scents off senses
Standing on art markets is at the best of times a challenge, but this time, well let me tell you about it.
Scent of Seven Senses, is a beech wood sculpture made in 2012, and measure 39 x 29 x 7 cm.
It is very smooth even the wood is hard and finished with oil and wax.
This sculpture was used on the last art market as a bit of a try out to see how people value art.
People were asked what price they put on it after telling how long it took to make and that it came from a solid piece of wood.
All sort of interesting discussions came. It didn’t matter how long it took the artist to make it matters what people feel it is worth. Never saw this attitude elsewhere in the commercial market, but ok. People in shops etc usually don’t ask you what is it worth for you, so lets listen.
The prices people gave was and is well under the minimum wage.
holistic
It made me think. The work artists do has little to no value for people? Why is that attitude? How did it develop?
Over the last 21 years i have seen the art market changes and not for the benefit of the artists nor the customers.
A little stroll over the art market made me realise that most people there are not registered traders. It doesn’t mean they are not artists but they seem to sell for a different reason than making a living from it. Once you earn money with your trade you must register in The Netherlands, not when you do it voluntary (as a hobby).
The following article shows how this has been an ongoing problem for artists. You might use the online tools to put the fair price on your art, the fact stays that most people on the markets or in galleries will not pay it.
An alternative is seen on many art markets, the fast art, the faster you make it the cheaper you can sell it.
Yep, plenty of fast art around on the art market i attended, but wood can’t be easy made into fast art. DaBeArt has some small sculptures for a lower price, which we mainly sell on markets. It is an illusion that people will see the difference between the fast art and the slow art.
When talking to artists you see the frustrations we have and share. It seems to be a commercial artist you must leave your artistic expression behind and must adjust your skills to speed.
No more concessions from us artists in this case. The booked and paid art markets will be made into an entertainment for the artists not the passing public.
Here in The Netherlands they have a new name ‘verdien model’ the model for earning money. That model might no longer be art for DaBe
It made me think, will people be willing to pay for the Land Art Forest? ? ?
Perhaps give it an other name without art in the name? Perhaps not?
The aim of the Land Art Forest is to give something back to nature without a commercial aspect.
Still i need to eat and drink and also pay the rent and all the rest, is that too much to ask?
flow 9 it is all in your head
