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Steve Gray
Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 1569
Location: Geelong
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 Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:32 am Post subject: Art Buyers who are they? |
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an article on buyers of art seemed like a useful topic to explore, let me know what you think. It's a starting point to build from.
http://artstuff.net.au/?p=772
Feel free to make comments on the site too.
Last edited by Steve Gray on Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chrissy D
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: Queensland
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| Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:40 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| I think that is what every (emerging) artist wants to know. Well me anywaz. There needs to be research and studies done through arts organisations such as Australia Council on this, rather than focusing on "Who are artists" and writing books like "Don't give up your day job"....I think this is a vital piece of market research someone/body needs to tap into. It would sure help. At times I feel we are painting blind. |
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art8dave
Joined: 01 May 2006
Posts: 1333
Location: Sydney
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:40 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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As a general observation..... I often hear /or read artists comments about how much they believe in what they are doing, how passionate they are about their art, while this may be true, there is a false belief that this alone is enough to motivate someone to buy their art....
This deluded sense of entitlement never ceases to amaze me....
Maybe they are deeply passionate about their creative process, creating art for the sake of art is an end in itself. I don't think any amount of market research is going to direct an artist to make better art, just another commodity.
The relationship between artist and client is far more complicated and subtle than producing something to fill a potential gap in a niche market.
As an artist and buyer of art I need to feel a connection with the artwork ( whether that is purely aesthetic or otherwise) before I open my wallet and put down my hard earned dollars.  |
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Steve Gray
Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 1569
Location: Geelong
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:16 pm Post subject: Re: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| art8dave wrote: | As a general observation..... I often hear /or read artists comments about how much they believe in what they are doing, how passionate they are about their art, while this may be true, there is a false belief that this alone is enough to motivate someone to buy their art....
As an artist and buyer of art I need to feel a connection with the artwork ( whether that is purely aesthetic or otherwise) before I open my wallet and put down my hard earned dollars. |
Connection to the work, connection to a person who is passionate about what they do... Great points.
I like you also find the statement "Passionate about what they do" a little hard to take, and I guess it comes a bit from the "talent shows, Idol, dancing shows, aust's got talent... etc. The contestants are often heard saying "Just give me a go, I am really passionate about it!" oh really, passionate about bad singing you can't stop doing it... but not passionate enough to get a vocal coach... interesting.
It's a thin veil, I prefer to see people just produce and keep on, proving by their actions they are passionate and therefore "committed" to what they do. I guess we in Oz call this a quiet achiever. |
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marri
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Posts: 267
Location: Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:55 am Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| "I don't think any amount of market research is going to direct an artist to make better art, just another commodity" - plenty of artists paint stuff they have no attachment to, or passion for, rather creating a commodity they know will pay the bills. The attachment/passion pieces accumulate in their garage. |
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Duchess
Joined: 07 Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Location: New South Wales
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:01 am Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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I found the following quote from the above mentioned article somewhat vexing: “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like…”
Oh that there will come a day when real aficionados of fine Art can afford to buy our artworks!!!! |
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Chrissy D
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 1053
Location: Queensland
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| Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 10:38 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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It is a guessing game of subjective opinions one will never know the answer to or get right, or find out and then realise that they are already behind the trend. Its like to to guess "what women want" it changes all the time.
Having said that, my comment about market research is not so that we artists can taylor our creations to what people want, rather just to get an idea if we should stop hoping will will 'make it big' because what we are producing is what the public wants or is looking for. For me it would be a case of "well I paint landscapes but portraits sell...well now I can stop waiting in the hope my paintings will sell because people want portraits ..." I am not going to start painting something I don't want to just because the market research has found people want X,Y and Z. Though yes, it would probably cloud my vision and I would second think what I want to do.
But like I said, there is so much info now about who are artists, and knowing all the studies are resulting in the fact that artists tend to work 2 to 3 jobs, part-time, are underpaid in the industry etc. Ok, now we know stuff about us, lets find out about our clients. Just like any other business who does market research, it is harder for artists to survey/poll/collect data on the public as randomly or even organise questioning may not be received favourably by people. |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:51 am Post subject: Re: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| Chrissy Dwyer wrote: | ...For me it would be a case of "well I paint landscapes but portraits sell...well now I can stop waiting in the hope my paintings will sell because people want portraits ..." ....
But like I said, there is so much info now about who are artists, and knowing all the studies are resulting in the fact that artists tend to work 2 to 3 jobs, part-time, are underpaid in the industry etc. ... |
And isn't it just so refreshing (not) to read yet another article confirming that making a living as an artist is near impossible no matter what.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/why-youll-never-make-a-living-as-an-artist-20100816-126vs.html
(Side note: I was one of the artists surveyed for the report mentioned, and my art sales have dropped since the survey ) |
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Stefan Maguran
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 2314
Location: The Outsiders Festival State
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| Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:06 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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And we just had as Minister for the Arts a guy who was closest to the profession.
Better to be a politician. |
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Stefan Maguran
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 2314
Location: The Outsiders Festival State
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:41 am Post subject: Re: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| Stefan Maguran wrote: | | And we just had as Minister for the Arts a guy who was closest to the profession.. |
And yet one of the least successful arts ministers in a long time. I think millionaire rock star is a different experience to most people in the arts. |
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Stefan Maguran
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 2314
Location: The Outsiders Festival State
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:10 am Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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My point, precisely.
I think a political solution would be required to attempt to solve the problem, but because of the competitive and back-stabbing nature of the industry, no-pokies like causes have more chances of success. |
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AvG
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
Posts: 1912
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| Stefan Maguran wrote: | | the competitive and back-stabbing nature of the industry.... |
I don't know what experiences you have had to come to this conclusion, but I have to say from my own personal experience that is far from being the case.
Not to say that there aren't competitive, back biting nasty people in the art world, I'm sure there are as they are in other industires. And perhaps OI am just fortunate but my experience has more been that people are interested, generous and supportive more often than not. |
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Stefan Maguran
Joined: 22 Jun 2008
Posts: 2314
Location: The Outsiders Festival State
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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| It's not so much about my experience, which has been very short and good so far, but I did not compete for Gallery representation or grants or prizes, which is where the competitiveness an backstabbing mostly takes place. |
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Boris01
Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Posts: 228
Location: Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 10:55 pm Post subject: Re - Art Buyers who are they? |
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to think , there'd be "competativeness" in an art competition ( for a prize ) !
who'd a thunk it !
and backstabbing in regards to gallery representation, grants and prizes ?
how do you know "thats where this kind of thing mostly takes place" if you just said you havent tried for any of it ?!
I'm with Amandav - most of my experiences have been great, alot of helpful, interested , generous and supportive people in the arts industry as far as I can tell, and those that arent are either incompetent or completely lacking knowledge ( or just morons ), but I've yet to see in all my years as a working artist any vindictive or knowingly mean or evil behaviour
on the "where's the buyers" question ...
not a problem Im in a hurry to help any other artist solve - purely a commercial decision to ensure the continued success of my "business", I aint tellin anyone my buyers phone numbers or postal addresses |
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