CLASS

Class:

- a social stratum sharing basic economic, political, or cultural characteristics, and having the same social position: Artisans form a distinct class in some societies.

-the system of dividing society; caste.

-social rank, esp. high rank.

-the members of a given group in society, regarded as a single entity.

Most people who are born onto any class stay within that class for life. Since I was born into a “middle class family, I will likely be middle class, unless I win the lottery or marry a very wealthy woman. (Both of which may happen at any moment.) The work that I do with clay/ceramics is tied to my history as a baker and a cook. It is also very much influenced by my having been raised in the country. I appreciate simple rustic things, and that is what I strive to create. These objects I make are meant to be in someone’s home or kitchen. I can imagine them living in a mansion, or castle, but they would likely be more at home in a small house or cottage. My work is made intentionally for any specific class. Since most of my friends and family are in the lower-middle class, this is where it ends up. I do not have any objection to people who create things for the upper class; it is just not what I do.


Then there is the polar opposite:

NEW YORK (AP) -- A sculpture of a stainless steel heart hanging from a golden bow sold Wednesday for $23.6 million, becoming the most expensive piece by a living artist ever auctioned, according to Sotheby's spokeswoman Lauren Gioia.
The bright magenta "Hanging Heart" sculpture is considered one of Jeff Koons' most important works.
The previous record for a living artist was Damien Hirst's "Lullaby Spring," which sold for $19.5 million at Sotheby's in London in June. Hirst's piece was a stainless steel cabinet containing 6,136 handcrafted and painted pills.
The Koons work was bought by the Gagosian Gallery, which had picked up his "Diamond [Blue]" sculpture for $11.8 million at a Christie's auction on Tuesday.
"Hanging Heart," nearly 9 feet tall and weighing more than 3,500 pounds, is from Koons' "Celebration" series, inspired by celebratory milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries. The "Diamond [Blue]" also is from the series.
"Koons is an artist who doesn't allow compromise, and 'Hanging Heart' is all about making an impossibility possible," said Tobias Meyer, head of Sotheby's contemporary art department.
The sculpture was offered for sale by a private American collector and had a pre-sale estimate of $15 million to $20 million. Its sale price included an auction house commission.