Artist's reputation, career in art and cancel culture
Career in art: marathon or sprint?
Often we see artists who leave the market after the first successful (but often accidental) sale, simply because they do not know how to repeat the success. And it’s good if they go nowhere, but more often they go into the grip of bad habits or into prolonged depression, confirming stereotypes about the bohemian art world.
If you want to make art your life's work, it is better to play the long game and set yourself up for a long-term career. Understand that this is a path of ups and downs, as well as periods of vigorous creative activity, followed by calm.
Previously, the artist’s path was simple and clear. Having graduated from the academy, his path was predetermined: portraits of the nobility, landscapes and still lifes for decoration of residences...
Now there are much more options for career development. Competition has increased, and now, in addition to direct creativity, artists (in this case the term is similar to the English “artists”) are learning to be their own PR people, marketers, curators and art dealers.
After all, in order for the wheel of your career to start spinning in the right direction, you first need to push it. That is, in order to be noticed, you must first become noticeable. Most often, this means working on all fronts for some time: communicating with galleries, maintaining social networks, establishing contacts... It is at this moment that you should think about your reputation.
“Where should I go from here?
Where do you want to go? — Lewis Carroll
Correct goal setting helps determine the importance of a clean reputation. The artist needs to answer a number of questions that, unfortunately, are not discussed so often in art schools. Many artists emerge from their alma mater with perfect technique, but a lack of understanding of what role they want to play in the art market.
Think:
- What is art for you?
- Does your creativity come from within or without (do you often generate themes yourself or follow the mainstream)?
- Where do you see your creativity? On someone's kitchen wall? Or rather in a museum?
- How do you feel about popularity and publicity?
- What concessions are you willing to make for money? But for the sake of popularity?
- Is art more of a job or a calling for you? How long are you willing to do this if it doesn’t make money?
- How many failed attempts are you willing to make before you get your first big sale?
The answers here cannot be right or wrong, good or bad. But they will determine the direction and strategy for building a career in art.
Сancel culture
Contemporary artists try to keep abreast of the agenda and current events of the world. You can draw inspiration from this and, in addition, by touching on popular topics, it is easy to be “on the crest of the wave” and reach a wider audience.
But how can one avoid playing with “dangerous topics” and where is the line that an artist should not cross? Does this line even exist?
The debate about whether we can separate the personality of the creator from his work has been going on for many years. But, if previously only those closest to you knew about mistakes and embarrassments, then, with the advent of globalization and the Internet, you can disgrace yourself (as well as become famous) to the whole world with one click.
But is it really that scary?
As we see from many precedents, the institution of reputation is now just beginning to take shape. Canceled celebrities are returning to their jobs after being out of the spotlight for some time. The information flow is now so rapid that even the most epic failures will most likely be forgotten in a couple of weeks.
Of course, this is not a reason to go to great lengths, thinking that you won’t get anything for it. You need to understand your audience and what they are willing to forgive you for, and why they may stop going to exhibitions. There is no need to put the audience at the forefront, but still, does art exist without an audience? Debatable.
Take risks if this path suits your goals. The stakes are high, and risks cannot be avoided. Of course, reputation must be maintained, however, in 2020, even the most experienced art dealer will not always be able to predict whether work on a controversial topic will make you in demand or booed.
So is reputation still important in contemporary art? Yes, it is important. But only to the extent that you have chosen for yourself.
