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154 Conclusion
attributed to these objects on the basis of production costs. as
in other markets. and. only to a small extent. on the basis of
the costs of merchandising them. Instead. value is attributed
entirely on the basis of evaluations of quality by experts.
including critics. museum curators. and. to some extent.
eminent collectors.
Therefore. if something is sold at a high cost to collectors who
purchase the item with the anticipation that it will appreciate in
value over time. that object has passed through the initial stages
of artistic definition and has a good chance of continuing to be
regarded as art. If. on the other hand. the article is not consensually
defined as carrying significant investment value ancLbr due to
its physical characteristics is difficult or impossible to collect and
pass on to another owner. it is not a good candidate for artistic
legitimation.
The status characteristics oj producers are also important factors
that contribute to or impede the movement of an object or
actiVity into the category of art. "Fine" (elite. conventional. studio)
art is creator oriented (Lewis. 1972: 201-art is what (certified)
artists create and their productive endeavors are the dominant focus
of critical attention. Cultural artifacts purposefully produced
by "professional" artists-in the sense that artistic production is
their major source of income (Manfredi, 1982: 63-65) and selfidentification
(Becker. 1982: 95-99)-who have gained some degree
of reputation in the art world are likely to be defined as
"authentic" art (MukeIji. 1978: 356). However. the more anonymous
the creator and the lower his or her £ocial status. the lesser
the likelihood that the result of his or her creative undertakings
will be certified as art by representatives of the conventional art
world and presented as a viable candidate for appreciation. 1
Similarly. the social status and class position ojthose who collect.
consume. criticize. or otherwise attend to the cultural arti­
Jact promotes or impedes the process of artistic definition. 2 If
those who enjoy a high degree of social repute and hold positions
of power (academics. the wealthy. acknowledged art critics. "cultured"
members of society. and so forth) discuss an object. collect
it. present it in settings they control. offer learned critiques of it.