Studio Damoah

School of Saatchi

Did anyone watch episode 1 of the School of Saatchi on BBC2 last night?

I read an article about it in Art Review magazine a few months ago that did not exactly entice me to watch, however, watch I did. I actually rather enjoyed it, but then, one could argue that I am a bit of a reality addict, so a reality show about art, well theoretically, that is heaven on earth for me…

The man himself did not appear (No surprises there). The show is being fronted by Matthew Collings- a critic, author, curator and skeptic, he is also one of the judges. Joining him on the judging panel are Tracey Emin (no intro needed), Frank Cohen- dubbed the “Saatchi” of the North (North of England) and Kate Bush (no not the singer), head of art at the Barbican in London…

Not much fuss has been made of this series, the so called “X Factor” of the art world. In fact, when asked if the show was anything like the X Factor, Mr Saatchi of the North apparently responded rather defensively:

“It’s not like the X Factor for the simple reason that you haven’t got an audience standing and screaming and baying for blood. I think Saatchi wants the programme to come over as a serious take on the processes of contemporary art rather than a competition. It doesn’t cheapen art at all; if anything, it’ll educate people in how contemporary art is made and what it means.”

The beginning had echos of the X factor though,I mean, being X Factor Queen, even during dire Jedward times, I should know.. The judges sat in a room as the artists came in one by one like lambs to the slaughter. Miss Emin was a bit like a female, slightly more empathetic, post watershed version of Mr Simon Cowell. Honest and direct in her approach to critiquing the work. At one point, she even quipped “That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever seen!… You are just winging it”.. BRILLIANT! Poor guy, I felt sorry for him but she was right, bang on the money, honestly, if you arrange a bunch of cheap chairs in a circle on the floor, what do you really expect? Praise? I got the feeling she was genuine and she was going with her gut. That woman knows what she is talking about.

The hopefulls, well I am not really into video installation art. I know lots of people would probably tell me to get with the times, but hey, I like what I like. I have seen lots of it at various hip London shows, and to be honest, I have not seen anything that really grabbed me. Maybe thats something to do with me not attending art school and “getting the jargon”.. I am not just “a hater”, I have made two attempts at video installations myself at two of my exhibitions. I will post them up on my website too for you all to laugh at. Hey, at least I tried to be down with the kids.. They showed a clip of the famous Bruce Nauman video installation of him walking round a square in a strange way- can’t remember what it is called, the point is, I just don’t get it. However, for me, the person that impressed me the most in the group of young hopefulls was Suki Chan. Yes, her work consisted of stunning video installations, oh the irony. Needless to say she got through. It wasn’t just her work though, there was something about her. A quiet confidence and calm explanation. Amazing stuff..

A young girl who could talk the talk- I think she was 19, she got through. No matter how hard I think about it and contemplate it, I still don’t understand why a whistle with lipstick on it hanging on a rail attached to a wall is art. I did not get that it was remotely sexual as Miss Emin suggested either. Her explanation was excellent. She clearly has the art school jargon. But I don’t get it. She will probably be the next big thing.

The self taught guy was also very impressive- even without the jargon. His presence comforted me somewhat!

The Standard newspaper apparently suggested that the show was a cynical attempt to climb back up the Art Review Power 100 list for the man with the Midas touch, camera shy Saatchi. Considering that the Power 100 was only published this month and that this show has been planned (trust me, I have my sources) for a long time more than a year or two, I doubt that is the case. No doubt his power has diminished somewhat in the face of a mass influx of stupidly rich collectors that were pricing even the likes of Saatchi out of the market for a while there before the bubble burst. That fact can not be denied, but, the fact remains that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the UK art market and I for one would be thanking my lucky stars if he came knocking on my door to anoint me as a chosen one…

So, overall, good show! I will be watching the series very closely. Let me know what you think. Catch up on last nights show here…

Best

Adelaide

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Studio Damoah

Gimmick or style?

I was inspired to write this by the Style vs Gimmick post on the Art Biz blog… It is a very interesting question that provoked lots of interesting responses. So here is my contribution, let me know what you think…

From the point of view of art work/artists: When an artist produces work specifically to self promote or sell and not from a place of authenticity, that could be seen as gimmicky… Thats my opinion…

I have been accused of being gimmicky as I tend to work in series. My first being “Black Brits”- was about British icons and how the color of their skin affected the way they were perceived by the public, it was about identity. It was labeled a gimmick by some media outlets, but that was because they did not get the point.

However it is perceived, as long as you are being true to yourself as an artist and you are producing quality work, who really cares?

So what do you think?

When does personal style turn to gimmick?

Best

Adelaide

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Studio Damoah

The case of John T. Unger and the unscrupulous commercial imitator

I felt moved to attempt to do something to help the cause of John T. Unger, for him and for the sake of all artists.

Imagine you spend 20 years of your life learning and perfecting your craft only to have some rich wannabe commercial imitator bastard attempt to rip off your lifetime of work and sell it on the cheap.. That is what has happened to John T. Unger.

Read the full story here

  • Pledge your support by buying his work
  • Pledge your support by buying Hazel Dooneys Yes/No stencils which she has donated for the cause
  • Pledge your support by sending the story out on all your social networks
  • Pledge your support by donating your art for sale

Whatever you do, SUPPORT for the sake of artists all around the world.

Best to you

Adelaide

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Studio Damoah

Why have a manager? A managers perspective…

This was a comment posted on my blog post “Why have a manager/agent?” by my very own manager! I felt it was so challenging that I simply had to post it as a blog post in its own right for you all to see. Get involved in the debate, comment below!

Best,

Adelaide 

Why have a manager?

I feel compelled to put pen to paper and reply to Adelaide’s blog, because as HER manager, I feel the need to put my perspective on her position.

Firstly as the ‘suit’ I have to frame my position by informing you that my grandfather was a recognised artist, my niece is an artist, I have friends who are artists or who teach art. I have managed business issues for more than 250 musical artists (the product is still Intellectual Property even if the ‘palette’ is different) and I have family involved in other areas of the ‘art world’.

I now pick and chose who I work with. I work with Adelaide for a variety of reasons I shall turn to in a moment, but chiefly all artists need a ‘team’ around them. They may be photographers, web designers, PR people, press contacts, gallery owners, agents and of course managers. These people are cultivated over a period of time; understand your work, and other members of your team. All these people work together to crystallise plans, which are put into action over months.

Do you imagine that Damian Hurst put his auction together less than six months before Sotheby’s hosted it? Do you not think his current exhibition at the Wallace Collection was not organised six or even 12 months before it went live?

Do you imagine that Mick Jagger or Mick Hucknall do not have a manager. Of course they do, dozens of them, just like Tesco has store managers, these people are all there as agents, publicists, business managers, tour managers and publishing managers to do the bidding of their paymasters. Those ‘artists’ put a team in place to deal with the everyday issues their business face. In the case of Mr Hurst that business turned over more than 100 million in the last year or two.

But where do you start from, will be your question. You start by putting much of it in place yourself at the outset. Tell me a racing driver who did not build his own cars at the beginning, or a jockey who did not muck out the stables or drive the horsebox to the course. And when you start you work slowly to build your team and your tools around you. A manager can only work with the tools, you as the artist, put in place at the outset.

That manager should be able to build your business and profile with you, but it is you the artist who should be able to understand the tools available to you, your vision and your business plan. It is your duty as an artist to go out and learn the business principles, so you are able to discuss the strategy with your manager and the tactics they will employ in the execution of your strategy. Those are the business foundations, otherwise you would simply go to Sotheby’s yourself.

And finally, why did I choose to work with Adelaide? Was it that she challenged the ‘magnolia’ of convention with her series Black Brits? She did. Was her interpretation of her sexuality in the Black Lipstick collection compelling, erotic, sensual and provocative? It was. Does she challenge the mediocre thinking that might otherwise allow her to acquiesce in the control of her work? She does.

For those of you who may want to simply paint, I have a back bedroom that needs another coat of cream white.

John Murray-Smith

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Studio Damoah

Why have a manager/agent?

For some reason, I keep bumping into this question today. For example, on the Art Biz blog, the following questions were  asked of the art readership:

  • Is there such a thing as a fine art representative or agent (not gallerist) that can do all the work for you?
  • How are they paid?
  • How do you find them?

There were 7 responses, the last time I looked. All with interesting perspectives on the whole thing. One of the contributors Maria brophy, an artist agent herself (now just for her husband) advocates representing yourself.

I am not necessarily talking about agents herein this post though, as my experience is with managers, so it is important for me to define what I mean by an artist manager/representative and an agent. An agent deals with sales, chasing prospects, negotiating and closing deals. A manager can do many things ranging from helping to organize you and manage your time, helping to come up with and implement business ideas, negotiating, coaching and support. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably which can be somewhat confusing.

My perspective: 

Is there such a thing as a fine art representative or agent (not gallerist) that can do all the work for you?

Why the hell would anyone want somebody to do ALL of the work for them?  If you give someone that much power over you, over your life, your career, well you are just asking for TROUBLE! Even if such a person existed, I for one would never want to hand over that much power. Apart from the obvious, there is something so satisfying about doing things for yourself, learning and growing, and the satisfaction of knowing that when you achieve a set goal, knowing that you did it YOURSELF.

Someone like Hazel Dooney does a fine job of representing herself. According to Barney Davey’s article on her in his blog “Art Print Issues”, (which kind of struck me as an ode to Miss Dooney, although who can blame him, I am becoming a bit obsessed with her myself…) she manages all of the sales and marketing side of her art, and she approaches the whole thing with an admirable passion and zeal that almost makes her destined to be super successful. She is widely respected and her work is very collectible. But not everyone has the kind of drive, tenacity and skill set required to do ALL of that. So what to do if you do not have all of those skills but you still want to make it alone? LEARN! Or get someone to help you or coach you, the Art Biz coach blog is an excellent source of information. Learn everything there is to learn about art BUSINESS (no its not a dirty word!), learn about sales and the marketing of art. I am learning new things every day and it is all adding up. I will post as I go and pass on information and resources…. Ask Maria Brophy about hiring an art consultant to get you past the hard bits if you think it would help. Apparently, it is cheaper than hiring a manager..

My background is in biology, business and sales, so I understand sales and marketing. I rather like the business side of things, it excites me (there is nothing like the feeling of selling a painting seeing your baby turned into cold hard cash), although, when you are in the early stages of your career like I am (almost 4 years in whoop whoop!), trust me, it is one thing selling other peoples products and another thing entirely selling your own work that you have put your heart and soul into.

I started out with a business manager, lost him, kept going and building with the help of close friends and family and have now come full circle back to having a manager, my very own version of  Frank Dunphy! I do not feel like I MUST HAVE A MANAGER. I certainly do not rely on him to do everything. I deal with sales invoices from my art prints, getting them printed, stamped, signed and posted is all down to me. I do the internet marketing myself from home and WE work as a team, WE brainstorm marketing and sales ideas. He is (his words!) my bull dog in meetings and he makes sure that no one takes advantage of me. As an artist who just wants to sell work, it can be tempting to just take what is offered even when that may not make the most sense from a business point of view and may not be in your best interests. The manager is able to look at things with a cold sharp eye, without the emotional attachment, make smart judgments and pick up on things that you might otherwise miss.

Communication and team work is key. Also, if you think that having a manager would make things easy, think again! I am working so much harder now than I was before (and I thought I used to work hard then), and more efficiently thanks to my manager. I work at least 13 hours EVERY DAY (a little less on the weekends admittedly). It is brilliant and satisfying to wake up and be so focused on the goals for that day, and even better that I have someone there cheering me on and giving input. I speak to my manager EVERY DAY. WE are on our way to something bigger and better than where WE are now and I simply would not want to be without him, he has accelerated my progress exponentially! We are building every day. Although if I had to, I know that I could go it alone, as I have done it before.

My conclusion to that question is that it is my opinion that to have a manager by your side to help, assist and advise, to back you up with extra knowledge like copywrite law etc is good. It is a bonus though, not a necessity. Hazel Dooney is living proof that you can do it alone if you have the guts, the determination, the contacts, the networking skills, and so on… It is not easy, but it is not impossible.

How are they paid? 
Our agreement is a percentage of sales. Mr Hirst and many other artists do the same thing. According to Maria Brophy, you can end up paying up to 50% of sales (that would be an agent who is involved in selling and closing deals also. You would have to define the nature of the position of your agent/manager before signing anything)! 50%!! Well what happens when you sell through a gallery and they take 30 -70% on top of that, then you end up with peanuts?? Hell no! Not necessary. Take control. Salaried managers/agents can charge up tp $5000!! Crazy money unless you are doing really really well.

How do you find them?

Well it could be anyone. Maria Brophy manages her husband who is an artist and they are doing very well from that arrangement. My manager came to me by chance. We have known each other for some time, and he is someone who I have turned to for business advice from time to time over the years. One day, he just suggested that I could probably benefit from having someone help me. We arranged a meeting and agreed on terms and it went from there. That was just this summer and he has been brilliant. He has done artist management  before and has lots of experience with intellectual property and dealing with litigations. He is a brilliant negotiator and is my strongest ally in meetings and a really good friend.

So your future manager (not slave!) could be closer than you think. I would not have a clue where to look for a professional manager who I did not know and why would I want to? Trust is so important just like in any relationship. Its like having a boyfriend but without the sex, it can get that intense.

Enough waffle, my point is this.

  • A manager is NOT a neccessity. 
  • With a lot of hard work and discipline, you CAN do it alone, Just ask Hazel Dooney, it is good to have a support network of friends and family though.
  • Whilst I understand what Maria means in her blog when she states that: ” Unless the agent is super-connected, you may be better off paying a salary to a manager”…I don’t think that a salary to a manager is the only way to go although I accept that she has had far more experience than me in that field, I can only speak from my experience… For me, it is perfectly reasonable to have a percentage agreement in writing as long as everybody knows and understands the terms. There has to be TRUST. We do not all have the kind of money necessary to pay a manager a retainer or salary. Even Damien Hirst pays his manager 10% of profits.

My manager would not be working so hard with me if I were not putting in the effort that I am. Your manager if you have one or are looking for one is not there to wipe your backside. There is so much competition, you have to get good at doing the business side of things, unless of course you have a lucky break and are catapulted into stardom over night- in which case, you can afford to hire minions to do your “dirty work”. Highly unlikely for most of us. So work hard, learn the business side of things, manager or no manager and get to the top on your own terms alternatively, insist that only “men in suits deal with business” (yea, an artist actually said that to me!) and stay penniless painting in your studio where no one knows your name hoping that the golden hand of Saatchi will land upon your forehead and anoint you the new art star of the noughties! My opinion…

So what do you think? Go it alone or have a manager? Would you really want to have someone do everything for you?

Best

Adelaide

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Studio Damoah

What are your experiences of selling art prints? To print or not to print

I recently had an online conversation in one of my social networks about fine art prints. I put a request to the network for help with promoting my prints. I want to reach a wider audience than my 5000 or so opt in subscribers… the response I got back from one gentleman was to be very careful about doing reproductions for the following reasons:

  • Only very famous artists sell repros of their very expensive works successfully
  • The only ones making the money are the printers doing the printing for you
  • Because of the economy the target market can barely afford to put gas in their cars let alone buy a print.
  • Going big with prints may put off “monied clients” as they feel that prints “cheapen” your art and your name.

OK, now whilst I consider all of the above to be valid points, I had to answer back with the following to protect my position!

  • We have spent 2 years putting this together getting this right for the above valid reasons.
  • I am not a member of a publishing house, the art prints are solely owned by me and individually printed to order, so the printer does not make any money until I make a sale.
  • The art prints are sold exclusively from my website, I have full control. 
  • The art prints are all personally signed and numbered by me or a member of my team (they do not sign, just number with a stamp).
  • I discussed this at length with my business manager (my very own version of Frank Dunphy!) and they are specifically targeted to a segment of the market who could not afford many thousands of pounds to buy an original but could afford to spend the equivalent of a tank of gas on an art print from one of my collections.
  • I have been receiving requests for prints from followers of my work since my début exhibition in 2006.
  • I have answered their need and am now trying to expand my reach beyond my regular followers in order to keep making money to survive.
  • This business model has enabled me to approach two different segments of the market place with my offering.
  • The art prints are  not produced in huge numbers, and the printing method is of a high quality
  • I have also spoken to my collectors and they assured me they are fine with this as long as the numbers of each one are limited which is the case.
  • Selling art prints also allows me to support a charity that I work with- the NCDV. The collection that they commissioned me to paint is also available in the same format and the profitable portion of the sale goes to them.

OK so there you have it. In actual fact, I personally do not agree that prints devalue your work. Especially if they are of a decent quality. They can in my opinion work in your favour by making your work accessible to a lot more people , making you as an artist more popular to people that otherwise would not necessarily have access to your work.

Jack Vettriano art prints adorn the walls of many thousands of homes and establishments globally. Although for most of his career he has been shunned by the “art establishment” he is still one of the most well known artists of the modern era. His originals have sold for up to £750,000. He makes millions from selling his prints world wide. Obviously he is a famous artist now, but even Jack Vettriano started somewhere.

So what do you think? What are your experiences of selling prints if you are an artist?

Best

Adelaide

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