What Happens to Art/Artists/Art Community in a Bad Economy � A Brief Overview and Some Survival Tips - by Annette Labedzki

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What Happens to Art/Artists/Art Community in a Bad Economy – A Brief Overview and Some Survival Tips

The economic graph is hardly ever stable. The only difference in various economic scenarios is the speed with which the turns happen and their duration of stay. Over time, market trends evolve, government policies change, and monetary values fluctuate. These factors of course directly affect different industries, including the art one. A long recession, just like the one prevailing presently, can very well crash the art market. The ensuing discussion deals with some key impacts of economic downturn on the art community.

Economic Shocks for the Art Industry

• Lowered Sale. Just like any other business, the salability of art works declines too. Though, art circles mostly comprise of the ‘elite’ class of a society, but even they may go thrifty, if the economic scene is depressing and sustains.
• Lowered Profitability. The selling price may have to be lowered per unit, in order to keep the business running or to recover the production costs. As a result, the profits may slide down drastically. This in turn means increased efforts and lowered margins.
• Expensive Raw Material. Bad economy hits from all ends. While the finished products may slide down in price, the prices of raw materials usually soar. Even if they do not rise, lowered margins may make them seem expensive. This may affect the output and even the quality of artwork, as the artists may go for cheaper mediums, which may deliver a compromised quality product.
• Artistic Frustrations. An artist may face crisis on all fronts, expensive raw materials, dipping profitability on each effort, and less buyers. Creativity takes a downturn, when there are no or reduced takers for it. With a sullen mood, definitely the production quality and the innovation levels decline.

Survival Tips for the Art Community during Economic Downturn. With money going on a low, the different sections of art industry may do the following to cope:

• Auctioneers and Galleries
  • Strong Market Hold – During trying times, its literally the survival of the fittest that stands. Huge auctioneers and old galleries, which are well established and have survived financial meltdowns in the past, may be able to handle themselves. A strong and a loyal client base, great if at a global level, is a definite plus.
  • Focused Sales - Open auctions are discouraged during tough times. Exhibits for sales should be carried out largely through invitation only or with the regular set of clients. This helps control inventory buildup, thereby leveraging monetary losses.
  • Trimmed Rates - Its imperative that when the pockets are tight, price advantage is the obvious course to increase sales. Galleries and auctioneers need to quote a modest price to attract clients.

• For Collectors
  • Be smart - Economic slowdown is a good time for getting good bargains, as most galleries and dealers would like to pass on the risk of selling artworks onto collectors. At the same time, it’s probably the worst phase to be neck deep in debts.
  • Have the Eye - Collectors may explore and invest into modestly priced artworks of the emerging promising artists. Also investing in ‘Contemporary Art’ is considered a best investment at any time.

• For Artists
  • Networking - Established artists with a strong and loyal client base are likely to survive through a recessionary phase. Therefore, intense networking, direct selling, and displaying art online, helps increase visibility.
  • Be Flexible - Artists can be flexible enough to keep easy payment plans for reliable clients. Pricing art reasonably will also attract collectors.
  • Gallery Representation - Artists should try choosing the galleries of repute to display their works. In addition, renting work for international exhibits may help expand the market base at a global level.
  • Quality Art - Artists should go optimally creative and should work on the subjects of common interests, such as social issues. It is also advisable for the artists to not use watercolor paintings, since they are difficult to maintain and are prone to easy damage.

 

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Black and White Photography - by Annette Labedzki

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Artistic Genius � The Platform for Defining Creative Threshold - by Annette Labedzki

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Artistic Genius – The Platform for Defining Creative Threshold

What constitutes artistic genius? There is no one best answer to this. Understanding of what makes an artist stand out among the hordes of others is debatable. Whether it is the natural talent, passion & diligence, the dare to experiment, publicity & self-promotion, patronage of the mighty or something else, is questionable. Nevertheless, no matter how much the worldly perception, or definitions may vary, artistic genius is a definitive attribute that infuses life into an otherwise lifeless creation. It is the driving force behind a painter’s quest for adding that essential ingredient, which transforms a one-dimensional portrayal, devoid of any power of sound or music, into a mesmerizing expression of art.

One of the greatest painters of all times, Leonardo da Vinci is considered the model of artistic genius, whose technique of the gestural representation of profound emotions and human traits has been the most distinguished quality of his works. His renowned mural, “The Last Supper,” features Jesus with his twelve apostles, each displaying his/her disposition through body language. Judas, the traitor is the only figure, with his body inclined away from Jesus and his arms on the table, a practice highly unacceptable in the civic societies. Another masterpiece of his, “Mona Lisa,” remains an enigmatic wonder for the ordinary viewer and the critics alike. Her evanescent, yet beautiful smile, coupled with the expressions in her eyes that are open to interpretation, against a backdrop of an abstract arctic landscape, create a truly mystic aura, which continues to attract admirers from world over.

Dutch painting maestro Vincent van Gogh’s genius was to some extent a result of his disgust for the then prevalent commoditization of art, his personal situations, and the preference for his own style, which eventually led to the rise of ‘Expressionism,’ a genre, where expression of life took precedence over its physical connotations. His magnum opus, “The Starry Night,” was a true embodiment of an awe-inspiring blend of reality and Gogh’s figments of imagination, as it was created within the confines of a mental asylum. The sky is displayed, speckled with fiery planets, and well-defined galaxies. The bold and thick brush strokes appear to give vent to Gogh’s inner rage and the gush of emotions. Among the artistic greats of all times,

Pablo Picasso was a genius who owed his success more to his changing styles, explorations, and publicity, than anything else. His career could be demarcated into different phases, in the terms of style and themes. One of his most celebrated works, “Garçon à la pipe, (Boy with a Pipe)” highlights a common subject (a regular boy) with unique imagery and superficially added elements, like flowery garland around his head. This painting commanded one of the highest auction prices of all times.

The distillate of the above discussion can be zeroed upon a probable fact that artistic genius and its recognition is more a matter of subjectivity than definitiveness!

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New Work- Wave Riders and We Are All Here - by Annette Labedzki

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Artistic Talent � The Saga of Observation, Creativity, Originality, Expression, and Finesse - by Annette Labedzki

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Artistic Talent – The Saga of Observation, Creativity, Originality, Expression, and Finesse

Whether artistic talent is inherent or acquired, has always been a subject of debate, with both the schools of thought supporting their side of story. Indeed, being ‘gifted’ artistically is an asset, only with the clause of an initial advantage however. The attributes that set an artist apart from the rest are mostly acquired or developed ones. The expression of art does not limit itself to the reproduction of the standard techniques of artistry; rather all forms of artistic mastery thrive on a well-developed faculty of imagination. For instance, a masterpiece painted work is nothing but the fructification of an artist’s vision of the interplay of colors, the harmony of hues, and a sync of brushstrokes. World-renowned artist Adolphe William Bouguereau earned distinction among the classics for his finesse of delineating the human anatomy on the canvas. On the contrary, De Heems, the Dutch family of painters, could not leave their mark on the contemporary art scene despite their perfect techniques for the sheer lack of original thoughts. Jan Davidszoon de Heem was the most distinguished name of the De Heem family, who owed his success to his inimitable style and the originality in his executions.

Similar is the case with sculpting, the artists’ triumph is defined in the terms of their ability to carve out a niche for themselves. Sculpting begins with the understanding of multidimensional forms and their spatial presence. Whether the choice of material is metal, clay, or plaster, sculptures are still objects often set in monotones, which makes the choice of subject, the keenness of observation, and creative imagery all the more important. If we try to describe the magic of Picasso’s art in one word, it would be – ‘unique.’ His art passed through various phases and had the influence of various genres, yet he created many works, which beautifully blended the elements of his boundless enthusiasm and artistic insights. His monumental steel sculpture, Chicago Picasso remains a wonder creation for its ambiguity and the mystic aura that surrounds it.

Therefore, the aptitude for art is more significant than the technicalities and supposed natural talent. Art is a passion and an inclination for fine arts is in itself an indication of talent - fully blossomed or at least the seeds of it. The pursuit of arts is a serious business that requires persistence, but not with economic goals in view. No artist, with half-baked efforts, has ever achieved greatness. Their tenacity even in adversities kept them going. Artistry is a lively expression of interwoven thoughts, a definitive quality with indefinite goals. The ultimate goal is not perfection – the goal is itself subjective. To describe the essence of art – its never perfect!

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New Camera: Canon EOS-D7 Electro Optical System - by Annette Labedzki

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What is Art - Its Ingredients and Elements - by Annette Labedzki

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What is Art - Its Ingredients and Elements

Art is a subject of varied views & considerations, and defining art may itself challenge you to the threshold of creativity. Broadly, time and other environmental circumstances weave the difference, evolution, and the specificity of artistry. In effect, every new age takes a new plunge of creativity, originality, and technique. Art definitely is a subjective platform and its connotations may vary with individual. For instance, my artistry may be the way I mark my signatures, while for you, art could be the design on your coffee cup or of your furniture.

Altogether, art covers an intangible mix of human thoughts, actions, creations, and expressions, all culminating to the ultimate, human emotions. With a wide, in fact, nearly an immeasurable span of forms, the main genres of art are music, dance, painting, sculpture, and literature. Better understood as the application of skills and imagination, art includes the creation of aesthetic objects, environment, and experiences for personal or public display.

Art is pillared on two fundamentals, form and content. ‘Form’ is classified as:

Elements of Art

Principles of design

Physical materials

To understand this, lets take the example of the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci’s work ‘Monalisa.’ In this work, color, lines, space, and values are the elements of his artwork. Balance, contrast, emphasis, and proportion constitute the principles of design, while materials happen to be brushes and oil paints.

Artistic content is a slightly tricky subject matter. Creative content is an idea-based concept, i.e.:

• The theme the artist intends to portray
• The theme of the actual portrayal
• Audience’s response to the piece of work
• Miscellaneous influencers, such as religion, politics, society, culture, or your own imagination, add meaning to the content of any artwork.

We talked of creativity, originality, skills, and the technicalities of art. The root of all this consolidates in observation. For uniqueness, closely look at things. Right from people, to their emotions, to environment or life around them, scan them all. In effect, you see things that existed, but were not perceived. Therefore, you get to innovate, develop, or modify the existing. Through the years, several art movements took art to new highs. ‘Medieval Art,’ ‘Renaissance,’ ‘Mannerism,’ ‘Baroque,’ ‘Neoclassicism,’ ‘Romanticism,’ ‘Realism,’ ‘Modern Art,’ ‘Contemporary Art,’ are some of the key art philosophies, constantly rejuvenating art through the creative thick and thins.

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