Day 226– November 21, 2014

There’s no money in art, except for the hundreds and thousands of dollars the artist spends of his or her own money. This week, I spent over a thousand dollars on LEDs and more on computers and power supplies. Sadly, I don’t expect compensation for materials and the outlay draws down my dwindling savings.

People like art, but in an abstract and playful way, not in a let’s-pay-for-this way as they would to buy a latte. So art remains last in funding. What money arrives often dribbles out to pay for paper, glue, and paint. Last is salary for the artist.

In the sciences, companies hose out money for a second centrifuge or racks of disposable pipette tips. Even more science dollars are squandered on ancillary goods like company logo’d bags and fancy lunches. To earn a lot, scientists are expected to spend a lot, because science is complicated.

Artists, well, they only need paper, glue, and paint. And to live, well, they sleep four to a room and create out of love, or drugs, don’t they?

New Year’s Eve marches closer. With the end of the year comes the delivery date for my Triangles art project. The venue announced no money for installations. The promoter may have some cash but I should prepare for little.

I’ve already spent the money as well as my time. This has been good experience building a large art piece. I am trained not to build another. I’ll return to my expensive scientific experiments and leave the glue and markers to the artists. Who needs art anyway?