The value of art without value

Hayden Vernon | Times Literary Supplement | 26th June 2017

If an artwork is damaged is it still art? Not if, according to art insurers, it cannot be repaired for a reasonable cost. In some cases the damage may be scarcely visible. All of which makes for an odd dividing line between art and everyday objects. “Totalled [written off] art is no longer considered art because it has its market value removed, but it can be otherwise unchanged when the damage is superficial.”