Overview of the contemporary art scene?
June 3, 2023 12:14 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for an overview of the contemporary art world that answers questions like:
How does someone go from art school to selling a piece for six/seven figures? How many works of art will a gallery sell in a year? How predictable is success in the art world? How do gallerists scout new talent?
Some other questions I'm interested in:
What's currently valued? Social impact? Beauty? Technical innovation? References to previous works?
How competitive is it for gallerists and artists? Is there a lot of turnover in the gallery scene, or a standard path for aspiring art gallery owners?
How much does what school you go to matter? Is it like Law School where unless you go to a certain school there's basically no chance you go to BigLaw?
Some other questions I'm interested in:
What's currently valued? Social impact? Beauty? Technical innovation? References to previous works?
How competitive is it for gallerists and artists? Is there a lot of turnover in the gallery scene, or a standard path for aspiring art gallery owners?
How much does what school you go to matter? Is it like Law School where unless you go to a certain school there's basically no chance you go to BigLaw?
Eh. Scratch that second link. Might be useful but take it with a grain of salt. The author owns SoHo arts club but is also studying it in that paper which is interesting to say the least...
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 2:17 PM on June 3, 2023
posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 2:17 PM on June 3, 2023
A search on Quora: How does art marketing work?
I read Michelle Gaugy on Quora
I listen to the Art Problems podcast with Paddy Williams. SHe does a great job of imparting her wisdom to "mid-career artists who want to grow their careers."
posted by cda at 4:16 PM on June 3, 2023
I read Michelle Gaugy on Quora
I listen to the Art Problems podcast with Paddy Williams. SHe does a great job of imparting her wisdom to "mid-career artists who want to grow their careers."
posted by cda at 4:16 PM on June 3, 2023
How does someone go from art school to selling a piece for six/seven figures?
It helps a whole hell of a lot if you start out rich.
If you don't, then it's basically a combination of hard work, schmoozing, and winning the lottery. Most artists do not win the lottery.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 4:22 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
It helps a whole hell of a lot if you start out rich.
If you don't, then it's basically a combination of hard work, schmoozing, and winning the lottery. Most artists do not win the lottery.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 4:22 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I highly recommend HBO's "The Price of Everything" documentary.
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:01 PM on June 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:01 PM on June 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
The art/gallery world is highly competitive and unpredictable, and subject to having good social and economic connections, while also tied to luck, timing, and talent, in no particular order. I used to know a gallery owner who specifically worked with young/emerging artists. He was very concerned about young artists' training and educational credentials; those from good art programs and/or the ability to write and articulate well about their work and position their work with respect to historical and canonical markers were easier to introduce to collectors.
It's a very hard world to make a living in, let alone succeed in. Schools matter. Location matters. Connections to other artists matter. Serendipity matters. I have friends who are established international artists with medals, awards and significant commissions on their CVs who still struggle to make a steady living. There's a "machine" you have to participate in that pays for gallery representation, curator salaries, shows, marketing and memberships. There are buyers/collectors at all levels, and they are often in it for their own egos, as much as supporting the arts. The artists and gallerists I know are in it for the sheer love and need to create or support those who do and definitely not because they see a guaranteed path to financial success.
posted by amusebuche at 10:25 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's a very hard world to make a living in, let alone succeed in. Schools matter. Location matters. Connections to other artists matter. Serendipity matters. I have friends who are established international artists with medals, awards and significant commissions on their CVs who still struggle to make a steady living. There's a "machine" you have to participate in that pays for gallery representation, curator salaries, shows, marketing and memberships. There are buyers/collectors at all levels, and they are often in it for their own egos, as much as supporting the arts. The artists and gallerists I know are in it for the sheer love and need to create or support those who do and definitely not because they see a guaranteed path to financial success.
posted by amusebuche at 10:25 PM on June 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
When I studied I did an in-depth look at Land Artist* Andy Goldsworthy's education and eventual success (after a long time making barely enough to live on – not even to buy film! to record his often very ephemeral works). *Land Art largely starred as an anti-gallery movement,
Education was Bradford U (fine art) and Preston College (a small tertiary inst. north of Manchester.), but well-known teachers and invited visitors included David Nash and Richard Long. Andy also met Joseph Beuys, Michael Heizer and Robert Smythson early in his career.
Andy’s approach and methods are very earthy, and hand-craft based - blood, grass, heat, wood, wind, cold, leaf, stone, tide, feather, fire.... From his youth Goldsworthy worked as farm labouer in north England. To a degree his work has been despised by the art world with many critics writing off his work as only ‘craft’ and not ‘art’. This also reflects the UKs class system snobbery. One needs a thick skin to be successful, and stubbornness/self-belief.
Much work is very land/natural materials-based - and usually shown outside, often relying on selling books and imagery of the works – as the works are often not around for long. Commissions for built works came later and started to include gallery spaces.
While he is well known now and much in demand this has involved a lot of networking and travelling.
I do not know Andy, I'm just very familiar with his works.
posted by unearthed at 12:05 AM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
Education was Bradford U (fine art) and Preston College (a small tertiary inst. north of Manchester.), but well-known teachers and invited visitors included David Nash and Richard Long. Andy also met Joseph Beuys, Michael Heizer and Robert Smythson early in his career.
Andy’s approach and methods are very earthy, and hand-craft based - blood, grass, heat, wood, wind, cold, leaf, stone, tide, feather, fire.... From his youth Goldsworthy worked as farm labouer in north England. To a degree his work has been despised by the art world with many critics writing off his work as only ‘craft’ and not ‘art’. This also reflects the UKs class system snobbery. One needs a thick skin to be successful, and stubbornness/self-belief.
Much work is very land/natural materials-based - and usually shown outside, often relying on selling books and imagery of the works – as the works are often not around for long. Commissions for built works came later and started to include gallery spaces.
While he is well known now and much in demand this has involved a lot of networking and travelling.
I do not know Andy, I'm just very familiar with his works.
posted by unearthed at 12:05 AM on June 5, 2023 [1 favorite]
There are really two different art worlds. The business side of the highest-end art world that you describe has been best described by the sociologist Sarah Thornton, in her book Seven Days in the Art World. This world is extremely fickle and difficult to break into.
The business side of the art worlds that are more realistic for most artists to break into are described in books like Lisa Congdon's Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist and Cay Lang's Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist (The Insider's Guide to Exhibiting and Selling Your Art).
posted by mortaddams at 5:57 AM on June 5, 2023
The business side of the art worlds that are more realistic for most artists to break into are described in books like Lisa Congdon's Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist and Cay Lang's Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist (The Insider's Guide to Exhibiting and Selling Your Art).
posted by mortaddams at 5:57 AM on June 5, 2023
Here’s the wikipedia entries for the art market and art valuation.
Sotheby’s Institute of Art, which was founded by the auction house but is now separate, also offers a MA in Art Business in New York and London, which I think is going to have a more commercial focus compared to a fine art or art history degree, although many of the good degrees (eg Courtauld) will teach their students how to navigate the market.
posted by ec2y at 1:54 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sotheby’s Institute of Art, which was founded by the auction house but is now separate, also offers a MA in Art Business in New York and London, which I think is going to have a more commercial focus compared to a fine art or art history degree, although many of the good degrees (eg Courtauld) will teach their students how to navigate the market.
posted by ec2y at 1:54 AM on June 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by AnyUsernameWillDo at 2:06 PM on June 3, 2023 [1 favorite]