Losing Master Works to Private Collections - Egos and Capitalism

Today, I saw that the newest owner of the Picasso painting was identified.  The painting was sold for a record-breaking $180 million to the former Prime Minister of Qatar.  For me, it provoked an emotion of loss to know that the painting was on it's way to the middle east and it is likely never to be viewed in public again.  In fact, I would bet that very few people would ever see it again.  It will most likely be kept behind closed doors thanks to the Middle Eastern country's strict laws.  The painting is vibrant and features a number of bare-breasted women.  Who knows?  The guy owns a lot of houses.  Maybe he'll keep it locked up in his man cave in New York.

 

If the rumors of this latest purchase are true, it is the second major purchase made by a Qatari recently.

It is thought Paul Gauguin's When Will You Marry? - a scene of two Tahitian girls - fetched $300 million earlier this year was bought by a Qatari museum, making it the most expensive painting ever bought.

The Qatari royal family also made the second most expensive art purchase ever in 2011.  They bought a version of Paul Cezanne's "The Card Players" for $250 million. 

This particular painting also broke records, say experts.  The prices are driven by artworks' investment value and by wealthy new and established collectors seeking out the very best works.

The auction houses do not cater to carefully selected museums and collectors.  They sell works to the highest bidder. They find two people who want the same work and get them to bid as high as possible.   Jerry Saltz wrote back in 2005, "Contemporary art auctions are bizarre combinations of slave market, trading floor, theater, and brothel. "   I agree with him even now in 2015.  Some things never change. He went on to say "They are like a  striptease.  They rely on people being enticed by what's just out of reach."

Art lovers are the real losers here.  This is capitalism at work.  I like capitalism.  I subscribe to it as a business owner but when it comes to works of art, there are losers.  Often those who buy work will only sell it again in two years.  It becomes difficult to keep track of these beautiful works as they move between private buyers.  It makes the art world feel like a circus to me.  It doesn't matter to me what the dollar amount of a particular work is.  I love the work, not the artificial over inflated value.  The selfish part of me wants to be able to go see these great works.

Were these paintings originally commissions to go into private home?  I don't know.  Maybe they were but there was a time that it crossed over and became part of our culture. It is just the way I see it.  Others disagree.  The only real art that survives the Renaissance is religiously inspired because they were the only ones that could afford to fund the artist.  A lot of those artists snubbed the patrons in return.  Look at Carravagio for example, he put local whores and drunks in his paintings.  The church was not really pleased with him once they realized what he were doing.  

In my own little world, I believe that regardless who physically owns a work like this, sometimes they come to belong to humankind as a significant achievement.  I wish more people had exposure to the arts and loved it for the joy and the message it conveys.

When the collection at the National Museum of Art in Washington D.C. was conceived, people of great wealth bought the art but housed it where others could view it.  

Banker, Andrew W. Mellon began gathering a private collection of old master paintings and sculptures during World War I, but in the late 1920s he decided to direct his collecting efforts towards the establishment of a new national gallery for the United States.  

The core collection of the National Museum of Art includes major works of art donated by Paul Mellon, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Samuel Henry Kress, Rush Harrison Kress, Peter Arrell Brown Widener, Joseph E. Widener, and Chester Dale. The Gallery's collection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, medals, and decorative arts traces the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present.  There is a great audio podcast from the National Museum of Art that details it's inception.  I learned a lot of things that I didn't know from that podcast and I am grateful for his vision.

Gertrude Stein was known as a collector of Modernist art.  She had a great eye for genius.  She bought Picasso paintings in 1905 before anyone even knew who he was.  I had the great pleasure of seeing this collection in San Francisco at the Museum of Modern Art a few years ago.  I could have lingered in that collection for hours if I had that luxury but I could not. I was there for a work conference and snuck away for a couple hours to see it.  Seeing those works from that magic period of time of the Salon of Paris had a lasting impression on me.  And that is where these auctions have a detrimental impact on collections.  When a museum or gallery owns a work, they often loan the artwork to other museums.  Curators have a talent for displaying different works together in new ways to convey a different emotion or message.  That is what I love, the evolution of how we look at paintings through the eyes of future generations.   

I like to believe that I share the same wish for art as these generous benefactors, the belief that art should be loved by the many instead of the few.   Most galleries and museums are non-profit entities and can never compete on the open market with the auction houses.  They can barely afford to mount large shows.  Auction houses are wrong if they think that what they're organizing are "exhibitions." These are highly promoted sales events, ways to cajole collectors, soothe anxious buyers and sellers, and maximize profits. 

It isn't merely the monetary values of the art that is out of whack.  So are the values of the people who are buying and selling it. Wealthy collectors and their spawn tell everyone they love the art they own.   I am cynical and believe these collectors don't have a clue about what it means to own art. Like the auction houses, they're only interested in money and publicity.   There is a glut of artists in the world today.  Everyone thinks they are an artist and they lick their chops at getting a fraction of the money generated at the actions.  They are delusional dreamers.

Alas, there is some hope for the future generations to actually be able to see original artistic masterpieces.  There are even more collectors working with museums to offer up to the public the art they have cherished after they die.  Many loan it to the museums while they are still kicking.

Most all of the great American museums owe the vast majority of their art collections to gifts from private collectors. Since the 19th century, collectors such as J.P. Morgan, Solomon Guggenheim, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and generations of Rockefellers have donated their art collections.

In 1981, Joseph Hirshhorn, the patron of modern paintings and sculpture who died at the age of 82, left his entire private collection to the museum that bears his name on The Mall in Washington.  This was in addition to the 6,000 works he gave to the museum to open the  wing in the first place.

The Billionaire Boys Club are the big winners in buying up the art today.  Whether these collectors are rounding up Renaissance drawings, African masks or bare-breasted women in a Picasso, they often see their collections as a form of self-expression.  

Today, a big part of a museum director's job is to try to cultivate people who will eventually give the museum their art. But getting a collector to part with his or her art is no easy job. A lot of would-be art donors are getting more picky about where they want to donate. 

Gap founder and art collector Don Fisher Fisher died in September 2009.  He wanted to build his own museum, rather than give his collection to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).

Fisher proposed building a museum in a national park in the city, but that idea ran into opposition from local activists. So in the summer of 2009, while he was battling cancer, Fisher dropped the plan and started talking with SFMoMA.

Just two days before Fisher died, the museum announced that he and his wife, Doris, had agreed to lend their collection for 25 years.  The arrangement is unusual, since the museum won't own the art outright.  None the less, curators will get to treat the art almost as though they did.

Walter H. Annenberg, the billionaire publisher, art collector, and one-time ambassador to Great Britain, left half his $8 billion fortune to his wife and family, his renowned art collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

There is a lot of contemporary art in the world. There is a proliferation of collectors of contemporary art, and there isn't enough space in the museums to show all of it. Part of it is that time will take its course and cull those works in each era down to a smaller number that the public and art historians consider valuable for the long term.  It can be like predicting interest rates.  

My clients used to ask me all the time where I thought rates were going.  If I knew that, I would be part of the Billionaire Girls Club and be hanging that Picasso in my living room.

Lessons and Confessions of a Gallery Owner

I love owning a gallery.  I love art and I love artists.  I am devoted to helping artists develop the skills they need to manage their careers.  I and dumbfounded at times by some of the things artists do.  

My gallery works with a lot of emerging artists, that is to say, many of the artists that show with us are recently out of school or new to the business of art.  I learned pretty quickly that making art and the business of art are two very separate things.  Just because you have a space to hang art and have art openings, there is no guarantee that you will sell the art. Most likely you will be lucky to sell anything for a long time.   A lot of gallery owners including myself pay the bills through a variety of revenue streams.  Art sales wouldn't support many galleries without someone with either deep pockets or a diverse way to drive revenue.  I have a mixed-use space.  

Our resident artists are tattoo artists with fine art skill sets.  Our art is a little more edgy and appeals to a younger crowd.  By virtue of that face, we try to keep our prices affordable so entry-level collectors and every day people can participate in the art market.  It is a pretty new idea in the world of art galleries.  It brings a sophistication to what some consider "low-brow" art.  I like to focus on artists that are from the relatively local area.  That increases the traffic in the gallery because people want to support artists they know personally.

We have had some openings that went really well and some that I just couldn't wait to be over.  A lot of that has to do with the artist and their attitude toward the show.  Group shows with multiple artists are different.  I am referring to the solo shows or a show with maybe two artists.   I have had art showing in the gallery that I considered buying for my own collection only to change my mind because of the attitude of the artist.

This may sound harsh and it may be hard to hear but if you are an artist new to showing your work in a gallery, you need to pay attention and do some work on your technical presentation as well as hone your social skills around collectors, curators and gallerists.  I have learned some tough life lessons along the way about managing expectations and establishing each of our roles during a show.  I do not speak for all gallery owners,  but I have suspicion that they deal with the same kind of drama from time to time or at least did so early on in their careers.

Here is some practical advice for an artist that is showing for the first time or who stands at the beginning of a long art career path.

1.  Make sure you present your art ready to hang.  Make it look good.  If you want premium pricing, go the extra mile and dress up your presentation.  Clean it before bringing it to the gallery.   I am not a fan of unframed art.  If you are showing art on a canvas, either frame your work or finish the edges so it doesn't look like it belongs in your studio unfinished.  Gallery wrapped canvas can alleviate your need for framing if you buy canvases that have thicker stretcher bars.  You do not have to spend a fortune on frames.  I suggest that you paint in standard sizes where commercial frames are readily available.  If you work is a drawing, watercolor or photography, consider spending money on matting.  It will make your work look very aesthetically pleasing and finished.  It will also keep the glass off your work by creating a buffer.

2.  Understand how the gallery hangs their art.  Saw tooth hangers are not acceptable in most galleries.  It is fragile and cheapens the look of the finished work.  If you do it yourself,  cover the back of your canvas with brown paper and buy wire hanging kits to finish off the look.  These are inexpensive easy to install and much more secure than other types of hanging conventions.

3.  Do not assume that the gallery will let you have input in how your art is hung.  On the contrary, most galleries and curators are satisfied that you drop off the art and not show up again until opening night.   Early on in our gallery history, we had an very new artist that drove us crazy wanting to be in charge of everything from hanging to calling the gallery every day to see if anything sold.   It was among the worst experiences I have had with an artist.   I will never work with that artist again as a result of their behavior toward the gallery.  Remember, we want to sell your art as much as you do.  Do your part and invite people to come view your art.  Let us do our job.

4.  Do not show up late to opening night.  Look your best.  Do not roll in from the beach or have paint in your hair.  It is ok to be trendy and eccentric but if you do not look like you care about your show, no one else will either.   Do not be overly casual about what you are doing.  This is a big deal and someone believed in your work enough to let you hang it on their walls.

Being present is especially important if your art is more abstract and may be received better with some narrative.  Most collectors that come to openings like to meet the artist.  They want to understand what drove them to create their works.  In some settings, we have had artists work on an unfinished piece during a show.  It can draw a lot of interest and conversation.   It is not the time to run off to other galleries on art walk night leaving the gallery staff and curators to tell your story.  Don't be a wall flower either.  When you are at the show, do not hide in the corner with your friends and become unapproachable.  Almost all our communication as human beings is non-verbal.  Make eye contact and be friendly.   Don't get drunk and make a fool of yourself.  I guarantee you will have a bad outcome if you don't follow this advice.  Besides the gallery being done with you for all eternity, no one wants to have your art on their wall and think of how inappropriate the artist was at the opening every time they see it.

A good artist statement has great value if the show will hang beyond opening night.  Work with your gallery owner or curator to help you perfect your statement.

5.  Do not come to an opening with your business cards.  Most galleries will not receive this well.  It gives the impression to the customer that once the show is over, they can contact you directly and avoid paying a gallery commission.  I do not know one gallery owner in my town that doesn't need to get paid.  Galleries do not typically make a lot of money.  They count on the commissions to pay the rent and keep the lights on.  I once had an artist bring cards to a show and then work out a deal on the side with someone I knew no less.   I found out about it and my relationship with the person I knew has never felt the same.  The artist asked for another show sometime later and I didn't return their call.  Use common sense and put yourself in the shoes of the gallery owner.    It isn't all about you.

6.  Do not negotiate price with a customer at the art opening.  Refer them to the gallery staff.  It will draw attention for you to start negotiating your pricing at a show and you can guarantee yourself that you will never get the price you post again.  You just hung a big discount sign around your neck.

7.  Understand the value of your art.   I have artists sign a waiver of liability.  If something happens, it is very difficult to put in a claim through insurance for the gallery price of a work.   Insurance companies may require an appraisal of the art to cover expensive works.  An artist has the option to secure their own insurance or sign a waiver.  It is very important that you read the fine print and ask questions.   Ask the gallery about their security and what they cover if anything.

Lastly, after it is all said and done, say thank you to the gallery owner, curators and staff for hosting you in the gallery.  They took the time to show your work and spent money on your show.   Even if you do not sell art at your show, you gained experience that will help you with your next show and you will not end up on the unspoken black list that I keep in my head.

Branding Yourself

What does branding mean exactly?

Your brand is like a signature for what you push forward in the world, what you are known for.  When you do it well, you will be know do do something above any other competitor. As an individual artist it may seem unlikely that you can establish a brand like large companies do but it is no less important if you want to gain customers.  You must create a brand of your own.

You may think that telling the world who you are is good enough.   But in my experience, it doesn't attract customers unless you focus on the customer need you can fulfill.

Putting yourself in your brand

Is there something unique or otherwise notable about your artwork?  Companies that focus on their branding constantly reinforce public awareness of their brands to achieve long-lasting recognition. Your own brand should encompass something unique about your art, or about you.  Make a list of how your art differs from another artist and build on marketing it so that potential customers learn to recognize your style.

In the art world Thomas Kinkade uses the brand “Painter of Light” as his defining statement. His brand explains him and his art in a short, powerful sentence—and because of he’s so well branded, everyone knows who he is!

When we think of brands, we often think of just an image but that’s actually not the case. While most of us are familiar with the Taco “Bell” or the Nike Swoosh, good branding is usually more of a catch phrase that states a purpose or reason for being (like Kinkade’s brand) rather than a logo.

How to create a strong brand

To create an effective brand you must first understand the type of customer you have or wish to have. Refine your brand to as simple an item or phrase as possible, and third, you have to promote your brand constantly.

1. Define your key core competency.

Take some time, sit down and really apply yourself to defining the single best thing that you do.  Many artists are generalists.  You may be a painter but also involved in sculpture, graphic design, or illustration.  Focus on the mediums that compliment each other or choose one you want to market.

2. Create a key phrase built around your core competency

Just like any artist, you need an artist statement.  You need a venue to put forth your statement.  You can use social media pages, a web page, a blog or a variety of means.  I found myself always saying, "Let me show you how" so it was a natural key phrase for my paint party business.

3. Draft a symbol or logo to reinforce the message visually

Sometimes having a symbol or visual identity to go along with your branding statement can be very effective. . . but it isn’t always necessary. However, if you feel the need for a logo to reinforce your key statement, then create one.  It doesn't always have to be an image. Norman Rockwell used his signature as a logo.  My logo has evolved over the years depending on what I am doing.  I like to reacreate myself from time to time and freshen up the logo.  I am using an easel with a paintbrush with that key phrase of "Let Me Show You How" under it.

 Effectively promoting your brand

Large companies with deep-pockets can launch massive campaigns utilizing every form of media.  That is not realistic for most artists.  Once you have decided what you do well and thought of a brand, it is time to think about how you will get it out there.  In today's world, social media is not only a cost effective way to market yourself but a very effective one. Visual artists in particular have embraced social media.  It would stand to reason that it would be the place to be seen by customers and peers.  If you have an online presence, make it relative and current.  Post often so people wonder what comes next. Use hashtags and tag people in the photos.   It will help your "search engine optimization" and bring your brand to the top of searches.  

Put your brand on everything you create. If you send e-mails, use your brand phrase or statement below your signature line. If you produce postcards or flyers, place the statement prominently. Also, don’t forget to put your brand on your website and business cards.  If you are a visual artist, you may want to put one of your artworks on your card.

Ideally you’ll have a well-balanced mix of online and offline promotion, and through repeated use you will begin to forge an identity based upon your defining statement. You may even become “one” with the brand, like Nike has with “Just Do It.” You know when this “oneness” is achieved by the fact that people know instantly who you are when your symbol is displayed or your phrase is written or spoken.

 Respect Your Art

If this is what you have chosen to do for a career, show it some respect.  If your Facebook page is directed toward clients, keep it clean and think of it as advertising.  Create another individual page if you must fly your freak flag.  Work is work or it would be called something else.  Connect with other artists that you respect and set yourself apart from those that just want to hang out and hope someone walks through the door.  It is in your control to get someone to walk through that door for you and your art.

Life Balance

It has been a long time, a year exactly since I touched this blog.  I had life dump a lot of reality on me and became a mother to a 2 year old about a year ago.  That will put a cramp into your available time to do such things as blogs.  As he grows older and I am used to being on the mommy bus again after nearly 30 years, I am thinking I can probably find time to blog a little more now and get back on track.  That's the goal anyhow.  Wish me luck.