Fine Art and Contemporary Art

Chico Fine Arts Gallery is the only art gallery in Chico focusing primarily on fine art, but what is meant by "fine art" is not always clear. Consequently, we thought it would be helpful to write this blog for our Chico clients to clarify the difference. Generally, fine art is art that has stood the test of time. The artists are often deceased yet even in their passing the artwork left behind has become widely recognized as exceptional through the consensus of experts and the marketplace.

Comparatively, contemporary art is often produced by artists still active within their careers, some of whom are either unknown or just beginning to be recognized for their artistic merit. However, all art contains a subjective quality that opens the door to whims of fashion that may cause art that is popular today to become unfashionable and ultimately forgotten by the art world. In the age of the internet, the precocious nature of fashion are magnified and the desire, on the part of buyers and art critics to be on the cutting edge of new trends can lead to wild fluctuations in the popularity of contemporary art. This popular contemporary art may lead to substantive changes in art generally, as was seen with Picasso's cubist style or with impressionist movement. However, it may also eventually be seen as little more than the emperor's new clothes.

Time is generally the factor that allows popular contemporary art to be recognized, or not, as fine art. Sometimes that recognition is universal, as seen with the works of artists like Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, or Monet, and sometimes that recognition comes in smaller circles. The world is a big place and even with the information superhighway, it is extremely rare for an artist to attain the universal and lasting recognition seen with the works of Michelangelo and van Gogh.

The focus of Chico Fine Arts Gallery and its parent gallery, Richard C. Frey Fine Arts, has always been on acquiring original works of art by artists whose recognition has stood the test of time. Some of these works have come from widely recognized artists, such as the Dutch artist Rembrandt, French art deco sculptor Chiparus, and American artists Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, and Ansel Adams. Others are from artists whose recognition is large but still growing, such as Madge Tennent, whose works are well known and sought after in Hawaii, and William Henry Clapp, a California artist.

Additionally, in amassing the Chico Fine Arts collection, Richard Frey has occasionally acquired original works of art from artists who are completely unknown but whose works nonetheless demonstrate exceptional and substantive artistic ability. These latter works are some of the best values for the average art afficianado because while the artwork is original and exceptional, market demand has not driven up the price.

In summary, all fine art began as contemporary art. Consequently, it goes without saying that the emphasis by Chico Fine Arts Gallery on fine art is not a condemnation of what is contemporary. However, with fine art the likelihood of financial appreciation is greater and the likelihood depreciation is less. In the end, what is important in terms of art is what speaks to you personally, regardless of whether it is contemporary or fine art.