Robert Genn's Twice Weekly Letter
Insight and inspiration for your artistic career.

Dear Artist,

Over the last while I've been sitting down with a few of my dealers. Some are wonderful characters whom I've known and worked with for decades. They're actually a bunch of sweethearts--I let go of the bad actors years ago.

Looking through gin martinis, to each of them I said, "I get such a kick out of painting and such joy just sending 'em to you, why don't I just start giving 'em to you and let you keep all the money." Funnily, they all eyed me through their gin martinis and agreed this was a good idea.

Fact is, some dealers would get paintings for free if they could. The grapevine is full of stories of dealers paying peanuts for art they later sell for cashews. Owners or inheritors of potentially valuable art should be aware of this. It's a jungle out there. Always get a second or third evaluation from the competitors.

That's one of the reasons why firm consignment pricing and predetermined percentages for living artists is a good thing. It keeps everybody honest. Once an artist strikes a deal with a representative, relations can run on with felicity for a long time. With no inventory investment, and only framing and gallery overhead to deal with, dealers can let their imaginations soar. Confident they have control in their bailiwick, they are willing partners. Given info about your projects, they share your magic and build collector relationships for you.

The British shock-artist Damien Hirst has had dealers who have worked to establish his reputation and stratospheric prices. Hirst is currently trying a new marketing angle. He's personally requisitioned two days with Sotheby's in London this coming September. Bypassing his dealers and going to auction will greatly knock down the cost of selling his art. Question is, will people still pay millions without dealer advocacy? Dealerless, he'll be taking a chance. We'll see. Beating dealers out of their share of the glory may be possible only when egos are bursting and the numbers don't matter any more.

For those of us with more modest aspirations, fair and honourable dealers are an artist's best friend. They leave you to concentrate on what you do best. The free drinks flow both ways.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "The judicious management of an artist's career by a dealer who identifies the favoured collectors who will be permitted to acquire material in conditions of secrecy gives way to the triumph of the highest bidder on the public stage. Damien has demolished the moral barrier by using auctions for distribution and profit. Other artists will follow suit." (Roger Bevan, art critic)

Esoterica: I'm sorry to report that art does not have to be good to be well sold. (In art, the word "good" is so arbitrary that only critics and fools try to define it.) Art with commercial legs has other features. These features often include perceived rarity, consistency of style, widely-based demand, celebrity hype and shock value. Unfortunately, odious marketing terms such as "branding" and "product identification" are part of the game. It ain't the stock market, but it ain't a pure play either.

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