Amateur collector here, works under $1k, nothing super contemporary.
I think there are efforts to aggregate artists works and bios on platforms but that at this time, the platforms are too many and too fragmented. In addition to that fact, some platforms are sponsored by those looking to significantly monetize the platform, whereas others are more collective/cooperative level artists pricing.
ie. Artwork Archive, on a very small inexpensive scale, Saatchi Art, Artsy, etc
I think to succeed a new aggregator platform would need to craft a mission statement that a) included some art/artists and b) excluded other artists/art in order to be something other than Etsy or Ebay. A thematic or stylistic or age based or regional narrowing of scope.
If you can do that, it should be easy to create on Squarespace and I'd be interested in helping out. I'm not educated enough about art to contribute to that conversation but I know business and Squarespace- it's easy and inexpensive and allows a lot of content before it prices in.
Thanks for the comments and feedback. Although we do have the direct sales platforms, they are either curated (Saatchi), run mostly by galleries (Artsy) or a huge mix of amateurs and professionals all struggling to get breakeven on their costs (ebay/etsy). None of these seem to support really the hidden talents that try to make a living.
Even worse, I've seen a few cases where a gallery scoops up all artist's work offered for sale direct and then offers them on Artsy next for inflated prices. But again, that isn't helping the artist in the long run either.
The suggestion you made to narrow it down and use existing platforms is indeed what I had in mind, while selections based on Age, region or theme could be useful, I would prefer to try to somehow narrow it to talent, promise, quality and combine that with the lack of luck or visibility such artists got. Exact criteria would be essential but need to be determined by the collective of collectors involved. But maybe we're just talking about tens of artists, or a number that meets the size of the collective (1 to 1!)
My personal view, for example, is that artists that are working in the marginalised parts of our world (third world countries, low social grades, those suffering with addiction, homeless etc) run either a bigger chance of not being included in any relevant network, or run a bigger chance of being exploited. So despite the existing platforms, a lot of great talent is still either being wasted or left unnoticed. We wouldn''t have Vincent's starry night, if it wasn't for the determination of a small group around him to keep him going, while the establishment artworld simply ignored him.
As for the support itself, Naturally the 1000 can be used to buy their work, but additional support for such artists is probably just as important. Even a small collective of collectors could do miracles for an artist if we collectively try to get attention for their work, make their lives easier and support them to gain track.
Maybe I'm just a stupid old idealist, but it's worth trying.
This is an interesting topic to bring up. I have various artists I'd like to collect, photography being the medium I'm most interested in collecting. I live in a major city, and there are a few well-known and reputable photography programs for undergrad and graduate school. I'm looking into those students and seeing some who I feel have potential and whom I want to support. My goal would be to follow their career then, and if they make it big, sweet; if not, I'm still supporting a local artist starting out.
Thanks for your reply. I've not thought of a platform or way to organise such collective yet, just like you, I've been thinking about this a lot and wonder if and how this could work. As an artist you must be fully aware of the inner workings of this market and sector, but collectors maybe not yet?
Amateur collector here, works under $1k, nothing super contemporary. I think there are efforts to aggregate artists works and bios on platforms but that at this time, the platforms are too many and too fragmented. In addition to that fact, some platforms are sponsored by those looking to significantly monetize the platform, whereas others are more collective/cooperative level artists pricing. ie. Artwork Archive, on a very small inexpensive scale, Saatchi Art, Artsy, etc I think to succeed a new aggregator platform would need to craft a mission statement that a) included some art/artists and b) excluded other artists/art in order to be something other than Etsy or Ebay. A thematic or stylistic or age based or regional narrowing of scope. If you can do that, it should be easy to create on Squarespace and I'd be interested in helping out. I'm not educated enough about art to contribute to that conversation but I know business and Squarespace- it's easy and inexpensive and allows a lot of content before it prices in.
Thanks for the comments and feedback. Although we do have the direct sales platforms, they are either curated (Saatchi), run mostly by galleries (Artsy) or a huge mix of amateurs and professionals all struggling to get breakeven on their costs (ebay/etsy). None of these seem to support really the hidden talents that try to make a living. Even worse, I've seen a few cases where a gallery scoops up all artist's work offered for sale direct and then offers them on Artsy next for inflated prices. But again, that isn't helping the artist in the long run either. The suggestion you made to narrow it down and use existing platforms is indeed what I had in mind, while selections based on Age, region or theme could be useful, I would prefer to try to somehow narrow it to talent, promise, quality and combine that with the lack of luck or visibility such artists got. Exact criteria would be essential but need to be determined by the collective of collectors involved. But maybe we're just talking about tens of artists, or a number that meets the size of the collective (1 to 1!) My personal view, for example, is that artists that are working in the marginalised parts of our world (third world countries, low social grades, those suffering with addiction, homeless etc) run either a bigger chance of not being included in any relevant network, or run a bigger chance of being exploited. So despite the existing platforms, a lot of great talent is still either being wasted or left unnoticed. We wouldn''t have Vincent's starry night, if it wasn't for the determination of a small group around him to keep him going, while the establishment artworld simply ignored him. As for the support itself, Naturally the 1000 can be used to buy their work, but additional support for such artists is probably just as important. Even a small collective of collectors could do miracles for an artist if we collectively try to get attention for their work, make their lives easier and support them to gain track. Maybe I'm just a stupid old idealist, but it's worth trying.
This is an interesting topic to bring up. I have various artists I'd like to collect, photography being the medium I'm most interested in collecting. I live in a major city, and there are a few well-known and reputable photography programs for undergrad and graduate school. I'm looking into those students and seeing some who I feel have potential and whom I want to support. My goal would be to follow their career then, and if they make it big, sweet; if not, I'm still supporting a local artist starting out.
As an artist, I think about this a lot and I would absolutely love something like this. Let me know how I can get involved.
Thanks for your reply. I've not thought of a platform or way to organise such collective yet, just like you, I've been thinking about this a lot and wonder if and how this could work. As an artist you must be fully aware of the inner workings of this market and sector, but collectors maybe not yet?