Definitions
The Business of Art for the purposes of this guide means using art as a commodity in a commercial sense. It encompasses the buying and selling of art, the valuing of art through appraisal, working with galleries and dealers, and the relative recent phenomenon of international art fairs that market contemporary art. For those of us who study art for its aesthetic appeal or its reflection of society, the business end of the art world is a totally new approach.
Some good places to gain an introduction to this world include:
A monthly trade magazine with information directed to art galleries, picture framers, art dealers and framers, and art supply stores.
Seven Days in the Art World by New York: W.W. Norton, c2008. A sociologist view of the contemporary art world. In a series of well-paced chapters, Sarah Thornton investigates the drama of a Christie's auction, the workings of Takashi Murakimi's studios, the elite at the Basel Art Fair, the eccentricities of Artforum magazine, the competition behind an important art prize, life in an art-school seminar, and the experience of the Venice Biennale.
General Introductions
The Business of Art by Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press, c1998. Covering the critical areas of planning, protecting, marketing, exhibiting, buying, and selling art, this work serves as a guide to the business side of the art world.
The Art Business by London; New York: Routledge, 2008. A thorough examination of contemporary issues in the art business, and the mechanisms and influences which underpin its evolution.
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