Couple of days ago started thinking about selling artwork - why do it?
Throughout history the artist has by and large been subservient to wealthy patrons e.g. Medici. The artist has created artworks that are now collateral in our banks. These banks exist not for the safe keeping of our money but to maintain the status quo, a status quo where the gap between rich and poor is increasing. To take another slant, we proport that life is freer 'the free west' but we at every corner relinquish our freedom, for example the right to demonstrate. I can demonstrate but face possibly deportation, loss of earnings, and none coverage of any medical inquiry arising from demonstrating. I am labelled with many different numbers. My ability to live outside of society is near impossible. It is possible, many we regard as drunks, or drop outs, do live to a large degree outside the regulations of society. A society that is increasingly fitting into the model of a city life. The city with many regulations that control people to a much greater degree than in the countryside.
Now the artist is ever increasingly emulating the business man, or the corporate culture; web site, resume, corporate clients. Public Art, another slant, on how artists serve business. The site on which public art is placed increases in value. Artists themselves move into studios where they are a property developers dream, they again increase the property value and get kicked out for higher paying businesses to move in. Artists again another cog of the capitalist business model.
Even now after the financial crisis, governments are ineffectual in transforming the system to benefit the majority of the populous. There are many compelling reasons to support the financial industry but on a true playing field business that fail should be allowed to fail, (not thrown money at), therefore allowing better perhaps more cautious business to come to the forefront in the situation.
The artist a willing participant in this game of commercialism. I hate private views of my own work. I wait around chat to people, the power is not in my hands. Waiting around for someone to snap up my work. I will know nothing of this rich person who can do whatever they like with my cared for artistic babies. Should i now continue to sell my artwork? Let it be possible colateral in a bank vault? No, maybe I should just give them away to whoever I consider should have them. A real connection. A real exchange.
8 comments:
I make art/sculpture for a living.
If I dont sell my 'art' I am up the creek.
Ala Ross
Who are you making your art for? Yourself of others? If you need a rich person to buy your art, then maybe your price is too high and you might consider selling to the woman in the street at a market. We are society, we have a responsibility to change it ourselves if we don't agree with it, we can choose how to sell our work and not be famous in the process. But money is a necessary exchange basis and you will need money and pay for things too. And there are plenty of artist who do exchange their work or give it out for free. In that sense you are free to choose. If you know the gallery scene and don't like it you don't have to buy into it. If it means that you sell your work and have to be sociable than that is a choice you can make or not, but once you compromise a little make it your choice and accept some of the less pleasant consequences. You could always get a regularly paid job at a supermarket check out too...
I guess this all boils down to what your options are in terms of financial needs and ethical principles. You could always exchange your work for some other form of material goods that you need. ie. why not ask for materials in exchange for a work if cash transactions are so tough. We are all victims of the banking world and bad policy decisions. You have to find an outlet that suits your needs. Unfortunately, you make it sound as if you are not even sure of the legitimacy of your activity. Many of the concerns you reveal are common to all manner of professions, but most do not have the luxury of rebelling against the system of capitalism. I wonder what else you do outside of making art? Perhaps you can make work at home rather than use a costly studio. If you are worried about the validity of your activity, or need to put things in a more rewarding perspective, try reading Art & Fear - Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING' by David Bayles & Ted Orland.
I guess this all boils down to what your options are in terms of financial needs and ethical principles. You could always exchange your work for some other form of material goods that you need. ie. why not ask for materials in exchange for a work if cash transactions are so tough. We are all victims of the banking world and bad policy decisions. You have to find an outlet that suits your needs. Unfortunately, you make it sound as if you are not even sure of the legitimacy of your activity. Many of the concerns you reveal are common to all manner of professions, but most do not have the luxury of rebelling against the system of capitalism. I wonder what else you do outside of making art? Perhaps you can make work at home rather than use a costly studio. If you are worried about the validity of your activity, or need to put things in a more rewarding perspective, try reading Art & Fear - Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING' by David Bayles & Ted Orland.
I don't see where the conflict is. When selling art it is business as any other other. It is different but it is essentially a luxury good- buying a piece of somebody's mind.
Art is a lot more than that and you need to broaden your reach socially to ensure the stress is not all consuming.
The trap is being sucked into producing for the sake of the market only.
Hi again
I have nothing to do with the gallery scene, I have been insulted by gallery owners in the past 'Oh you haven't been to art school then, how can we call it art'. I got kicked out for disagreeing with her.
I sell all my work to the public via my website and take part in an open studios event each year.
I do churn some stuff out purely as a cash cow and price it accordingly. the stuff I enjoy most is when somebody has a a vague idea of what they would like but does not have the skills to make it, the dialogue and communication in realising somebody elses idea is a wonderful process.
I also get ideas that just have to be made, another rewarding business, whay did I have to make a giant plankton? Because it got into my head and would not go away. I usually sell the random things that get made like this.
When I first started doing this stuff it was thing that I just had to do, I can remember the buzz of selling my first piece of sculpture, and the mutual excitement of making my first commission.
I realised that somebody wanting to purchase an item because of it's intrinsic beauty not it's function is a massive compliment.
Alan.
www.artinsteel.co.uk
thank you for all your comments
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