Fine Art?

Is it Fine Art—or just fine art?

The lines are blurring, and the market is paying attention. The other day I had a conversation with a colleague, who asked me to name one famous artist, prolific in ceramics, as the individual did not consider ceramics fine art. I did not respond with the names of Pablo Picasso, Grayson Perry, Clare Twomey, Betty Woodman and more. The conversation highlighted that the definition of “Fine Art” has changed.

Once upon a time, “Fine Art” carried a certain pedigree: Old Masters, blue-chip names, and gallery provenance. Today? The term is expanding. Contemporary works, street art, digital pieces, and fashion collaborations are finding their way into auctions and serious collections.

What used to be dismissed as “decorative” or “commercial” is now being re-evaluated through a new lens—one shaped by evolving aesthetics, technology, cultural shifts, and globalized collecting habits.

As an appraiser, I’m seeing more crossover than ever:

 •   Murakami next to Monet

 •   Kehinde Wiley alongside Courbet

 •   A Banksy in a room full of baroque gold frames

It raises the question: Are we in the midst of a redefinition of value, or simply expanding our collective taste?

Either way, market perception is shifting—and so is the importance of context, provenance, and purpose when assigning value.