> The most culturally valuable artistic works are ubiquitous, the opposite of scarce.
Not so. Copies of those works are ubiquitous, but there is a singular, definitive work.
Name me a handful of world-famous works for which there are multiple, almost-indistinguishable but distinct copies.
The Mona Lisa has a few original alternates, and yet they pale in value to the famous one. Which itself, ironically, became popular famous mostly through being stolen (scarcity).
> Look at the top 100 most-paid artists of the last decade, and tell me how hard it is to find and appreciate their entire artistic catalogue for yourself.
> [Once Upon a Time in Shaolin] vs [Speak Now (Taylor's Version)]
Total artistic renumeration, especially in the modern period, is dominated by distribution volume.
But if we're talking about single work valuation, the Wu Tang album costs $2M.
Taylor's album costs $15.
That's the premium for scarcity.