Month: April 2014

Hurdling Hurdles

Reelfoot-Lazy Afternoon

“I like the fact that there is challenge.” Keren Ann (from The Painter’s Keys)

The latest sales figures, in an article by Melanie Gerlis, for The Art Newspaper, reveal the online art market to have reached the one billion dollar mark. While the online art market continues to grow, as the same article discusses, it remains only a very tiny percentage of the overall art market. However, two key points from the article could change that percentage. Artists and art dealers are in a position to increase online sales, if an effort is made to focus on these two key issues.

First, the article states that the greatest hurdle to online sales is, “not seeing the actual physical object.” If that is the biggest obstacle, a little artistic creativity can be applied to lower this barrier. Artists might consider better ways to display art online. Focusing on better image quality and other ways to give depictions greater clarity may affect some degree of increased trust for buyers. People seeking to purchase quality art want to be sure they are getting what they pay for.

The second point made by Gerlis is about the age of the current online art buyers. It seems the majority of the online buyers are under age 30. One reason for this is possibly the comfort under 30’s feel with making online purchases in general. They have come of age in the internet generation. Expanding an online sales market to over 30’s is, again, a likely trust issue. Online sellers are more removed from the buyers making it more difficult to build trusting professional relationships.

As online sales continue to grow, the two points made by Gerlis will become less and less of an issue. Artists who work to overcome these two hurdles will expand their markets of online sales faster. Neither hurdle appears insurmountable. All it will take is a bit of applied creativity. Creativity is in the artistic DNA so look for disappearing hurdles on the horizon.

Crashing Matters??

Slide1

 

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.” Coco Chanel (from The Painter’s Keys)

One writer sees the culture of creative people as “crashing” leading him to lament about the state of the current art world. He believes artists are seen as “cultural elites” “idle dreamers” or “self-indulgent parasites.” Perhaps he should get out more and take a look at where the productive artists are. His descriptions may fit artists in the places that think of themselves as centers of the art world among people who decide what is and isn’t art. Most of today’s working artists are outside of that world and too busy making art to care.

Scott Timberg has written two articles, one for Salon and one for Arts Journal Blogs, and now a book on the demise of the creative class. He mourns the downfall of the “creatives” and discusses possible causes of what he sees as the current creative crisis. While Timberg may have valid points, he is, quite possibly, missing the bigger picture. In my opinion, only one area of the creative class is dropping. And that area may be one of “idle dreamers,” “cultural elites” and “self-indulgent parasites.” It seems likely, the art world Timberg writes of has created this gang of dreamers, elites and parasites and is now reaping the consequences.

If there truly is a “crashing” of the creative culture, is it not the natural order of things? When a group no longer serves a purpose, it ceases to exist. Many of today’s working artists are entrepreneurs. They don’t have time or inclination to engage in elitism or idle dreaming. And they wouldn’t survive long as parasites. Timberg’s creative culture may be crashing but the rest of the creative world has too much to do to pay attention. They are focused on making art and that’s all that matters.

 

Arts in Healthcare–Glass Artist from the UK to UK

Glass artist, Jonathan Reyntiens, from the United Kingdom creates a glass wall for the chapel at the University of Kentucky.  The video covers how Reyntiens came up with his design for bringing nature to the patients in the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lousiville, KY.

Sunday Slideshow-Remembering the Zinnias

This is a replay of one of my favorite slideshows.  I love zinnias.  They always cheer me up!  The music is Harmony of the Angels by Burgmuller.  The pianist is the fabulous Jeremiah Jones.  For more beautiful classical piano music from Jeremiah Jones go to the website: Lisztonian.com

%d bloggers like this: