inspire awe even after almost a quarter of a century,” it read. “This historic piece of art designed by celebrated artist Mitsuhiro Arita is easily the most recognizable Pokemon card ever made.” Incredibly enough, 3,000 copies of the card were submitted to PSA Authentication and Grading Services but only 121 were given the highest grading of “10 Gem Mint” due to its popularity. “Featuring the highest attack power of any of the original Pokemon cards produced; the ferocity of the artwork coupled with the might of its Fire Spin caused most Pokemon fanatics to use it with pride. “It is one of the most coveted trading cards ever produced. Widely considered one of the holy grails of the Pokemon world, this Flame Pokemon is poised to show continuous returns for years to come and become a premier investment piece for any portfolio to have.” Maybe it’s time to ask the kids or grandkids to go through their own Pokemon collections! Images: PWCC Market Place and Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Music collectors are seeking out rare albums that you can't stream

As of the third quarter <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/244995/number-of-paying-spotify-subscribers/">of 2019, music streaming giant Spotify had 113 million paid subscribers worldwide</a> — but it’s still missing some famous albums that many listeners feel they can’t live without. And in today’s digital world, it can be expensive and difficult to get a physical copy of those missing albums. Music streaming dominates paid music consumption in the <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/10185/music-consumption-in-the-us/">United States</a> and <a href="https://musiccanada.com/resources/statistics/">Canada</a>. But services like Spotify and Apple Music can’t just upload whatever music they’d like. Legal disputes, sample clearance issues — when permission can’t be obtained for the use of part of a song in a new song — and rights-holders withholding music can all get in the way of music being available on your streaming platform of choice. And that can make the music even more difficult and more expensive to get your hands on physically. Legal disputes between <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/musicians-v-record-labels-famous-feuds/">artists and their record labels have been happening for decades</a>. Disputes can keep music from ever coming out at all, in which case consumers don’t know what they’re missing — but they can also take music that consumers already love out of circulation. Rare $130 cassette If you’re a fan of the hip-hop group De La Soul, you might have noticed that its 1989 album 3 Feet High and Rising is missing from paid subscription streaming services. This is due to <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/03/de-la-soul-3-feet-high-and-rising-streaming-spotify-tidal.html">disputes between the group and its label, Tommy Boy Records.</a> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/304142/original/file-20191127-112526-uxlosu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /> If your ‘90s dubbed De La Soul tape has broken down, a new cassette today may cost $130. Mike B in Colorado/Flickr De La Soul said in an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wearedelasoul/photos/a.631626713540839/2309714252398735/?type=3&theater">August Facebook post</a> that it that was unable to reach a streaming agreement “and earn Tommy Boy’s respect for our music/legacy.” The dispute has led to Tommy Boy delaying the release of that album on streaming services. The album is not being widely reissued, so few copies are available in any physical format for fans who can’t stream one of their favourite albums on their favourite streaming service. There is a copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/3-Feet-High-Rising-Vinyl/dp/B00CJF9SZC/ref=tmm_vnl_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">the vinyl LP of 3 Feet High and Rising selling online for nearly $300</a>. A cassette is available for more than $130. Even the CD is selling for more than $100. Taylor Swift delays release of album Rights-holders, whether they are the artist or not, can also choose to withhold music from streaming services. Taylor Swift has famously done this, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/9/15767986/taylor-swift-apple-music-spotify-statements-timeline">first to fight for music’s value, then to fight for better streaming royalty rates</a> and then delaying the release of <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-to-withhold-reputation-from-streaming-services-197389/#:%7E:targetText=Taylor%20Swift's%20new%20album,the%20specifics%20with%20various%20platforms.">her 2017 album Reputation on streaming services</a>. She made Reputation available only for digital download and on CD at first. But rights-holders withholding music can sometimes get more complicated. Blackground Records — owned by Aaliyah’s uncle Barry Hankerson — controls the masters of most of the late singer’s music and has <a href="https://www.complex.com/music/2016/12/aaliyahs-music-isnt-online-and-her-uncle-barry-hankerson-is-the-reason-why">not made it available on streaming services</a>. Aaliyah <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/aaliyah-1979-2001-192667/">died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22</a>, not long after the release of her platinum-certified self-titled album. Michael Greaves, who manages royalties for a music company based in Toronto, said in a September interview that he thinks Hankerson is “trying to look for the best deal … building up the value,” as Taylor Swift did. But others, including Greaves, who is also a former DJ, have argued that there is an emotional component to Hankerson withholding the Blackground music. Rock band Tool also famously <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/after-years-of-resisting-rock-band-tool-is-finally-entering-the-streaming-age">didn’t put all of its music up on streaming services until Aug. 2, 2019,</a> just before the Aug. 30 release of its newest album, Fear Inoculum. Whether these rights-holders are using profiteering tactics, the music is increasing in value because it’s not available on paid streaming services and there are limited physical copies. On Amazon.ca, the CD of <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/One-Million-Aaliyah/dp/B000002JWP">Aaliyah’s One In A Million is selling for as much as $189</a>. “I have those albums, I got them when they came out. I’m lucky that way,” says Greaves. Blackground also controls the rights to the master recordings of singer Jojo’s first two albums, which it has not released on streaming services. Jojo wound up <a href="https://www.wmagazine.com/story/jojo-re-release-albums-new-music-interview">suing Blackground, re-recording those albums and releasing them on streaming services herself</a>. Unfortunately, Aaliyah is not alive to do the same. Download delays are ongoing Despite advances in music technology and administration, sample clearances can still be an issue, keeping music from being released or forcing it to be removed from streaming services. It’s common for rappers and hip-hop artists to release “<a href="https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/rmx446/the-real-difference-between-a-mixtape-and-an-album">mixtapes</a>” — free releases which were once distributed on cassettes but are now commonly distributed on Soundcloud. Mixtapes often contain samples whose permissions haven’t been legally granted, which keep them from being available on streaming services such as Spotify, where rules around sample clearances are more stringent than on Soundcloud. The artist known as Chance the Rapper, for instance, went through the process of clearing all of the samples on his 2013 mixtape Acid Rap, which went live on streaming services last summer — <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8518032/chance-the-rapper-juice-acid-rap-streaming-services">but he couldn’t get the sample on his track Juice cleared</a>. According to the artist’s website, <a href="https://www.chanceraps.com/shop/acid-rap-vinyl-pre-order">the vinyl pre-order of the mixtape is sold out and the website says it is shipping this fall</a> — however, it’s unclear if it has already shipped. It’s also unclear if the sample on Juice will be cleared for the vinyl release — but if it’s not, there’s no doubt that the not-so-legal cassette with the original track listing will be worth much more. Music administration has come a long way, but it’s also become more complicated. As <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8297506/drake-nice-for-what-lauryn-hill-ex-factor-samples-kehlani-cardi-b">artists sample samples of samples</a>, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-dj-khaled-explain-how-infant-son-executive-produced-new-lp-116467/">babies are given producer credits</a> and <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2019/10/07/lil-nas-x-cardi-b-sued-copyright-infringement-rodeo-2019">copyright infringement lawsuits over popular songs</a> seem to be frequently in the news, it’s unlikely that every album under the sun will be available to us at the press of a button any time soon. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marina-eckersley-857932">Marina Eckersley</a>, Dalla Lana Fellow in Global Journalism, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-toronto-1281">University of Toronto</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/music-collectors-seek-out-rare-albums-not-available-on-streaming-126488">original article</a>.

Music

Queen Elizabeth celebrates stamp collector society’s 150th anniversary with a grin

Queen Elizabeth was in her element as she visited the Royal Philatelic Society to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Philately is the study of stamps, postal history and other related items. The Royal Philatelic Society, according to this Instagram post by The Royal Family, aims to “promote the science and practice of the study of stamps as well as maintain collections of stamps”. The Queen is an avid stamp collector herself, as she has a collection that’s estimated to be worth AUD $189,291,500 NZD $199,885,605 and had a huge grin on her face as she was shown around the new building. Her stamp collection, according to Telegraph UK includes a rare Mauritian stamp valued at AUD $3.7 million NZD $3.9 million and the stamp went on display for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. She opened a new headquarters for the society, which is the oldest in the world. The Queen also met with architects, administration staff, supporters and young collectors who are busy working hard to keep the tradition of stamps alive. The nearly 93-year-old wore an eye catching sea blue coat dress with contrasting navy velvet trip by her personal dressmaker Angela Kelly. The look was accompanied with a matching hat. Angela Kelly has revealed a number of secrets from her 20 years of working with The Queen and is the first tell-all book to be sanctioned by her Majesty. The book is titled The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. Scroll through the gallery to see the Queen enjoy herself at the Royal Philatelic Society. Photo credits: Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5VN1P8H6Dn/">theroyalfamily</a>

Art

Why are humans such avid collectors?

From the time we were cave dwellers exploring our surroundings, there has always been something intrinsic about human nature that makes us love to collect things. Centuries later, as we ventured forth to discover news lands, collecting became the norm — as a matter of record — but also to reflect individual passions and a sense of place. Status and nostalgia In some circles, collecting has come to represent wealth and prestige, or in cases of largesse, philanthropy. In 2016, for example, French billionaire Francois Pinault announced he would donate his large private art collection worth more than $1.4 billion to a new museum in Paris. For us more budget-conscious folk, whether it’s stamps, porcelain dolls, rare records, coins, fine china, or vintage t-shirts, many of us are drawn to collecting items that say something distinctive about who we are or a time in our lives where our identities were forged. It's not hard to imagine a punk rocker who collects Doc Martens boots to pay homage to the 1980s. Indeed, collectibles are often steeped in nostalgia. They can be a link to our past, people we love, a bygone era we admire, or they may represent a hoped-for rags-to-riches find. There is something gorgeous about seeing a casual collector discover that something they bought for next to nothing could now fetch them a handsome sum. Who hasn’t heard the story of someone buying a work of art in a quaint old shop in the middle of nowhere, only to later have it valued and find it is worth a bomb? Gathering and observing The great thing about collectibles is that we can act as both gatherer and observer. Some of us love to do the gathering and some of us prefer to look at what other people are fascinated by. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of TV programs which scratch that itch, from The Collectors to Antique Roadshow to the late Peter Wherrett’s Torque, which was ostensibly about motor cars but one could argue it was about a collection of snazzy and not-so snazzy vehicles Wherrett wanted to show off. The psychology of collecting Such is our fascination with collectibles that some psychologists have asked why we have this urge. Those in the field of psychology seem keen to find the answer, and depending who you talk to, they will either assert that they have a pretty clear idea or that it’s still a subject for hot debate. Even Sigmund Freud had a theory about why we love collecting things — he thought it had to do with our need to feel like we have control over our environment, and that starts when a child begins potty training. Others psychologists agree collecting can start early in life. Psychologist Dr Rebecca Spelman says our fascination with collecting objects begins when we’re young. A fluffy blanket or favourite teddy bear teaches us that it is possible to have an emotional bond with an object. We then develop a positive relationship with the idea of holding on to and amassing material things. A more worrying theory about collecting is that there is a fine line between it and hoarding. Some people collect to deal with grief or a sense of loss in their life, which can turn into hoarding as this acts as a comfort and a way to keep the world out. A collecting community Collecting takes many forms and there are many communities to support it — some strait-laced, some more outrageous — which mirror and support these passions. However, it can also sometimes be difficult to find out important details or a valuation about a prized object. WYZA’s General Manager Scott-Bradley Pearce says a “fantastic old teapot” which belonged to his partner’s grandmother was rather a mystery for quite some time. “We had very little information about the teapot and it took quite some research for us to find out where it came from and about the maker,” he says. “The problem was that it was made in the UK and there were no local specialists in Australia I could find to value it.” If you could access an online collecting community, which included valuations, would you use it? And what other things would you need? Let us know in the comments below? Written by Robin Hill. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/wyza-life/why-are-humans-such-avid-collectors.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>.

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