About Steven Minnaar
Artist, Collector & Founder of the Minnaar Fine Art Library
I create, collect, and trade art to advance peace and freedom.
I am an independent artist and collector based in Southern California, and the creator of Minnaar Money — The Art of Freedom.
My artistic practice includes painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and conceptual art. I also enjoy discovering and collecting works by other artists, Readymades, found objects, and other things that capture my imagination.
Underlying everything I do is a belief that beauty, desirability, and value are matters of individual judgment.
I believe art should be experienced, enjoyed, and shared—and that our relationships with artworks should be free to evolve as our lives change.
That belief inspired the Minnaar Fine Art Library.
The Minnaar Fine Art Library — Forever Art
I created the Minnaar Fine Art Library to offer a different way of living with fine art.
Rather than requiring people to purchase an artwork to enjoy it, the Library makes eligible works available through refundable deposits in silver or its cash equivalent.
Choose something you love. Live with it for as long as you wish under the checkout agreement. When your tastes, interests, or surroundings change, return it or exchange it for another available work.
There is no predetermined return date.
I call this concept Forever Art.
My vision is a living collection in which artworks circulate among people who appreciate them, creating new experiences, relationships, and stories along the way.
The Library combines an online Catalogue with a physical location in San Clemente, California, where artworks can be experienced and exchanged by arrangement.
Forever Art. The Art of Freedom.
Minnaar Money — An Ongoing Work of Conceptual Art
I regard Minnaar Money itself as an ongoing conceptual artwork.
It brings together my original creations and works I personally select, including artworks by other artists, Readymades, and found objects.
Through a process I call the Minnaar Touch — The Art of Designation, I select an object and designate it as Minnaar Money.
Each registered Minnaar receives a unique identity, Certificate of Authenticity, permanent Catalogue record, and assigned Sovereign Value (SV).
When I select a work created by another artist, its original authorship and identity remain intact. My artistic contribution is the act of selection, designation, valuation, and incorporation into the larger Minnaar Money project.
Together, these works form a continuing artistic collection that can be enjoyed, preserved, and exchanged.
Sovereign Value — The Art of Valuation
Every registered Minnaar carries a Sovereign Value (SV) that I personally assign.
1 SV = 1 Troy Ounce of Silver
Sovereign Value expresses my individual artistic judgment. It is not necessarily an artwork's conventional market value.
SV provides a common reference for refundable Library deposits and eligible exchanges of privately owned Minnaars.
Library deposits are refundable under their individual checkout agreements. Sovereign Value itself is not a general promise of redemption for cash or silver.
Through this system, I explore how art, value, and exchange can become expressions of personal freedom.
The Philosophy — Sovereign Individualism
At the heart of my artistic practice is a philosophy I call Sovereign Individualism.
I envision a world of Sovereign Individuals who govern their own lives, respect the sovereignty of others, and live together peacefully through voluntary relationships.
I believe each individual has the freedom to decide what is beautiful, desirable, and valuable.
Art offers a wonderful way to explore these principles.
An artwork may mean something different to every person who encounters it. What one individual treasures, another may happily exchange. Neither judgment needs to be superior to the other.
Through Minnaar Money and the Minnaar Fine Art Library, I seek to make these ideas tangible through artistic creation, personal choice, and peaceful voluntary exchange.
The art is the medium. Beauty is the language. The philosophy is the message.
An Invitation
I invite you to explore the Minnaar Catalogue and discover artworks that speak to you.
Perhaps you'll find something you would love to live with for a few weeks, several years, or longer.
Perhaps your interests will change, and you'll discover something entirely different.
That freedom to discover, enjoy, and exchange is what the Minnaar Fine Art Library is all about.
Discover What You Love. Enjoy It for as Long as You Wish. Exchange It When You're Ready.
Steven Minnaar
Artist & Collector
Founder, Minnaar Fine Art Library
Forever Art. The Art of Freedom.