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In considering the reality of selling art in a contemporary world there are many things to consider but the main one is that the art has to be a product people want to buy. Once that is established the most obvious thing to do is make the art AVAILABLE and visible to anyone wanting to buy .... pricing it accordingly and then shipping it promptly.
The artist Duane Keiser created a model that works BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY is that in RECREATING an art business model he broke the mould of how to make art pay......
duplicating Duane Keisers approach while it may work in the short term DOES confirm for me that people want original art Duane's words about selling price.......he makes an interesting point that i agree with.
I’m beginning to think that painters are harming themselves by not pricing their paintings to move. Even if the work sells for less than what we feel it is worth, I think selling a painting is always a good thing: for starters we get the satisfaction of knowing somebody is appreciating our work… and they won’t appreciate it any less just because it is affordable. Also, the painting is now in someone’s home (rather than in storage at the gallery) on a wall serving as an advertisement—an advertisement we got paid for. Lastly, and more importantly for our prices, a momentum can develop… the more we sell, the more collectors we have, the larger the mailing list gets, the bigger the openings, the more demand there is for the work. Then maybe prices start to rise again but this time the rise is based on a real, honest demand that we understand and know. The prices might even go beyond what they once were in the first place (so our collectors are happy again with their investment.)Galleries or no galleries, I think we need to adjust our thinking about this just like we are beginning to adjust our thinking about art and the Internet. Frankly, I’m still wrestling with many of these questions myself and would be interested to hear what you think.Interestingly enough in this interview the journalist makes a valid point regarding the MAIN difference.....Now artists can sell directly to consumers, using blogs or auction sites at
prices more affordable to would-be collectors. The result: More people are making a living as artists, more people are buying art, and more art is selling at a wider spectrum of prices.
3 comments:
Wendy I really like the point made about pricing our art to move... and then letting the natural course of demand raise the value and therefore the price of your work.
I think about the gentleman who does the paintings of ice cream cones and sandwiches who with a humble beginning began selling them for $50.00. They gained in popularity and now they go for $700.00 and up along with the demand of his fans and collectors.
Seems practical and makes good sense. Thanks!
Everyone wins if the art is priced to sell. The artist gains validation through the sale and has a check, along with a new client. People love to tell friends about the new, original art that is enhancing their home and word of mouth is still the best advertising around. The new client may now have an elevated status in his circle because he owns an original, bought directly from the artist, while their art purchases have been done at department stores, from a clerk who probably was just transfered from the shoe department.
Great points and pricing to sell is something I've tried to follow for years. The galleries can be a strong ally in getting your work out to collectors. But, if you want to make X amount for a painting, you have to raise your price X amount because of their take. It's almost like working for the mafia.
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