Some of the most vocal art marketing gurus, on the Net and off, keep saying: Pick a style, a look, and focus on it if you want to be successful.
Well, yes. That’s true.
But it’s also not true.
You can be successful doing several styles. Of course, the gurus say: Do it under another name, which means you paint your abstracts under the name Horatio Harbinger, your realistic still-lifes under the name Harry Horatio, your animal paintings under the name Harold Harvey, and your landscapes done in New Age Impressionism under the name Jeneel Squiglio.
OR.
Do your art, and don’t worry about it. You can do periods of art…like most of the greats have; you can do series of art, like many modern artists do. What you shouldn’t do is limit yourself. Now, that’s just my opinion, but it’s a reasonable one considering that I do many different styles of art successfully in a wide range of mediums from sculpting to almost any real world and digital medium of visual art.
Each style of art has its own niche. Know that niche. Know who your customers, collectors, and investors might be for each style. And, sometimes, realize that, right now, your cutting edge work might not have a consumer base. That doesn’t mean that it won’t in the future.
So what’s my point? Don’t limit yourself. Don’t narrow your art simply to satisfy some “guru’s” idea of how to make the bottom line profitable. Profit isn’t the point in art. True, passionate self-expression is the point of art — sharing yourself. Do the art first; then let the market sort itself. It works. All you have to do is get the art out there…which means exposure…not being afraid of negative comments and failing to “win.” Your work will grow on people as they experience YOU more and more. And that’s the secret, folks. You have to know who you are, and then express that you into your art.
So why do the “art gurus” say what they say? Think about it. They wanna make money. Off you, and/or off your art. And they can make it fastest and easiest if you listen to them, and play ball by their formulas. Well, let the gurus work a little harder for their money, I say. Screw their easy-on-them formulas. Live and express that life experience and perspective, and don’t sweat the moneymen/women.
6 Responses to “Who are you, what’s your style, what’s your “niche?” Why it’s YOU, of course. Just do the art.”
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Great article, DLKeur,
And very encouraging for artists.
As of the final part, based on my experience, the “gurus” won’t bother themselves to work harder to earn their money, they rather find other artist who is set to do what they want.
So I think it’s great when you have other source of living and actually are not dependent on art market tendencies.
The best artists create the trends. They don’t follow them. The best marketeers create the NEW formula, don’t use what everyone else is doing.
Art is on everything. What an artist should do is “market their name.” If they do that, all their various works will, in the end, find markets.
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for your response, and also for all your articles on the blog. It’s always interesting to read them.
It’s also usually interesting to write them. I have to let them sit awhile because I usually write them in the heat of passion due to something happening here on the “art front.” I can get a bit passionate, and reining myself in isn’t something I’m especially good at sometimes.
Yes, I can feel that your articles are created in the heat of a moment, and I think it makes them especially valuable, because it’s like a live emotional communication. And I can even ask you the meaning of some rare words by double click
Isn’t that definition aide a cool blog toy? I love it. I see I need to get it onto the single pages too, though. The notice disappears.
And thanks about my “live jives.” Glad it isn’t too abrasive.