This Thursday, Art Basel Miami Beach gets under way, as do the vast number of alternate fairs, and the entire design section that has emerged as a compliment to all the art.
It remains to be seen what the effects of the economic downturn will have on the fairs - and the hype. Stay tuned.
Tim Noble and Sue Webster, $, 2001. Image: ps1.org
‘‘Today I’m standing in a house full of art,” says Alan Roth, 33, publisher of 944 Magazine and president of TAI Entertainment, a party promoting and marketing company. “I can’t believe I have all this work.‘
Check out this article from the Miami Herald on local “starry-eyed” collectors HERE.
We can’t help but wonder how long these collectors will remain “starry-eyed” and what they will do in the inevitable shakedown. Weak work will suffer, while strong work will remain strong.
New York art collectors Herb and Dorothy Vogel, whose phenomenal collection was borne of a true fascination with art.
Image: nj.com
Read the full article on the Vogels HERE.
At a time when there are so many artists, so many dealers and so much creativity in general, we also wonder why artists feel the need to enter the market in the first place? For many artists it can be a huge compromise - an almost Faustian bargain.
Why not keep your day job, make the art that you want to make and opt out of the commercial gallery system altogether? Gallery representation shouldn’t necessarily be such a strong goal for artists…should it?
Andrea Carson writes on contemporary art, architecture and design...
7 comments ↓
In my view, an Artist’s day job is to make art, a dealers day job is to provide and maintain the market to facilitate art-making as a day job.
Yes there are many dealers and many artists, and they each explore and contribute to a different dialogue within the art world. To think that pulling back, not offering art for sale as an option is totally absurd to me. Collectors don’t just buy because they have money, they buy because they enjoy the experience of an artists work.
The idea of stewardship and patronage exists at every monetary level and provides artists the ability to pursue ideas and work that provides us a different understanding of the human experience.
I think statements like, “Why not keep your day job, make the art that you want to make and opt out of the commercial gallery system altogether? Gallery representation shouldn’t necessarily be such a strong goal for artists…should it?” insinuate all sorts of false stereotypes that should not be reinforced, especially that commercial galleries only sell work that is made to sell, gross.
Ok, I know…I wrote that to be a conversation-starter. And I agree with your comments. I don’t think that no art should be for sale. I’m thinking about a) the importance for an artist to be extremely serious about what he/she does, and b) the level of commitment necessary. What’s wrong with someone who just wants to make art, just making art without becoming a commercially-oriented artist? For their own, and their friend’s pleasure..
So what would you say IS the level of extreme seriousness/ commitment necessary to just make art for the pleasure of oneself and one’s friends? Is that like saying we were never being boring?
level 7
level 11
Gross is right. By your logic, why should any person passionate about their chosen field even try to find themselves a singular way to live off (and with) the (financial) rewards they might receive for hard work?
I wasn’t sure whether vomit or tears was the appropriate reaction when first reading this.
Then, I saw this interview with Mary Boone: http://www.artfagcity.com/
thanks, Nigel!
Well said Wil.
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