WHY
PURCHASE FROM THE ARTIST? ---A
Commentary It is common knowledge that
once their work has gained popularity, most
artists, whatever their medium, can no longer
afford to buy or even own their own work. This is
a sad comment on the state of the arts entering
the millennium. Initially an artist must devote
years of hard work honing his (or her) skills in
order to be good at what he does. When he
eventually becomes very good at his craft, his
"product" (any artist's output) has
grown as he has developed a good reputation from
knowledge and skill he has acquired, and his
"product" becomes in demand (the price
goes up). Most artists cannot afford to own their
own "originals" because they had to
sell their best work during those lean years when
they were gaining their experience working at
their art (instead of at something else which
probably would have generated more income).
In
the case of musicians, whose work is called
"play," (and seems to be generally
regarded as such), it has been widely accepted
that you don't really have to pay them much to
"play." Of course there are notable
exceptions who have "struck it rich"
being in the right place at the right time, but
these are by no means the status quo, generally
regardless of an artist's talent, skill, creative
genius or hard work. In the music industry it is
standard practice to pay the artist for the
recording session as though it is a good
"gig" (not very much...they're just
playing). They are able to do this because the
artist is supposedly "not taking the
financial risk." [This is a common myth
sold every day to recording artists. Actually the
artist does take a financial risk because he
becomes dependent upon the recording company to
reproduce and publicize his product well for him
so that he might get good employment and market
his own "product." When a recording
company does not do a good job, the artist's
income and reputation are both at stake, so
artists are possibly taking a greater
financial risk than the recording companies!]
Once
an artist's work becomes popular, it doesn't
matter whether it is a painting, sculpture,
photograph, song, recorded "master" of
a performance piece, a film or a script, the
scenario is always the same. Interested parties
(often fans of the work but not necessarily),
people with more disposable income than the
underpaid artists, step in to market the
"product" and they enjoy a
profit in which the artist does not share, since
the artist made no "investment" (save
his initial time, creativity, talent and hard
work, of course). We call these people
"entrepreneurs" and as a society appear
to have greater respect for them, and their
money- making abilities, than we do for the
artists who are making it possible. Buy Low, Sell
High. It's smart investing. But there is a fine
line between capitalizing, downright swindling or
taking advantage of someone's poverty,
(especially if you have had a part in creating
that poverty). The recording industry today is
much like the proverbial "company
store," and one look at a "standard
recording contract" would prove this point.
Besides
taking financial advantage of artists, this
common entrepreneurial scenario also serves to
put one more layer of separation between the
artist and his "buying" and
appreciating public, making the artist appear
inaccessible though that is often not the
artists wish. Most artists, especially
performers, rely on their fans, and the fans
become part of their artistic process. When a fan
purchases an artists product directly from
the artist, it is mutually satisfying to both
parties and a bond of trust and appreciation is
established. The artist gets necessary feedback
about his work and by supporting the artist,
(instead of the entrepreneurs), the fan is able
to demonstrate his appreciation directly
to the artist, and can feel like he is giving
something back, for what he has received from the
artist
Given
the opportunity to purchase an artist's product
directly from the artist who created It (a
product they enjoy), most people have
demonstrated a preference to do so. They enjoy
showing their appreciation and respect by
purchasing directly from the product's true
creator, the artist, because they are aware that
at least some of their purchase price for the art
they have bought actually reaches the
artists pockets. This is not the case when
purchasing the artists product from
entrepreneurs.
Article
for Blues News by bookin@bluesbook.com |
October 28, 1999 |
|