Artdomain Art Marketing Blog

Photo by Mokolabs

Well actually I can’t, but what I am referring to is the insanely catchy song ‘Handlebars‘ by Denver hip hop band the Flobots.

What made this song get so much airplay in the UK was that it is unlike other songs out there in the commercial sphere at the moment.  It’s not run of the mill.  It’s like a mantra starting off quite banal moving to strong political imagery. 

The song catches you off guard, and you can’t help but notice it.  People seem to either love it or hate it. It inspires discussion and has qualities that most other songs don’t have.   It is original.

What’s this got to do with the visual arts? 

I read a great article by Alan Bamberger called Why Artists Should Watch “Antiques Roadshow” where he discusses what makes some antiques more special and desirable to collectors than others, and why artists should take note:

“Roadshow standouts are original. They’re never re-dos or interpretations of things that already exist. So be original; don’t be afraid to experiment with what’s never been done before or to go where no artist has gone just because you think it might not sell or that someone might not approve. Use art by other artists as sources of inspiration, not sources of imitation.”

What makes some art stand out above the crowd is the amount of effort that goes into producing it and the unique qualities that it possesses. 

This is not to say that art should be poured over in the making.  Look at Picasso who created stunning sketches extremely quickly, however the effort went into the prolific nature of his art, where his 5 minute sketch was the culmination of hours and hours of 5 minute sketches to get to that creation.

The level of applied effort should be consistent with the originality of art being produced.  The more you are working at your art, the more your original voice should come through.

Interestingly Bamberger also discusses the fact that antiques that communicate their historical point in time are more important to future collectors:

Many Roadshow relics are historical. They offer insight into the times during which they were produced by capturing seminal moments of days gone by. Think about how people will look at your art in 100 years. What will make it historical? How will it reflect what’s happening now? How does what’s happening now, either within or without you, influence what you create? The clearer you are on these issues and the better you chronicle them in relation to your art, the greater the chances of that art becoming documents rather than footnotes.

Toulouse Lautrec drew the bohemian characters of his world.  Camille Claudel created sculptures immensely charged with emotion, despair and tenderness reflecting her emotional state and her struggle as a woman sculptor.  Van Gogh’s paint palette brightened on leaving the dreary Belgium mining district of Borinage and moving to the sun drenched south of France. 

These, and many more celebrated artists, managed to encompass incredible technical talent with capturing insights of their time. This is the magical combination for longevity.

What is original, unique and current about your art work?  Leave comments below.

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WHY ARTISTS SHOULD WATCH “ANTIQUES ROADSHOW”