All that glitters is not gold!

A thought struck me this morning as I pondered the racks of clothing items for sale - particularly the stuff with gold sequins sewn on! It struck me as very relevant to art as well. 

When you visit sales, what's on offer is very often all the items that didn't sell very well. 

Below were observations this morning - related to clothing. 

• all the very loud colours - the colours that you can spot from 50-100 feet away! Dayglo is an especially hard sell!
• all the really boring colours - the ones which make you disappear into 'neutral' walls (there was a wall of pale grey tops against a pale grey wall)
• anything which is too dominating (gold sequins anyone?)
• the very small sizes (they're often overly optimistic that the young things that are that size will shop in the same stores as me - and I'm 70!)
• the very big sizes (they still don't realise that while it's good to offer bigger sizes, it's stupid to do this for clothing that simply does not suit bigger people!)
• the special offer at a very high price - which never sold and still doesn't sell even thought they've halved the price
• too old fashioned / too contemporary - either end frequently do badly

Lots of gold sequins - UNSOLD!

Tips for Artists

If you think about it, this recipe for leftovers on the shop floor is not that dissimilar to the observations one might make at an end of an exhibition.

Very often, to make a sale you have to make people happy. They cannot walk away and ignore something they really like. I've lost count of the number of times I've thought "I would have bought that - too!" for items which have already got a red dot.

I find that what often gets left on the wall are:

"Look at me" artwork

• paintings in very bright and/or dayglo colours
• any subject matter which is very "look at me" - which is not what you want on most domestic walls because of the potential for headaches
• paintings which are far too big for most domestic settings

"Don't look at me"

• paintings which look very insipid because they are so muted
• paintings where you notice the frame more than the painting
• everything that's just plain boring (the opposite of "look at me")

Market and product prices - out of sync

• ALL the paintings which are overpriced
• ALL the paintings which are in the wrong exhibition / wrong location
• most of the paintings which looks the same as most of the other paintings i.e. they lack a clear and individual style which is attractive rather than outlandish

Next time you're in an exhibition

Here's what I do:

• walk round the exhibition
• note what has sold
• sit down and describe the characteristics of what has sold in simple visual terms + price

Next review what's left on the walls. 

• See if you can pick out the artwork which is very unlikely to sell to those that will see it.

FINALLY - Check back online after the exhibition has finished and see if your observations and assumptions match up with what has happened in reality.

I get very consistent patterns in most exhibitions I visit. 

Plus I also see lots of very good paintings which should be walking off the walls - but for the fact that the artist has not researched the market re pricing.

The LinkedIn Services Page - for Artists, Art Societies and Art Teachers

I've just created a Linked In Services Page associated with my Linked In Profile. 

• It's not yet finished as I think need to do more 
• plus it could do with a few reviews from people who've experienced my writing, teaching, talks etc

I'm very much still feeling my way around this aspect of LinkedIn and hence this is by far from a comprehensive expert commentary on the topic!

However it got me thinking about how artists can use LinkedIn to develop their career paths and business income.

Why I developed a Service Page on LinkedIn

I have to say

• I'm happy to say I provide services 
• BUT I'm not into aggressive marketing 
• because all current activities must be fitted in around 
• the exercise I need to do on a daily basis to keep the arthritis from getting worse and 
• yet more surgery for those joints which have already failed 
• plus I'm now semi-retired (and 68!) and slowing down following my initial early retirement and heavy duty blogging / website development career about art.

However I'm not averse to taking on clients - both organisations and individuals - with new assignments. (see my Would you like me to help page on Art Business Info for Artists - which explains how it works and provides a form for contacting me)

Katherine Tyrrell - some media examples on my NEW Services Page on Linked In

BELOW I'm going to discuss and comment on

• What is a LinkedIn Service Page? - which is mainly a commentary on me trying to find my way about!
  

PLUS what are the benefits for

• Artists on Linked In
• Art Societies on Linked In
• Art Teachers on Linked In

and later this week I'll highlight MORE about:

• Some Do's and Don'ts about Linked in - or how to make the most of it!

What is a LinkedIn Service Page?

I can do no better at the moment than highlight what the website tells us about the service page. As I said I'm still finding my way around and opening a new tab for each useful looking page and then trying to work out how they relate to one another

This is the link to 

• the Services Page - information
• Create a LinkedIn Page - note it's about a business not a person (it's a bit the same as the way Facebook works)
• Get started as a service provider on LinkedIn

Service providers can create a Service Page on LinkedIn. Service Pages are free dedicated landing pages that showcase services and businesses, and operate on a request and proposal model. Potential clients can contact providers for free, regardless of connection degree.

In general, the steps to work with a service provider on LinkedIn are:

• A potential client searches for a provider on LinkedIn or through the Services Marketplace. When the client clicks on a provider, they're directed to the provider’s Service Page.
• The client submits a project request (request for proposal) to a provider.
• The provider responds with a proposal to express interest in the project. Your response time average from the past 180 days will be displayed on your Service Page if you respond to inquiries within 24 hours, and your response rate average will be displayed if you respond to at least 80% of inquiries.
• Once the client receives a desirable proposal, the client and provider agree on the terms of the project and the provider completes the work.
• Payment for project completion happens through the service provider’s preferred process, outside of LinkedIn.com.
• The provider can invite the client to write a review.

These are links to the tasks involved

• Create a LinkedIn Service Page
• Access your LinkedIn Service Page admin view
• Add media to a LinkedIn Service Page
• Link your Service Page and LinkedIn Page

plus maybe you're in the market for a service from somebody else

• Get started shopping for services on LinkedIn

So this is my LinkedIn Page BEFORE THE SERVICE PAGE

The red line highlights the offer - to showcase services

This is my LinkedIn Page BEFORE THE SERVICE PAGE.

It invites you to click on the link to see the Service Page - however while signed in I can only see the Admin version - and I want to see the version that other people see!

Artists on Linked In

You may be surprised to know that there are lots of artists on Linked In.

Artist of the Year Gallery: Artwork for Sale

This year the Artist of the Year team at Storyvault Films Ltd (SF) have developed the offering to artists past, present and future by creating a website which enables pod artists to sell their artwork.

It has some good points - and some significant weaknesses on the finance side - but nothing which cannot be addressed. Better sooner rather than later.

Artist of the Year Gallery Website - Home Page

What's on the Gallery Website

You can see:

• the artists - Artists are listed in order of their appearance on our programmes, most recent first. However not all artists are participating - partly because this is a new initiative and partly because some artists will have existing arrangements for selling their art which they won't want to compromise.
• the artworks - are produced by artists who have participated in the programmes - but not all artworks have been produced for the programmes. 
• The How It Works explanation
• Terms and Conditions (very important) - The Terms and Conditions need to be accessible via a PDF printable document for Artists to file - for the record - which they are not at present.

It's an interesting proposition because one of the things many artists struggle with is selling their artwork online - which is much less straightforward to do properly than people might think.

Consequently, just as any artist has to who is trading online and distance selling artwork has to do, this SF ecommerce operation MUST comply with all the rules and regulations around

• trading law and regulations 
• e commerce law and regulations 
  
• VAT on Art

(Note: These links go the relevant pages of my Art Business Info for Artists website)

BUT IF they're doing everything properly (see below), this site could be a BIG saving in time and effort for an artist in terms of mastering all the ins and outs of online distance selling of artwork! 

I haven't checked the site out thoroughly for ALL the aspects in detail but I assume they've done the wise thing and had 

• an expert ecommerce lawyer advising on what they must do and cannot do - and 
• an expert ecommerce adviser telling them what's the best approach for an operation like this.
• a VAT expert checking to make sure they got all the VAT aspects right.

However on a quick review, I ended up feeling a bit like "a party pooper" as I have reservations about whether SF have been wise in the approach they have adopted to 

• robust and secure monetary transactions / payment processing
• money laundering regulations for art galleries / dealers / agents
• VAT liability, transactions and associated documentation

At the end you can see how it works. 

Immediately below is a summary of the financial weaknesses I spotted which I think need addressing.

Social Media - Recommended Images Sizes in 2023

For all those using social media for their art - particularly those who use it for social media marketing - it's absolutely ESSENTIAL to know what are the best images sizes for use on the different platforms. 

It's simply NOT a case of one image fits all!

I always look out for the posts which provide this information on an annual basis and Hootsuite provides one of the best.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read and bookmark/file Hootsuite's 2023 Social Media Image Sizes for All Networks [CHEATSHEET]  by Karin Olafson and Tony Tran - as I will be!

The most recent image size specifications for different social media networks, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.

It provides:

• this quick summary image for different types of format and different platforms 
• PLUS infographics with much more detail for individual platforms.
• AND detailed written information and advice and tips for every type of image possible

Source

As it highlights - and as I have found out from bitter experience over the years - trying to find the "best" image sizes for different uses is very far from easy. As they say.....

It doesn’t help that information about official dimensions and image sizes is harder to find than a civil discussion on politics on Facebook.

The post is comprehensive and provides the following

• Quick social media image sizes
• Instagram image sizes
• Twitter image sizes
• Facebook image sizes
• LinkedIn image sizes
• Pinterest image sizes
• Snapchat image sizes
• YouTube image sizes
• TikTok image sizes
• Why is it important to get social media image sizes right?

Their infographic images for every platform are excellent and provide detailed pixel sizes for every format on every platform.

Plus they provide lots of detailed written information - for each platform - about;

• what size to upload - including recommended sizes and minimum sizes
• what resolution to use
• maximum file sizes
• how different platforms will resize your image 
• what image size will display
• PLUS lots of additional tips for making your social media marketing more effective.

It's very much one of those articles which is worth printing off and pinning up next to your desk - or at the very least bookmarking for reference.

One cautionary note

Following the advent of AI, I'd caution it's even more important than it has been in the past to only post images of your artwork at a size you are comfortable with.

Plus ALWAYS keep the original of your image at its original size and filed away as a record of your art-marking. That way if you ever want to get into a "discussion" with somebody who has nabbed your image and used it for their own benefit outside the fair use / fair dealing copyright conventions then you have a basis for disputing that it was their image in the first place. 

For more about what to do in the event of copyright infringement - see my page What to do about Copyright Infringement - for Artists on my website Art Business Info for Artists

__________________________________________

NOTE: Hootsuite is a social media management platform which has been around for a long time in social media times. It was created by Ryan Holmes in 2008 and is based in Vancouver. It's commonly used to manage social media messages to multiple social media platforms. It's no surprise to me that it is now regarded as an industry leader and is used by 25 million customers! 

Hootsuite provides a suite of social media tools is built to simplify your marketing, accelerate your sales, and streamline your customer service

How one dog artist markets for commissions

How do you market commissions if you make or aim to generate most of your income from commissions?

This is a question which applies to very many artists whether they draw or paint adults, families, kids or their dogs or cats - or other creatures.

Yesterday - on my long walk around my local huge (prizewinning) park - I spotted this in The Hub Cafe.  

As a result, this post is about how one dog artist (Ryan Hodge) markets his work as an artist who produces dog portraits - and the lessons that others can learn from his exemplary marketing practices.

Woof Portraits

I also spotted several things which were, to me, obvious good practice

• an example of the work of the artist
• a business card which contains all the contact details
• a QR Code (quick response) for scanning and finding out more quickly
• good presentation of content and information - so no need to bother the cafe staff with questions
• plus an ideal location - in the centre of major dog walking territory

I was intrigued so looked into the set-up a little more - which is why it's now getting a blog post.

I have to say the website I found is a model of good practice in terms of keeping things simple but presenting everything potential clients need to know and do in a logical way

Tax Tips for UK Artists - a Zoom Talk

Two weeks ago I delivered a Zoom Talk to recent art graduates about "Tax Tips for UK Artists" - and walked them through the process of starting out with their tax affairs with the HMRC and what they needed to do. 

You can find out what the Talk covers below.

Any art society or group of artists who'd like to me to deliver a Zoom Talk can get in touch with me via the Contact Form at the end of my 'Would You Like Me to Help Page' on Art Business Info for Artists. 

As well as preparing the Talk, I've also been updating the pages on my Art Business Info for Artists website about

• UK Tax Tips for Artists
• UK: Self-Assessment Video Tips

Both of these contain much of what I cover in the Talk - plus HMRC Videos explaining specific aspects of importance.

Tax Tips for UK Artists - the Zoom Talk

The talk covers

TALK: Introduction to Retirement and Pensions for Artists

If you are a creative living in the Greater Manchester area and want to grow inbusiness confidence, you may be interested in a Zoom Talk I'm giving for the Islington Mill WEAVE Summer School

 

Islington Mill WEAVE Summer School

Islington Mill has an ongoing commitment to artist education and development. 

 

WEAVE is a free business support programme for Greater Manchester based artists, creatives and SMEs. I'm afraid you can't enroll if you're not based in the Greater Manchester area

 

The Summer School has been produced with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Summer School is a 4-day series of workshops and masterclasses, that are free to attend for participants of Islington Mill’s WEAVE programme. New participants are welcome to sign up at the event for free to enjoy our full programme across the week.

The modules have been chosen and developed through conversations with the Islington Mill community and are designed to support creative individuals and organisations. Whether you are a freelance performer yet to fill in your first tax return, a mid-career artist, or maker with an established business, we have classes to support your development and help you grow in confidence.

TALK: Introduction to Retirement and Pensions for Artists

My talk is going to be about one of the aspects most people don't think too seriously about when younger and some sadly don't at all until it's too late.

A career as an artist does not come with a pension plan - you need to think about how you will cope financially when you need to retire. Katherine Tyrrell will talk you through the basics of pensions for artists including why it's absolutely essential to think about later life and pensions from the beginning of a career, paying NI and some of the myths about how to fund yourself in later life and why these can be very risky.

This workshop aims to:

• Get you thinking about planning for your retirement and pension planning
• Point you in the direction of relevant reading material
• Help you find places where you can get more advice
• Provide a starting point for discussions with expert advisers

 

Zoom Talks for Summer Schools

I've started getting back to normal post sugery and clearance to start walking again - but it's slow going. 

However one thing that's been very odd is that I've had lots of requests for Zoom Talks and help for individuals in the last few weeks. I was giving a talk last night and this one next week and then another one for a prominent arts organisation in August as part of another summer school.

If you're interested in a Zoom Talk on a variety of art busines topics, read this page on my Art Business Info for Artists website first and then contact me via the form at the bottom of the page.

If you have a Summer School focused on business matters for artists and would like some wider exposure you can always try messaging via my Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/artbusinessforartists

 

POLL: What was the best place to sell your art in 2021

I'm going to revive my monthly opinion polls in 2022. On the whole, I think they provided some very useful feedback for both professional and amateur artists and those who aspire to do more with their art - particularly in relation to the business side of art activities.

Most polls have continued in terms of 

• either charts of the results on this blog (see below) 
• or ongoing live polls on my Art Business Info. for Artists website

I'm starting the year - an the monthly polls - by reviving polling about the best place to sell art. I've run this a number of times and had interesting results each time.  

MOST PROFIT: What was the best place to sell art in 2021?

My first topic is PROFIT

• WHICH place/option - which generates sales of your art - also generates the most profit?
• the "most profit" might be due to e.g.
• LOTS of sales - even if the profit margin between income and expenses is low
• VERY LOW EXPENSES - so that all sales max out your profit
• HIGH VALUE SALES - which make you a lot of money - even if expenses are high

You can find the Poll below

Below the Poll I explain what platform I've used to generate it and anything else you might want to know

POLLS PLATFORM

My previous platform (CrowdSignal) no longer works for me, so I'm switching to Google Forms. I've just spent a lot of this afternoon learning how to use them for Polls of this sort - but may not have got it right! Do let me know if you run into any problems.

Don't worry, I've set the poll up so that no personal data (like emails) is asked for or collected. 

With any luck we should get a result which indicates the three most popular options for generating PROFIT in 2021 (i.e. income you generated for an option less the expenses associated with that particular option)

I'll also be putting this Poll on my website Art Business Info so that it can continue to collect data on the most profitable places 

You can also find the poll on this page too How to Sell Your Art

Previous Polls

Below you'll also find links to the poll results in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012

• 2014 - Most Revenue or Best Profit? What was the Best Place to sell Art in 2013?
• 2014 - POLL: Selling Art in 2014 - Is the best place for generating cash the same as the best place for making a profit?
• 2012 - 2012 Poll Results: What's the best place to sell art? (Part 1) - this reveals 4 places where (1) the most money & (2) the most profit were made from selling art in 2011/12.
• 2012 - What's the best place to sell art? Trends in selling art 2008-2012: (1) direct from the studio; (2) via third party galleries ad art societies.
• 2012 - The Best Place to Sell Art - (Part 2 More Trends Trends in selling art 2008-2012: via temporary venues and online websites.
• 2011 - What's the MAIN way you have sold art in the last 12 months? (Poll results)
• 2010 - What's the MAIN way you have sold art in the last 12 months? (Poll Results)
• 2010 - What's the best place to sell art? Trends in selling art 2008-2012: (1) direct from the studio; (2) via third party galleries ad art societies.
• 2009: MAM Poll (August) results: the MAIN way you've sold art in the last 12 months
• 2008: What's the MAIN way you sell your art? - The Results.

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp down - what did it mean for artists?

Is it time to think about whether your art business is independent of social media - or too dependent on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp?

Facebook Outage on Downdetector

I'm guessing that quite a few businesses around the world are reassessing how they do business on social media after the major outage for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp yesterday. 

3.5 billion people/companies were left twiddling their thumbs - and inspecting Twitter and Downdetector on a regular basis!

hello literally everyone

— Twitter (@Twitter) October 4, 2021

Of course once upon a time, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were three separate entities - but if anybody needed telling they all belong to Facebook, they'll know full well after yesterday. (Instagram was acquired in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014).

For lots of people their whole business model lost its profile on the internet - and associated sales.

Bear in mind previous outages lasted not much more than an hour. As we went past the two hour mark, it was very apparent that what had caused it was really serious AND they didn't know what hd happened and how to fix it. The corollary of this is that next time it could be days.....

There's quite a few artists reappraising how they use social media to market their art on the internet after yesterday. 

Such as Jim

Plus there's quite a few articles pondering on what happened and whether it was a bit of a wake-up call.

Here's some of them - which you can read at your leisure.

• Are the arts too reliant on socials? | ArtsHub (Australia) - which HIGHLIGHTS the Pros and Cons of the different social media platforms - and why you need a presence if you want to promote your art online.

As the internet went into panic and outage memes showered Twitter (one of the only social platforms still working), users were left re-thinking their daily reliance on social media accounts.

Over the past decade social media has transformed the way artists interact with each other and their audiences. It’s opened a wealth of opportunities, and platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become essential spaces for emerging artists to share and sell their work.

But this relationship between art and social media is complicated. Why? Because art pushes the boundaries, and social media enforces them.

• Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Suffer Worldwide Outage | Billboard - which highlighted the implications for whether this mega social media group can be allowed to continue. Right on top of allegations that Facebook has complete disregard for the harms that some of its products can do to some of its users. My expectation is that this incident will have rollout and repercussions which Facebook might not like....

It also showed that, despite the presence of Twitter, Telegram, Signal, TikTok, Snapchat and a bevy of other platforms, nothing can truly replace the social network that has evolved in 17 years into all but critical infrastructure. Facebook’s request Monday that a revised antitrust complaint against it by the Federal Trade Commission be dismissed because it faces vigorous competition from other services seemed to ring a bit hollow.

More generic (non-art specific) comments on the outage came from the better known publications - in print and online.

• Gone in Minutes, Out for Hours: Outage Shakes Facebook | New York Times - which comment extensively on the much wider implications for how the lack of the platform impacted in very many different ways

“Today’s outage brought our reliance on Facebook — and its properties like WhatsApp and Instagram — into sharp relief,” said Brooke Erin Duffy, a professor of communications at Cornell University. “The abruptness of today’s outage highlights the staggering level of precarity that structures our increasingly digitally mediated work economy.”

• Facebook is back online after a massive outage that also took down Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Oculus | The Verge - which comments extensively on what happened to employees INSIDE Facebook!

Inside Facebook, the outage has broken nearly all of the internal systems employees use to communicate and work. Several employees told The Verge they resorted to talking through their work-provided Outlook email accounts, though employees can’t receive emails from external addresses. Employees who were logged into work tools such as Google Docs and Zoom before the outage can still use those, but any employee who needs to log in with their work email was blocked.

• Facebook is down – but you can still get your misinformation fix | The Guardian - some truisms and some good jokes!

and finally......

• Facebook down: Zuckerberg apologises for six-hour outage | BBC News

Facebook has said it is working to understand what happened so it can "make our infrastructure more resilient". Tech experts have described the issue as being akin to the social media giant falling off the internet's map, so it could not be found.

The company said there was "no evidence that user data was compromised".

The outage comes at a particularly difficult time for the company, which is finding itself increasingly under pressure over its reach and impact on society.

Funding for Art and Design Education in England is cut

This is about news about:

• 50% cuts in funding subsidy for art and design courses
• a new campaigning organisation for the arts
• the potential impact on students and those offering them courses 
• what might happen as a result - including new digital courses accessible worldwide

The Art Newspaper is reporting a 50% cut in funding for arts and design courses in higher education across England - see UK government approves 50% funding cut for arts and design courses. Specifically:

• the subsidy for each full-time student on an arts course will be cut from £243 to £121.50 next academic year (2021/22).
• this cut in subsidy will save about £20 million

Apparently the government's thinking behind the cut to art and design courses is the need to reprioritise funding and divert it towards the provision of high-cost, high-value subjects that support the NHS... high-cost STEM subjects [science, technology, engineering and mathematics].

But where is the information on authoritative websites?

I can find the information in The Guardian's 

• Funding cuts to go ahead for university arts courses in England despite opposition (20 July 2021) and 
• London universities attack ‘levelling down’ plans to cut funding (April 2021)

The problem I had initially is that I went to all the relevant websites - and couldn't find a single item of information about this on:

• Office for Students | Gov.UK - government web page about this organisation (so much for transparent government!)
• The Office for Students - the independent regulator of higher education in England
• University of the Arts London

Until I found this OfS confirms funding reforms (20th July 2021)

So is this going to make a dramatic different to art education in England? Simple answer is I don't know.

What is true is that

• most funding comes via tuition fees and not through public subsidy.
• HOWEVER, if you cut funding this means either
• a decrease in tuition places
• an increase tuition fees
• a reduction in places offering courses
• you have a major rethink about how to cut costs and maintain education (eg focus on course delivery and not the buildings which house education - see below for one example)

i.e. you can't carry on at the same levels if you cut half the subsidy.

Public Campaign for the Arts

Are you Business Savvy about your art career?

Do you know what Business Savvy means?

Are you Business Savvy about your art career?

What's the difference between:

• A good artist who sells their work from time to time - but needs to have a 'proper job" too? and....
• Somebody who has a professional career as an artist and generates enough turnover/income/profit to pay their bills, and their tax bill and contribute to a pension fund?

What are the attributes of those artists who have coped best with all the change experienced in the last 12-15 months?

What changed in the art world in the last year - and is if ever going to be the same again?

These and more questions will be addressed in the Zoom Webinar I'm doing on 24th June (a week tomorrow) about How to be a Business Savvy Botanical Artist

It's targeted at botanical artists, but a lot of the messages are universal and apply to many artists.

This is the latest in the series of BOTANICAL ART TALKS which Julia Trickey has been organising this year. They've been attracting botanical artists from all continents!

• You can find a summary of what it's about on Julia's website - under Talks. 
• Date: the webinar is on Thursday 24th June 2021
• Time: 7pm BST, 2pm EDT and 11am PDT
• Fee: £12.
• Talks are recorded and made available to registrants 24 hours after the live session. They will then be available for 48 hours, making them accessible whatever your time zone!
• BOOK HERE
  

 

Figurative Art Now: how fair are the T&C to artists?

Some of you may have wondered why I have not promoted the Figurative Art Now Exhibition at the Mall Galleries. I have my reasons for not highlighting this art competition - and these are listed below.

I like art competitions to be fair for everybody concerned. I've recently found myself staring at a very difficult situation - which has given rise to a number of concerns about implications for artists. I have raised these (offline) but I'm still not happy that the issues this competition raises for artists are well understood by all those who need to understand. 

I've left it until now so that those who want to enter can. As all my regular readers will know  my art competition mantra is ALWAYS read carefully all the terms and conditions....

I really didn't want to write what I'm about to say - but, on balance, I think it presents an important learning opportunity for all concerned. 

So I'm writing in that context - and with the hope that some of this can be resolved before the exhibition goes online....

After which I may well do a checklist about government law and regulations relating to  ecommerce and trading standards for ONLINE art competitions / open exhibitions for both organisers and artists!!

Bottom line - online exhibitions can be way more complex than exhibitions in a gallery!

Non-involvement of the FBA Societies

Ostensibly this online art competition 'Figurative Art Now' is about the 60th year of the Federation of British Artists BUT having queried this competition, I found that....

• The exhibition was simply announced 
• It was NOT discussed in advance with the Presidents of the Art Societies which make up the Federation of British Artists.
• Which I just find really, really odd. The Societies are the FBA!! 
• How can they not be involved if it supposedly relates to the 60th anniversary?  
• Why aren't the Presidents involved with selection of artwork for the exhibition? 

Obviously life has been very difficult recently with all the disruption caused by the Pandemic - but even so, this just seems very odd to me.

 

Prizes for artwork which selectors have never seen?

Two of the prizes are very odd (a £5,000 prize and a week-long exhibition in one of the galleries) given that the artwork entered will NEVER EVER be seen in person by any of the Selection Panel.

I'm just gobsmacked about this! Seriously? How does that work?

I've been looking at online images of artwork and actual artwork in open exhibitions and art competitions for very many years and I'm certainly very familiar with the fact that 

• There can be digital enhancement of artwork by artists for competitions! It's far from unusual.
  
• Which is WHY all art competitions routinely have the proviso to eliminate any artwork which does not measure up (literally) to the digital image once received - even if it has been pre-selected.
  

 

ONLINE ONLY Exhibition + MAJOR changes in who does what

THIS IS AN ONLINE EXHIBITION ONLY i.e. no artwork will be hung at the Mall Galleries.   

Nevertheless

• Non-refundable submission fees are the same as the submission fees for the open exhibitions - once you discount the fact that the latter also provide for free entry to the REAL exhibition in the Galleries!
• Commission is 35% plus VAT - slightly less for an organisation which is doing an awful  LOT LESS than it normally does for a hung exhibition i.e. 
• No involvement of the Presidents / FBA Societies in the presentation / marketing of the exhibition or artwork 
• no use of the gallery space at all 
• no receipt / handling of artwork to be hung 
• no storage of artwork
  
• no hanging of artwork 
• no manning of a live "on the wall" exhibition 
• no return of artwork unsold 
• no communication with buyers re collection / shipping
• no financial transactions re shipping 
• no arrangements for delivering art (including Customs documentation as appropriate)
• (i.e. putting artwork online is now a routine and expected part of EVERY exhbition held by the FBA at the Mall galleries - NOT an added extra)
  

Artists are next expected to do MUCH MORE than they usually do - BUT this difference from the normal open exhibitions of the FBA Societies is NOT highlighted in the summary on the competition page.

No mention in the summary of the additional costs for artists
(re finance / time / effort of packing and shipping art - potentially anywhere in the world!)

What this means, for starters, is....

Artists have to ORGANISE AND PAY FOR ALL PACKING AND POSTAGE TO BUYERS as stated in the Terms and Conditions TO ANY DESTINATION within 14 days of the sale being confirmed.

4. PRESENTATION 

4.1 All Works must be exhibition-ready as if they were to be exhibited and ready for sale. All work needs to be delivered or shipped to the buyer as advertised. 

5. SHIPPING OF WORKS 

5.1 Artists will be responsible for the delivery of work to the buyer, including the cost of shipping.  All work should be labelled and attached to the works. 

5.2. Work should be despatched within 14 days of confirmation of the sale 

Thus, the artist is liable for the cost of sending the artwork anywhere in the world - in whichever country the buyer lives in - no matter what the cost!  

The buyer does NOT have to pay. No matter what the size or weight of the artwork!!! 

What's an NFT for art? Plus why artists should be wary of the latest bubble

I'm pretty sure my view about NFTs includes perspectives related to "the Emperor's New Clothes", the "South Sea Bubble", the "dot.com boom" and tulipmania.

In other words excessive speculation often leads to very big losses - of dignity, reputation or cash!

Just because something is the latest thing and there seems to be a furore about it doesn't make it any good!

So here's a quick run-down on NFTs - plus links to a list of articles on the topic as follows:

• What is an NFT
• Why are people excited about NFTs?
• Why artists should be wary of NFTs
• Recommendations for artists
  
• List of articles about NFTs - from authoritative and other sources

Screenshot of the Christies's website  - and the sale of Beeple's 5,000 images of Everydays

 

What is an NFT?

NFT stands for "non-fungible token". Let's take that apart word by word.

• "Non" means it isn't one i.e. it's not the same as a fungible token
• "token" means a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services

Which leaves us with "fungible". 

"Fungible" means that the object or 'thing' or 'token' so described (e.g. money or gold bars or bitcoins or barrels of oil) can be replaced by the same type and quantity of 'thing' when paying a debt or settling an account. In other words 

• one gold bar is the same as another gold bar.
• one £10 note = two £5 notes
  

So that means "non-fungible" must mean that it's unique and not interchangeable. 

In other words it can't be replaced with something else of equivalence.

For example there is only one Cullinan Diamond. There are other diamonds, but there are none which have the same number of carats, the same quality of brilliance and the same cut. 

There is only one of some paintings. (i.e. while each painting is unique, some artists have muddied the waters by creating more than one or used the same title for more than one painting).

It's thought that the momentum around NFTs for art stems in part from the sharing of images without any regard to copyright or attribution - on platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest.

Maybe people thought that if sharing is for free maybe we can make some money out of this?

 

The NFT seems to have arisen in connection with digital art because unlike some other forms of art, there can - in theory - be infinite numbers of the same digital file. 

 

So there's a need for a token that says this file is the only one and/or the first one and/or one of a limited edition - whatever the artist chooses.

A non-fungible token is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files.

Wikipedia

However, there is one big issue - which is you don't get the artwork. 

Instead, they get a unique digital token known as an NFT which records ownership of the digital artefact in a blockchain (like with bitcoins / cryptocurrency).

This part of the BBC article on this topic explains it most clearly

What's stopping people copying the digital art?

Nothing. Millions of people have seen Beeple's art that sold for $69m and the image has been copied and shared countless times.

In many cases, the artist even retains the copyright ownership of their work, so they can continue to produce and sell copies.

But the buyer of the NFT owns a "token" that proves they own the "original" work.

Some people compare it to buying an autographed print.

So there you go. You're paying out to say you own the first version. 

Why are people excited about NFTs?

 

Basically because of this  

Lalique, Shell Posters by famous artists and Mary Fedden

One of the thing I enjoy doing most is looking at Auction Catalogues online - particularly for art auctions - for two primary reasons:

• you can see artwork and made objects which are often never seen in art exhibitions at the major or minor galleries (i.e. they've disappeared into private collections and only reemerge when sold)
• the estimates in the catalogues provide a benchmark for relative values of art. 

If for no other reason, those pricing and selling art should pay attention to what's competing for the attention of buyers in terms of calibre of the artist producing it and the likely auction value.

I'm particularly addressing that comment to those emerging artists who think they need to price high to get taken seriously.  It's wise to remember that serious buyers will also review the opportunity to buy at secondary arts sales/auctions as well as visiting galleries to see new work. 

However those thinking of buying need to review the notes about the additions to the bill after an item has been bought - and note my short summary of the "additions" to the bill which arie after the hammer goes down.

Three auctions at the Mall Galleries this week

I was surprised to see this week that the Mall Galleries seems to be expanding its usual repertoire of exhibitions and events to include art auctions for third party auction houses.

This week (27 April 2021 to 29 April 2021) it's hosting exhibitions related to upcoming Auctions by Lyon & Turnbull as follows:

• Lalique (e-catalogue on Issuu) - by the French glass artist René Lalique (1860-1945) who was particularly noted for his art deco pieces - and what's on offer includes some amazingly beautiful pieces
• MODERN MADE | Design on the Move - which includes a lot of the old Posters from the Shell Heritage Art Collection - many of which were by famous/well-known artists of the 20th century such as Paul Nash, John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Edward Bawden etc.
• MODERN MADE | Modern Art & Post-War Design - which includes works by Mary Fedden, Dame Elizabeth Frink, lithographs by LS Lowry etc

It makes for an eclectic mix of styles and artworks.

The Mall Galleries is NOT advertising these as exhibitions which can be visited.

Instead the Mall Galleries website is being used as a gateway to the Lyon & Turnbull website 

• the invitation is to view the lots online
• The artworks can be viewed by appointment 

and the physical entity of the Galleries is being used to hold the auctions.

Which leaves me wondering what exactly can be viewed by appointment. 

• Are the artworks on display in galleries - as happens at leading auction houses?
• Or do you have to identify the pieces you want to see and these are extracted and made available for viewing?
• Or given a number of them which are fragile (there's a huge amount of glassware) and/or will not be firmly attached to the wall in frames, do they just not have enough staff to "police' visitors?

The reason I ask is because of the sheer quantity of items in the auctions - see the online display of lots and the various e-catalogues below. The total of 532 lots will be stretching the now reduced capacity of the Mall Galleries (i.e. the end room of the North Gallery is no longer available)

The auctions are as follows

• Lalique (106 lots - mainly glass) - Thursday, 29th Apr 2021 14:00 - see e-catalogue on Issuu
• MODERN MADE | Design on the Move (49 lots) - 29th Apr 2021 18:00
• MODERN MADE | Modern Art and Post War Design (382 lots) - Friday 30th April 10am 
• - see the combined MODERN MADE e-catalogue on Issuu

Famous names in the auctions include: Rene Lalique, Paul Nash, Edward Bawden, Dame Elizabeth Frink, 

Note that all prices EXCLUDE 

• the reduced rate of 5% VAT on the hammer price
• the 25% premium paid on purchase
• plus the VAT on the premium
• plus 4% of the value of an artwork exceeding over €1,000 - which is due to all artists who can receive the artist resale royalty ( living artists and those who have died in the last 70 years) on secondary sales via an art gallery or dealer

On an artwork estimated to fetch £2,000 this could add (I estimate) 50 + 500 + 25 + 80 = £2,655 (i.e. around a third more than the hammer price) prior to transport and insurance.

They can't cancel Spring

"They can't cancel Spring" started last March with a message from David Hockney.

He posted the iPad drawing below to Instagram - from his base in Normandy where he was under lockdown.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @david.hockney

The Art Newspaper (and various others) took it up and published A message from...David Hockney: 'Do remember they can’t cancel the spring' exactly a year ago today.

Jonathan Jones followed up in the Guardian with his article on 2nd April How David Hockney depicted a spring for self-isolationists

Spring Cannot Be Cancelled

Spring Cannot be Cancelled by David Hockney and Martin Gayford will be published by Thames and Hudson on 25 March 2021. (The link above goes to Amazon UK - my copy is already on order!)

This is 

a new book of conversations and correspondence between David Hockney and his long-time friend and collaborator Martin Gayford, in which the artist reflects upon life and art as he self-isolates in rural France.

Hockney moved to Normandy after he became 80.

when Covid-19 struck, it made little difference to life at La Grande Cour, the centuries-old farmhouse where the artist had set up a studio a year before, in time to paint the arrival of spring. In fact, he relished the enforced isolation as an opportunity for even greater devotion to his art.

The book is illustrated with images of Spring drawn and painted on his iPad. Many who viewed his major exhibition at the RA in 2012 (see my post Review: David Hockney RA - A Bigger Picture) will remember how much Hockney said he exalted in the arrival of Spring and loved to paint the foamy blossom on the Hawthorn bushes in in the East Yorkshire Wolds west of Bridlington where he lived at the time 'on location".

This time we'll see what he makes of Normandy!

They Can't Cancel Spring

.....is also the name of the Spring Exhibition of the Royal Watercolour Society. See They Can't Cancel Spring on the RWS website

This opens this evening - with a virtual evening reception on Instagram....

How to Ship Art - for online art sellers / post Brexit

How best to pack, mail and ship art art has been a VERY popular topic since lockdown as more and more people make sales online. 

It's got even more popular since 1st January in terms of making sense of Brexit. EORI numbers and export commodity codes anybody? Do you know about the Rules of Origin?

HOW TO PACK, MAIL & SHIP ART: A Compendium of Information & Advice about Packing & Transporting Art provides access to the many pages of information I provide in the Shipping Art section on my Art Business Info. for Artists website

It's currently the most popular page on my Art Business Info for Artists website - I guess because

• most sales of art are now taking place online
• artists running an art business - where they export art internationally - are puzzling out the changes 

Below is a screenshot of its contents

contents of how to pack, mail and ship art

I've just begun to realise I need to write a new section about "Rules of Origin" given some of what is happening at the ports.

The reality is that if you are trading - and particularly if you are exporting - there is a LOT of law and regulations that you need to know about - as well as which are the best ways to pack, post and ship art!

However I also have to emphasise what this page is NOT! I answer questions when I'm satisfied that people have read what is available on these pages and are not just using me as a sidestep to doing the reading.