The default, most striking example is Van Gogh—but even that is very relative. How does the market decide on art? Of course, it may be unfair that talented musicians are shut down by the FSB (although they become popular), or unfair that there are provincial artists whom nobody knows about. Tell us about art under an ideal ancap. How does the market decide on art?

Yan Libertine

The ability to create, that is, to invent and produce something that did not exist before, will be valued by those who find what currently exists insufficient. Van Gogh’s tragedy was not that he dedicated his life to creativity, but that his form of self-expression was in low demand among his contemporaries. It is his sacred right to create what he wishes to create, using what he has acquired through legitimate means. However, if he wishes to sell the fruits of his creativity to someone, he will still have to find someone willing to buy it.

A characteristic of many creative natures is their impracticality. Van Gogh himself claimed that a painter’s worst enemy is the art dealer. A creator working on commission considers their own vision far more important and significant than the opinion of the client. It is not surprising that this quite often leads to conflicts. A creator working by the call of inspiration often does not even consider who might need the result of their work or why.

But everything I just wrote about creators can also be applied to an entrepreneur. Similarly, instead of working for a boss, they venture into the free market, assuming that their product will be more in demand. They say nine out of ten companies close after their first year of operation, so the market is no more merciful to entrepreneurs than it is to artists. Both act under conditions of future uncertainty, assuming they know better than others what people need and how to provide it.

But, besides entrepreneurs who wish to directly create something new, there are people who wish to help in the creation of the new. Artists are helped by patrons. Innovative entrepreneurs are helped by venture capitalists. Some are driven by the desire to earn from breakthrough projects, believing their intuition works better than the market average. Some are obsessed with the idea of making the world a better place. Some are driven by vanity. Some simply have warm feelings for the creator. Van Gogh, for example, was helped by his brother Theo.

The attempt to organize state support for creators instead of private patronage leads to the appearance of stifling monstrosities like the USSR Union of Writers, the USSR Union of Artists, and the USSR Union of Composers. Choosing between pop art and opportunistic art, I would still prefer pop, although I would prefer not to choose between these two options at all, since the world is infinitely more diverse, and adhering to the mainstream is by no means mandatory.

Especially since technology has already largely neutralized the factor of provincialism, as the internet is global. The tools for monetizing art under ancap will, for the most part, be the same as they are now. This includes eBay, Patreon, or even something like DeviantArt—in short, it’s impossible to list them all.