Janet McAllister: A juggle of taste, price, rarity

Janet McAllister. Photo / Greg Bowker

As any useful economist knows, we act like crazed superheroes, not rational decision makers, when using our powers of purchase.

Take my approach to two outdoor sculpture exhibitions this summer: I'm so used to seeing free visual art that I wasn't prepared to pay $15 to go to the NZ Sculpture Onshore exhibition in Devonport. But I happily went along to the Headland: Sculpture on the Gulf exhibition on Waiheke Island because it was free. Yet in order to get there, I had to buy a $33.50 return ferry ticket.

Would it have made a difference if I had known that Onshore was showing 89 sculptures and Headland only 39? Probably not. Headland promised a more unusual experience - the sculptures are on a 2.5km walk; they have elbow room. It helped I had been before and enjoyed it; I have never been to Onshore. (But then again, with that silly attitude, I'm never going to allow myself to go.)

However, I may not have gone to Headland had the price of exhibition entry been $33.50, with a free ferry ride thrown in. In the accounting divisions in my head, transport seems like a necessary expense - even when its sole purpose is art - whereas paying for art itself seems indulgent. As I said, not entirely logical.

But is paying for art any more indulgent than other entertainment expenses, like rock gigs or eating out or going to the pub? Arguably less so. Yet I can pay $30 for a round of drinks with friends on impulse without a qualm, and they'll quite happily drop $80 on a favourite band, while we all need time to consider before forking out $33.50 for dance or theatre.

Possibly, dear reader, you are the same. But I'm thinking that's topsy-turvy, now that we have 100 Fringe shows and 40 Auckland Arts Festival shows to choose from. Plus visual arts exhibitions which are, yes, free.

Deciding what to go to can be rather stressful in a mini-Stendhal Syndrome kind of way. We are offered a cornucopia of delights but won't be able to partake of them all. To complicate matters - albeit in a good way - festival events vary wildly in price, from free events to around $15-$25 for most fringe shows, to (a surprisingly low) $30-something for most C reserve seats and $80-something for most premium seats at the arts festival.

When I'm not reviewing, prioritising is a juggle of taste, price and rarity. I might favour certain international acts, not through any cultural cringe but because this may be their only visit ever. But I won't go for the best seats in the house; instead, I'll save some money for New Zealand acts. But do I favour favourite performers or do I leap into the unknowns?

Maybe we could have our cultural cake and eat it too by scrimping elsewhere: forgoing a new dress is worth about three fringe shows or two B-reserve arts festival seats. If I stop drinking milk in my coffee, maybe I could afford an extra fringe show or C-reserve seat. If I stop eating cheese, Xerxes at $187.50? A premium seat, here I come. Yes, when saving through quitting, dairy products are the new cigarettes.

And those friends at the pub will just have to meet me at home or for homemade sandwiches in the park.