ART BLOG
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ARTICLES FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2009
Contributing Bloggers: John Harbinger Jr.and David Harbrenig
The National Endowment for the Arts: Bulletin about the Arts & the Economic Stimulus.
The Arts and Culture industry is a sector of the economy just like any other. Artists working as Painters, Sculptors, Artisans and Photographers pay their taxes from their earnings. A study by the NEA Artists in the Workforce, from May 2008, shows that there are 2 million trained, entrepreneurial Artists across the USA. These creative and talented people constitute a sizeable work force. Beyond the productive output they are assets to the community on various levels, providing social, cultural, educational and intellectual stimuli.
The National Endowment for the Arts is uniquely positioned to assist in job stimulation for the overall sector. A spokesperson for the organization has declared that “Arts Organizations have been hit enormously hard by the recession. Support from corporations has dropped and also foundations and municipalities have diminished their funding. We hope that the government will include a special package in the new stimulus plan for 2009. An infusion of funds will help sustain them, their staffs and the Artists they help and employ.”
Another recent study, this time by the National Governors Association states that “Arts & Culture are important to state economies. They provide direct economic benefits to states and communities. They create jobs, generate tax revenues, and stimulate local economies through tourism and consumer purchases.”
The NEA has the organizational ability to distribute federal funds quickly and efficiently to organizations of all sizes through grants, applications, panels and other channels. A review of NEA grants for 2008 revealed that for every $10,000 of grant money, 162 Artists benefited. Of 884 grants approved in NEA’s October National Council on the Arts meeting funding for projects of $403.8 million were discussed.
One example of the impact of the economic slowdown in Los Angeles is The Los Angeles Opera that has recently released 17% of its staff and has mandated a pay cut for all employees due diminished grants and funding.
Without Congress committing to appropriations that are commensurate with previous years, Artists of all kinds will find that there will be less opportunity to explore their respective fields, and less opportunity to live professionally form their Art.
We hope that the NEA, an independent federal agency in Washington DC, will have the lobbying power to convince our elected representatives of the important part that Art and Artists play in the well being of society.
Provenance is not just researching history of ownership.
Researching the history of ownership, or ‘Provenance’, of Art Works has always been important for understanding the historical, social, and economic context in which a work of Art was created and collected. Provenance also gives insight into the history of our tastes in art. In recent times, provenance has become the all important tool for establishing the authenticity of a work. Having documented records of the manner in which an artwork has passed through the generations helps determine whether it is the real thing or a fraud. Given the huge amounts of money that change hands for the great masters, the copyists and tricksters have many incentives to create their own ‘masterpieces.’
Documenting the identity of previous owners is often difficult to establish- especially if a painting has been in the same family for centuries (in which case there are no records of sale).
The secrecy often involved in Art Transactions of great value also adds to the difficulties when tracing back the lineage of ownership. Private Collectors prefer to buy and sell anonymously through auction houses and dealers on condition that their personal identity is protected. Moreover, many dealers and auction houses that were active during the 19th and 20th Centuries have long since disappeared, with their records.
For Art Historians it is rare to be able to fully document a complete history of ownership. Gaps in the past history of a work do not necessarily indicate that the work was stolen, or looted or even replaced. The historians work with the background material they have compiled, and together with their expertise of the painters style, brushwork etc make informed decisions as to the authenticity.
There is another aspect of the importance of ‘Provenance’ as an instrument that gives added value to an Art Work. I would like to illustrate this with an anecdote. A few months ago I read an article in the arts section of the Financial Times in which the Art Critic spoke of an auction he’d attended. He’d arrived late and, upon entering the room, he found the audience in rapturous applause. Taking a seat he turned to his neighbor and enquired about the applause. The person sitting beside informed him that a ‘Rockerfeller’ had just been sold at a record price. Looking to the catalog the art critic realized that, in fact, the work of a Contemporary Painter that belonged to the Rockerfeller family had been sold. The interesting point is that the Provenance had more value in that person’s mind than the work itself.
Another story I read recently reinforces this aspect of ‘Provenance’. In a recent auction sale another painting by a Contemporary Artist received a record price on the block. The painting belonged to Hugh Grant, the well known British actor and the buyer “was thrilled to have purchased something that belonged to him”. The article in question spoke more about the actor than about the qualities of the Art he purchases or the Artists who create them.
This bizarre aspect of these two incidences is that the history of acquisition seems to have more importance than the work itself.
How do you price your Art realistically?
It’s a hard task. It’s like asking a mother compare her child to the children of others. How can you realistically and objectively put a value on your own perfect creation?
It is only by distancing yourself emotionally from your finished work that you can give dollar value to emotional experience traversed during the creative process. Whatever has special meaning to you as the creator, does not necessarily translate into value for the prospective buyer.
First, understand and respect how the Art Business works and how collectors shop and buy. Take a step back and try to evaluate the significance and quality of your Art in relation to all other Art. Assess objectively your accomplishments and try to determine your position in relation to other Artists. Until you are able to do this with an open mind, it will be difficult for you to set realistic goals and set out on the road to becoming a professional Artist.
The most significant error artists make is to focus only that segment of the Art World that pertains to them. They pay too little attention to the rest, or even worse, dismiss the rest as irrelevant. If you get entrenched in this mind-set, your asking prices may make sense to you, but make little sense to the overall Art community. Be aware of the big picture, of what other Artists are creating, how it's being priced and marketed, and who's buying what for how much and why. The more informed you are, the better prepared you are to price your Art sensibly.
Avoid the pitfall of adding to the price the psychological travails you have experienced in the creative process. Your insights, pain, enlightenments are your business – don’t charge the buyers for them. If your Art is so important to you, some pieces are worth keeping in your own personal Collection and should not be up for sale at all.
Having said this, don’t place excessively low prices on a piece that has little or no emotive quality for you. Experienced collectors, who hunt for bargains, love it when an artist under-prices Art based on lack of feelings rather than on more objective factors. Consistency in pricing is a cornerstone of successful selling.
Do not confuse subjective opinion with objective judgment when comparing the quality of your Art to that of other Artists. Take into consideration with whom the others have shown, what reputations they have acquired, how long they’ve been active and how collectible they are. All these factors help to determine price. Remember, above all, the cardinal rule: your personal opinion about your own Art has little to do with your pricing and whether collectors will pay those prices.
And don't make the mistake of thinking that your Art is so unique that nothing else compares to it. All Art is unique. Every Artist is unique. Uniqueness, however, has never been and never will be the sole criterion for setting prices at any particular level.
Collectors are cost-conscious. They almost always compare work from Artist to Artist and Gallery to Gallery before they buy. By this method of comparison they improve as Collectors; they are more able to assess quality and fairness in selling prices. It is the ‘nitty gritty’ of good Collecting and every Artist finds himself/herself up against it at every level.
A reputable and established Art Gallery is fully prepared to explain its asking prices to anyone who asks. This is how the business end works. Dealers know that collectors are concerned about how they spend their money and, as a result, they have plenty of ammunition on hand when the focus of a presentation turns from Art to dollars.
Learn from the dealers. If you can, present documentation that you've been selling Art consistently for dollar amounts comparable to what you're now charging. The more records you have of recent sales through dealers, Galleries and agents or directly to Collectors from your studio, the better.
If you're a fledgling Artist, just starting out, and have not sold very much, price your work based on time, labor, and cost of materials. It is often the best way to go. So, set yourself a sensible hourly wage, then add the cost of materials, and make that your asking price. For example if canvas, paints and materials cost $60 and you have worked for 20 hours to make your Art (at $20 per hour –a reasonable wage for a skill), then you price the finished work at $460. Don't forget the comparables, though. You still want your final asking prices to be in line with what other Artists with similar credentials to yours are charging for their work. If you set your prices by comparison to others in your area and circumstances, make your comparisons based on what sells, not on what doesn’t sell. Being competitive is essential in any market no matter how disdainful.
The best way to encourage Collectors is to make sure that you're always charging the same or even a little less than what you determine to be the "going rate" in any given selling circumstance. For example, if you're in a Group Show or Exhibition, enter a piece that's priced competitively with those of the other Artists. Don't have the most expensive piece in the show; you want the viewer to be impressed by the Art not the sticker shock. You want it to stand out for Art reasons, not money reasons. Start reasonably and, in time, raise prices only after a consistent period of success when you have established proven sale.
As a last piece of advice we suggest that you have something for everyone in your Shows and in your Portfolios. Somebody who likes your work, but can't afford the big stuff should at least have the opportunity to come away with something. Perhaps their financial circumstances will improve later and in the meantime they are part of your Collector base and they will be following
your career. Maximize your exposure, create good will; get yourself out there. Look for ways to jump start your sales because without that first wonderful sale the rest cannot come.
An Artists thoughts on Art
“Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon. When we love a woman we don’t start measuring her limbs.”
“Like in life itself, so as in Art. People want to find a "meaning" in everything and everyone. That's the disease of our age, an age that is anything but practical but believes itself to be more practical than any other age.”Pablo Picasso
From the LA Art Show January 2009
The artlanow team spent the weekend at the LA Art Show in downtown Los Angeles at the Convention Center. The show ran from Jan 21 thru Jan25 with galleries from all over the USA, Europe and Asia representing some of the most exciting contemporary artists along side established names of the 20th century. It was encouraging to see such a large attendance and we’re sure that those who came to see the show were as enthralled and excited by it as we were. Los Angeles once again demonstrates that there are plenty of Art enthusiasts here and we noticed quite a few red dots among the Paintings and Sculptures for sale. For those of you who missed the show, we recommend that you take time for future Art shows of this importance – this one was a FANTASTIC show. We don’t want to single out work that we particularly enjoyed as there was just too much to mention. Among the lesser known names there were certainly some that will rise up to the heights of the Art World in the near future. Kudos to the organizers of the show and we look forward to the next one!
Who will be the next Picasso?
Beginning in the late 19th Century, and continuing throughout the 20th century until the present, Artists have been presenting the world with new innovative Art forms every few years. From Impressionism, Expressionism, Ffauvism, Surrealism, the Dadaists, the Minimalists, the Constructivists, the myriad forms of Abstracts (and all the others I’ve not mentioned), Artists have been challenging the way we see ourselves and the world. Each new ‘-ism’ has had its own leading proponents and its own followers.
Pablo Picasso stands out as the giant of 20th art because he was able to take from each of these new forms and create works that, while being conceptually innovative, were sensuous, spiritual and most of all beautiful. Whatever he did, whatever the immediate shock effect provoked, it is always the integral beauty of the color and composition that captures the viewers total attention.
Driven by the commercial aspects of a fashionable Art Market, Art Dealers and Contemporary Museums over the past few decades have been reduced to promoting ‘the latest conceptual idea’ as the best of the art world. Novelty, alone, is often the only distinctive factor determining the choice. Art must be more than a concept or an idea. The concept is only the starting point. The message, the idea or the statement must still be projected through the Art, and the Artistic input should not be just the pronouncement of the idea or message. Pushing the boundaries is great if there is a objective beyond the boundary itself, however, not so, if the purpose is just ‘new’ for ‘new’ sake
So, we wait while new conceptual ideas crop us every few years. A wave is set in motion and a new fashion in Art crops up, which speedily recedes when the next comes along. Fresh names and faces hit the headlines in the Art World only to disappear when their brief time is over. The next Picasso, the next giant of Art, will (like him), project his/her vision through a different prism: changing and enhancing the spectrum while protecting the inherent beauty of the light
Join an Art Association
We all have our own reasons for becoming Artists; we’re driven by passion, the need for communication, to have fun, to pass the time with a hobby, and even as a way to meet people. Whatever the motivation for taking to paints, crayons and easels the experience can become more rewarding and enjoyable by becoming part of an artists’ association or group. Apart from the online associations like ‘artlanow.com’ there are many established associations for Artists, Sculptors and Artisans in the Los Angeles area. These associations bring Artists together by organizing group shows, group activities such as ‘plein air’ excursions and trips to visits Museums and Galleries. Many also organize classes for their members taught not only by other group members but by outside masters. While the learning process should never stop, these classes act also as bonding experiences for the members.
Each organization has its own criteria for becoming a member. Most have a periodic juried selection process, whereby candidates for membership present their work and are either accepted or refused. Please note, that in general refusal does not disqualify an artist from re-applying in the future. The benefits of becoming a member of these associations are tremendous and we recommend that you check them out. Search on the net for Artists’ Collectives and Artists’ Associations near you- in the meantime here are details about some of the ones out there.
The Pasadena Society of Artists (been there since 1925) www.pasadenasocietyofartists.org The next membership exhibition is Jan20-Jan29 2009 at Whites Gallery in Montrose, CA. They have about 150 active members at the moment
California Art Club has hundreds of members from all over the state, and branch locations. The one for Los Angeles artists is at 75 S. Grand Ave. Pasadena CA 91105. They’ll be having their 98th Annual Gold Award Juried Exhibition at the PMCA in Pasadena from April16 – May 17 2009. www.californiaartsclub.org
SilverLake Art Collective has about 30 members of various disciplines and can be found at www.silverlakearts.com
Women Painters West is an organization for lady Artists only and can be found at www.womenpainterswest.org
Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) was set up to help local Artists promote their work. They have on-going Gallery space that is available to rent for group and solo shows and they help Artists by organizing events and promotions. They are located at Gallery 825 on La Cienega Blvd.
Check out also the Mar Vista Arts Guild over on 3870 Grand View Blvd. CA 90066. There are about 20-30 artists working there. They rent space in an old warehouse and organize exhibitions to sell their own work in a gallery situated at the entrance of the building. www.marvistaartsguild.org
Valley Watercolor Society is based in Northridge in the valley for Watercolor enthusiasts. www.valleywatercolorsociety.org
There are plenty more alternatives out there. Do a bit of research online and ask fellow Artists if they are connected to an Artists’ association or group. The more you are able to get yourself involved in the Artistic community, the more chance you have of getting your own special artistic genius recognized.
The new art critic will be Joe Blog
The bad economy is hitting everybody hard and the art market is suffering along with every other sector. While Art Collectors are counting their pennies, there are other influential contributing elements in the art world that are obliged to make cuts, deepening the gloomy prospects for the future.
News and events in the Los Angeles Art scene need to be seen and talked about. Getting the public interested in Artistic activities is very dependent on the press and, with so many newspapers and magazines on the verge of bankruptcy this is a propitious time to talk about what happens to the Arts if printed news disappears. What happens to Art in Los Angeles if the Los Angeles Times shuts down?
Of course every vacuum in the market is quickly filled and, as we all know, the main reason that newspapers are under so much financial stress is because of the web. News coverage is everywhere-and for free! Blogs have already successfully absorbed Arts coverage. An Art critic for a recognized journal, no matter how informed, can only give his/her opinion and what are blogs-if not opinions without the fancier name of ‘critique’? Writing about Art will always be appealing; there is an aura of glamour to it; the Gallery Openings, new exciting concepts, the Artist personalities -people will do write ups.”
Of course without payment it is difficult for an art journalist to do the job. Newspapers depend on income from sales ads and distributions to pay salaries, but these are not factors that can sustain a paid position to write about Art on the internet. So, as the old ways –the dinosaur papers- exit the public forum, new upstarts will spar for the Art lovers’ attention. Look out in the future for the mega bloggers who’ll keep us informed about what’s happening in Los Angeles Art.
Life is hard enough for LA Artists. There is an organization that is there to help you….
This is for all you starving artists and the rest who’d like to find some way to throw in the day job and dedicate themselves only to their art…AND PAY THE BILLS.
The Center For Cultural Innovation at 244 S. San Pedro St. #411 in Los Angeles (CA 90012 has low cost business courses and other programs designed to help local artists advance their art, develop their ideas and increase their financial independence. For more info call the center at Tel: 213 687 8577 or go to the website at www.cciarts.org. The courses, that are part of a program called Benefit Opportunities for Artists, teach, among other things, marketing and self promotion in the art world, money management, legal issues and project financing and management. In addition to classroom training, students who take the ‘Business of Art’ courses participate in counseling sessions with leading arts and business professionals.>
The next ‘Business of Art’ courses will begin in April 2009. There might be something there for you. Anyway, check it out.
The Center For Cultural Innovation is sponsored by a whole bunch of local businesses and public facilities, including the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural affairs.
Titanium White, Zinc White or Titantium-Zinc White? What’s the deal?
In general Zinc White is a cooler, harder white than Titanium. It has been the traditional mineral base for white oil for centuries. It has a tendency to yellow in oil and because it is only semi-opaque it is a great for transparency over a darker color. It is excellent for mixing, giving very clean tints.
Titanium White oil colors, suitable for Artistic purposes were not produced until the early 20th Century because the titanium pigment (titanium dioxide) was difficult to manufacture. The tone (the mass tone is the technical term used) of titanium white is a little warmer than zinc white and lies somewhere between zinc and lead white. It has a tinting strength that is superior to zinc white and will dry quicker.
Because Titanium White, alone, dries to a spongier film, manufactures of Artists’ oil colors always blend it with zinc white in various proportions. The blend of the two eliminates the spongy effect because zinc oxide tends to dry to an opposite hard, brittle film. The blend gives a combination for better quality more suitable to an Artist’s general use and helps annul the tendency of the zinc white to yellow in oil. A mixed white where Titanium is primary gives good opacity and better consistency to the surface film.
Are Online Artists’ Exhibition and Sales Sites Effective?
There is no doubt that more and more consumers are turning to the internet to make purchases of all kinds and, correspondingly, the number of websites selling art and offering exhibition space is growing yearly.
On any given day thousands of Art works are for sale on some large sites, even on eBay, and the choice for Art lovers and Collectors is seemingly limitless and mind boggling.
The good news for Artists is that internet sales of art are growing. The number of Art works sold is increasing every year and, even more exciting is that the median sales price is going up too. Art is an integral part of e-commerce.
Most discerning Artists look for oversight by Collective Websites where quality standards of content are maintained. They look, too, for sites combining the good content with guarantees of secure payments and refund policies. These financial aides have helped the online Art Market to acquire a positive reputation for buyers and sellers.
Almost all websites offering Exhibition Gallery space do so, either for monthly or yearly fees, or on a commission basis paid when Art works. Most of these sites are open to Artists worldwide on the supposition that we are in a global economy and therefore all ‘consumer products’ (including art) should be in the global store window. While this statement may be true, some of the larger ‘worldwide Art stores’ are very much overstocked and have little quality control.
From the financial aspect, collective Artist’s Websites are a great deal for the Artists. The yearly fees are no where near the price of one (low budget) painting sold by the Artist and the commissions, if applicable are, in general, less than the 35%-40% taken by ‘real’ gallery owners on actual sales.
Real physical galleries still play a very important role in the Art Market, but their role is more dominant and more prominent in the high end. Well-heeled buyers, who are prepared to pay a lot for art, often prefer to trust the judgment of a “qualified” art expert than to buy according to their own taste. Galleries and Gallery owners acquire reputations and buying from a reputable Gallery can give added value to a painting once purchased. The Gallery becomes part of the provenance.
Due to the place these ‘real’ galleries occupy in the Art Market, competition between Artists for ‘real’ Gallery space is fierce. In a physical Gallery there are tremendous overheads to meet; rent, utilities, city administration charges, employees, property insurances and other costs. Real Galleries are limited in number because in order to sustain themselves owners must continually make sales to meet their costs and the risks are high. This is the all important factor when selecting which Artists they represent. Sales are essential to meet the monthly expenses.
The internet is rapidly gaining ground in the Art world because, on it, artists have unrestricted exposure with very limited costs and virtually no risks. There is no competition for wall space since cyber space is without boundaries. The doors of the gallery are never closed and Artists are able to bypass the intermediary scrutiny and criticism of the physical Gallery director and go directly to the Art Collector.
Art lovers and Art Collectors, too, have understood the advantages of buying on the internet. Most people have limited budgets for Art purchases and they are prepared to spend time on the net browsing for the right Painting or Sculpture at the right price.
All the info and statistics show that the internet is becoming THE place to shop for just about everything and Art is no exception.
Here are some tips about how to approach Galleries with your work.
First, take look around at the Galleries nearby and see what they are currently exhibiting. Get a feel of the style, the place and the space. When you’ve chosen a few locations that you feel will suit your work, take your portfolio, a CD of your work, a folder, and your contact info card with website addresses and go to the Galleries to request a formal appointment with the owner or director. Having one or two originals on standby in the car is also advisable. Asking for a future appointment shows that you understand that the person’s time is precious and you respect that. By arriving at the Gallery in person, you have more chance to get a response for an appointment than by phoning in or by email. If, by chance, the owner/director offers to speak with you right there and then, you conveniently have something show with you. Don’t rely on employees to transmit news of your visit to their bosses. Ask an employee when the owner/director will be on site and return personally at that time.
Believing in your Art and your talent is important but you need to understand that Exhibition space is limited. Your personal approach, determination and persistence (NOT PUSHINESS) supporting your Artistic talent can give you an edge over other Artists vying for the same space.
If you do get a formal appointment to present your work at a later time, arrive on time with several originals and make a confident presentation. You should be prepared to talk about your work and yourself as a person. Don’t be dejected by rejection; it is a tough world…….
Remember some galleries have specific submission procedures that are often posted on their websites. When you have chosen which Galleries to visit, check out their websites to see if this is the case. If you’re applying to one of these, follow the procedures as closely as possible.
It is NOT a good idea to try to capture a Gallery owner’s interest at another Artists Opening. Their energies are focused, quite rightly, on somebody else that day.