You’ve probably experienced this: your friend tells you about a scandalous artist’s exhibition at a gallery. So, you go, stand in line for hours, buy expensive tickets, and finally look at the paintings — squiggles, circles, curves — and think:
“And this is worth $158 million? I could paint something like this for a grand!”
I hear this story at every party when I mention I’m into art.
And the funny part? The person isn’t entirely wrong.
They probably could paint something similar. Though, finding someone to pay a grand? That’s a stretch.
At that very moment, you start to feel like there’s some kind of conspiracy, a secret trick that makes art seem overly exceptional.
You glance at the art consultant in the corner, thinking about asking how these prices are justified. But their overly serious expression doesn’t exactly invite questions.
Searching online doesn’t help either, and ChatGPT’s vague explanations aren’t giving you the details you’re looking for.
So, you leave the gallery with a small but growing thought — maybe art is a scam after all.
How One Question Turns Art into a Scam
But here’s the truth: it’s you who made it exceptional, and that same process planted the idea of it being a scam — in that very moment when you asked, “This costs $158 million?”
That question immediately places art into two boxes:
- ‘Easy-to-understand’ — typically classic art, which you believe has value.
- ‘Confusing’ — usually modern art, or to some, a scam.
Because modern art confuses you, it makes you feel excluded, as if you’re not part of the “informed crowd.”
Psychologists call this Impostor Syndrome — the feeling of being out of place, convinced that everyone else understands something you don’t.
A small infographics to explain the psychological concept
And when we don’t understand something, we tend to reject it. Just like you start rejecting ‘confusing’ modern art.
If it were just one odd artwork, you could probably shrug it off. But no, there are more and more paintings, each with a price tag more shocking than the last.
With each one, your sense of rejection builds. Soon, you’re not just questioning the art itself — you’re questioning the world around you, maybe even your own job.
You’d think the story ends here, but here’s the twist: despite all the doubts, in 2023 alone, the art market hit $65 billion — that’s about the size of Slovenia or Myanmar’s entire economy.
This isn’t just random buying — there’s more to it.
Your Life Today is a Reflection of Art from the Past
Art impacts every part of life — yours and mine. It drives design, design drives innovation, and innovation changes our lives.
Think about it — your iPhone, with its sleek lines and minimalist design, is a direct result of Minimalism in art influencing technology. Take Donald Judd’s Untitled series, for example. His works emphasize form over decoration, stripping away excess — just like the iPhone’s sleek, minimalist aesthetic that would emerge decades later.
Cubism, on the other hand, broke objects into geometric shapes and showed multiple perspectives at once. You’ve probably heard of Picasso and his revolutionary works. This movement spilled into architecture as well, influencing designs like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, created by Frank Gehry long after the height of the Cubist movement.
The greater the impact of an artwork on the world, the higher its value. Art continues to shape society, and as it does, its market keeps expanding.
But here’s the thing: the true value of an artwork is often realized only over time.
The impact isn’t always clear at the moment of its creation — especially in the past when the internet didn’t exist to amplify and accelerate trends.
Unfortunately, this is why many artists of the past never got to witness the impact of their work during their lifetimes, as recognition often came long after they were gone.
Decode Artwork with The 5W Framework
So, how do you truly understand an artwork?
Here are two steps to start with:
- Remove labels — Forget about terms like expensive or cheap, beautiful or ugly. Let curiosity guide you instead.
- Treat art like a first date — Rather than asking, “Are you really worth $158 million?” ask, “What’s your story?” Just like you wouldn’t judge a person you just met by their appearance alone, art should be understood through its ideas, values, and experiences.
Like a person sitting across from you, every artwork carries unique characteristics, stories, and perspectives.
Once curiosity takes over, apply the 5W Framework by asking five key questions: When? Where? Who? What? Why?
Next time you question a painting’s price, try The 5W Framework. You’ll uncover more than just a number.
Let’s break down these questions to understand what they really mean.
- When? When was the artwork created? The time period is crucial. Knowing the “when” places it within a broader historical context.
- Where? Where was it made? The location reveals the cultural or historical influences that shaped the work. What political or social events were occurring at the time?
- Who? Who created this work? Understanding the artist’s background, influences, and style offers valuable insight. Were they part of an art movement? How did their personal experiences shape the piece?
- What? What’s in the artwork? Is it a landscape, portrait, or abstract piece? Identifying the subject is the first step in decoding the artist’s message. Pay attention to the hidden symbols within the artwork.
- Why? Why does this artwork matter today? Does it influence our lives in some way? What lasting impact has it had on culture or society?
By asking these questions, you open up a curiosity for any artwork — a curiosity that will stay with you.
Practice Makes Perfect
Let’s apply this framework to a few examples.
I. The first artwork to put the 5W Framework to the test is Claude Monet’s Boulevard des Capucines (1873)
This image is again from good old Wikipedia…
- When? Painted during the mid-19th century, when industrial growth and scientific advances transformed Paris into a modern metropolis.
- Where? Created in Paris during Haussmann’s urban renewal. The Boulevard des Capucines, depicted in the painting, symbolized modernity and bustling city life.
- Who? Claude Monet, a pioneer of Impressionism, captured fleeting moments with light and movement. His high vantage point reflected his interest in the fast-paced Parisian life.
- What? Blurred figures on a bustling boulevard, capturing energy and atmosphere over detail. Monet broke from realism, focusing on everyday life and spontaneity.
- Why? Impressionism reshaped aesthetics by focusing on light and movement. It influenced photography, visual media, and even modern social media’s obsession with capturing fleeting moments.
To a general audience of today, this painting might not say much without an analysis, but back to those time, it was radical and very brave to make such statement.
II. The second artwork to test the framework is Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain(1917)
This image is courtesy of Artsy — because where else to find a urinal that changed art history?
- When? Created in 1917, after the devastation of World War I. This period saw the rise of Dadaism, an anti-art movement that embraced absurdity and randomness.
- Where? Submitted in New York for an exhibition held by the Society of Independent Artists.
- Who? Marcel Duchamp, a leader of Dadaism and conceptual art. He used the pseudonym “R. Mutt” to test the art world’s openness to nontraditional art.
- What?“Fountain” is a porcelain urinal, but Duchamp didn’t craft the object but turned it into art by changing its context.
- Why? This work redefined art, paving the way for conceptual art, where ideas matter more than craftsmanship. It influenced movements like Pop Art and continues to push boundaries today.
This radical shift continues to influence how we perceive art today, leading the way into conceptual movements that challenge our understanding of creativity.
III. The third artwork to explore with the framework is Hannah Höch’s Cut with the Kitchen Knife (1919)
This image is courtesy of Smarthistory — because who knew a collage could cut through societal norms?
- When? Created right after World War I, during a period of political and social upheaval. Dadaism reflected the fractured world left by war, rejecting conventional beauty and logic.
- Where? Made in Berlin, Germany, during the unstable Weimar Republic. Höch reflected the socio-political turmoil and the clash between revolutionary ideas and conservative forces.
- Who? She is a prominent female Dadaist and pioneer of photomontage. Her work critiques both sexism and political instability.
- What? A chaotic photomontage made from newspaper clippings, photographs, and printed materials. It mocks societal norms and highlights the absurdity of politics and gender roles.
- Why? Höch’s work laid the foundation for feminist art and collage techniques. Her approach to critiquing media manipulation remains relevant in today’s information-saturated world.
“Cut with the Kitchen Knife” encapsulates the chaotic spirit of Dadaism, critiquing politics, media, and gender roles — a powerful example of how art reflects society’s absurdities.
What’s the Point?
With the 5W Framework — When? Where? Who? What? Why? — you’ve got a tool in hand to break down any artwork, get its context, understand its message, and see how it connects to the world we live in today.
Suddenly, art isn’t some distant, confusing thing — it’s a mirror reflecting the world around us and a force driving change.
“Okay, Antonina, but what do I actually do with this?”
Next time you find yourself standing in front of a painting or scrolling through a gallery online, ask yourself: What’s the story here? You might discover more than you expected.
Do this a few times, and this framework will become second nature.
You’ll begin to see history unfold through the brushstrokes, look smarter at galleries and parties while chatting about the latest exhibition scandal, and even start spotting which artists borrowed from others.
These insights won’t stop at the gallery door.
You’ll begin to notice how design works — why certain trends explode while others fade into obscurity. Art reflects the world, and by understanding it, you gain a clearer view of everything around you.
Exploring art is like opening Pandora’s box — ideas that have always pushed human progress forward spill out.
And who knows? Maybe it’ll spark a transformation in your own life.
Still not convinced? Just consider the massive art market — it’s comparable to the economies of Slovenia or Myanmar. Whether you see it as an investment or simply enjoy viewing, there’s something for everyone to gain.
And the best part? Art history might seem intimidating at first, but once you start, your understanding grows exponentially. Pretty soon, you’ll start spotting connections everywhere.
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