Selling Your Contemporary Art
Creating art for the sole purpose of making money is never a good idea. Good art has to be born out of an idea that reaches beyond mere material gain and instead attempts to criticize, depict, shape societies, point out issues or provide aesthetically pleasant experiences. However, if one is to live decently and dedicate most of their time to creating meaningful art, they have to make a living somehow. This is where the monetary value assigned to certain artworks becomes of great importance. Why do some artists sell for millions of dollars while others struggle to gain any kind of recognition for their work, let alone a solid income? Understanding the difference is key to getting your newly created artwork to sell.
Exposure
Few artists become famous solely because of their genius. Most need to put themselves out there, find audience and help the society understand the value of their work. If you think you have something solid that you created, you need to find ways to get it to people. One of those is social media, and while it might work well for digital artworks, paintings, perhaps even sculptures, other forms of contemporary art, such as theater, dance, or performance art might not find this niche as the most suitable one; sometimes it is simply impossible to capture the atmosphere or the emotion of a live performance. In both cases, you can consider contacting appropriate venues that would potentially display your work. Unlike social media, this is a sure way to find audience that is not only interested, but also somewhat knowledgeable. Talk to people about your art, gain a circle with consistent interest into your work and artistic development and keep them informed. If it’s not them, then maybe their friends are looking for a painting in their living room, and the word of mouth travels a long way!
Perks of the Internet
The 21st century has something to offer that has not been able to assist any market up until recently – the Internet. The web offers endless possibilities not only to gain exposure through the means of social media and other online platforms, but also join online art galleries, where people from all over the world have the opportunity to explore you art at the comfort of their own home. You get the luxury of explaining your art on the gallery’s website if you wish, setting your desired price, If you are unsure what price you should request for your work, you can place your art in online auctions and allow people to make bids. That way you will get a clear sense of how much monetary value other people place on your art, which might make the pricing part easier in the future.
Legitimacy
Do everything to make yourself seem like an established artist; a lot of money attributed to certain works of art comes due to the fame of the artist or their critical recognition. Thus, you want to make sure you have your own website to showcase your work and, ideally, a person whom people should contact if they wish to purchase your work. This way you can concentrate on the artistic side and leave the money matters to others. Don’t forget that just like any other service, this sort of exposure and convenience comes with a price, so make sure you can actually make some money off of your art before you get others on board!