Question of the day: What are the first prices to put the artist on his paintings?
ARTinvestment.RU   08 мая 2018

For how to sell the movie in the beginning? What price is considered reasonable? Opinion AI is addressed primarily to young artists working without gallery and without auction sales. The rest can not even read — will understand without us

How much is a painting worth? If the author already has the statistics of auction sales, the pricing principles more-менее clear — this is stated in the article "How to appreciate painting". But if a creative person is the beginning of the commercial journey, the situation is much more complicated.

Among the questions we asked young artists in correspondence with the auction and at seminars, there are two to answer which, for obvious reasons, is psychologically the hardest. First: "What do you think about my paintings?". Second: "What price should I put on my painting?". Leaving aside emotions, share with the reader the opinion which we have formed — employees of the Auction — on the basis of the practice of weekly sales are very poor for the national art market period. For convenience, we will build our explanations in the form of questions and answers.

There are artists 20-27 years old, interesting paintings, but the names are not at the hearing. In important exhibitions have not yet participated in the auctions never sold. What are the prices they should be called?

AI: In such cases rely on a range of "emotional purchases". Our auction practice today is 10 000-30 000 — the money that people are sometimes willing to spend just because like. At the same time, usually without thinking about the merits of the author in art. To 30 000 a lot is decided in the mode "like — take". But as soon as the price moves closer to 40 000-50 000 rubles, then the behavior of our customer everything is changing dramatically. With this budget, people tend to take quite a pragmatic decision. Because of these (or just-чуть big) money becomes available are already known names: Grositsky, Sveshnikov, draw Nemukhin, Masterkova, Zverev, Buch, Kazarin, Gintovt, etc. So for lesser-known names as the launch is likely to consider a price around 20 000 roubles. On — on the situation.

And do not you think that these prices will kill a career as an artist? Is it not better, on the contrary, to put a high price? After all, buyers need to feel that they can offer high art, not Souvenirs!

AI: the Customers are mostly well aware of what was happening. A single universal commercial strategy for the artist no — is true. For example, there are little-known artists, a good living on a few customers selling their work for hundreds of thousands of rubles and never participated in the auction. This also happens. And can last for years. As long as the buyer doesn't try that-то from previously purchased to sell and was very surprised. But this situation — is rather an exception, a happy occasion, not a common practice.

a Much more sustainable is when the artist's work are inexpensive, but sales rely on a broad base of buyers — friends, art collectors, art lovers. It is interdependent things. If the artist sharply artificially raise prices, then previous buyers will lose it, and new ones are unlikely to acquire. And Vice versa. Remember that the popularly favorite of Anatoly Zverev, Vladimir Yakovlev was not high prices. Including therefore their work and the work of other sixties could afford many of the Soviet family. Their pictures were in the thousands of apartments. If it ruined their career?

Returning to the essence of the question: no,we in AI do not believe that affordable starting prices are killing career as an artist. Loss of interest in the work occurs entirely different reasons.

maybe you and other traders especially underestimate the prices? Convince us in order to sell more expensive, and the artist to give less?

AI: No. Merchants, on the contrary, best high prices to earn high Commission. But not all, unfortunately, in their power. After 10 years of crisis, if anyone has not noticed, we have a strong "buyer's market". Prices dictate people at least with some-то money and desire to buy. Now for a trader good luck in principle, the interest of buyers and to sell anything-то though as-то. There is no manipulation to the shopping. Even for the strong stuff the first names today, not queues. And the work of an unknown author is harder to sell even in low amounts. Judge for yourself: from the sale of 20,000 rubles, the auction will work 3 000 rubles, and with millions of sales — 150 000 rubles. The work staff is done identical volume: for painting price of 20 000 rubles for the painting in 1 000 000. Now you understand why auctions don't want to take trades in cheap work while little known authors?

If the artist was not present at the auction, but becoming a member of the creative Union, then does it increase its market price?

AI: We believe that membership in the creative unions, and any formal status at prices virtually unaffected. We do pricing for the auction this factor is not taken into account. If there is no auction sales, we are looking at exhibitions, reviews, round, group memberships — then the scheme described in and here. However it is possible that the commercial benefits from membership fees sometimes. For example, if the customer suddenly was not skilled in the art a person chooses, given the formal characteristics — received an artist's education and titles.

Calling these prices, you demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of the complexity of the artist's work, the structure of costs and needs for development. Is it possible to ensure the normal creative process at such prices?

AI: Alas, we also have to hear. In fact, we also believe that art and the work of the artist in Russia today strongly underestimated. As the work of other people of many professions. But to explain these issues what-то conspiracy merchants — is nonsense. It is better to look around and ask other questions. For example, where a solvent art lovers — such that not only the exhibitions went but and bought? In particular, where the upper-middle class — people with an income of 500 000 rubles per month, which is able to regularly buy in the pleasure? Ask yourself, what is being done to revitalize the economic situation, the liberalization of the market of art? And specify, what are the causes of today allow customers with optimism and confidence in the future? Try to see signs of improvement. That's when you'll see then soon expect the growth of prices in the whole market. And while you live there.

the Good news is that the economic depression on the Russian art market can't last forever. One day, everything changes. And come the future, which predicted futurologists belongs toartists. If you look in the perspective of 10-15 years, the major along with scientists will be creative people and those who feel the art and well versed in it. With the development of artificial intelligence and automation, the most important will be the ability of people to create things and new meanings. Those who today thinks about the starting price, new bright days wait sure.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI