As a result of the Internet’s rapid growth and importance in modern-day society, patterns of conducting business on a local or global scale have undoubtedly been modified and restructured — especially within the art industry.
The art industry has come far to accommodate the opportunities made available by the Internet. Before the Internet, there were a limited number of ways through which an artist could sell his or her artwork.
Many artists sell their work through galleries or dealers, often with the help of an artist representative — the equivalent of a musician’s manager — who promotes the artist’s work and gets the attention of potential buyers. These effective methods are still utilized today.
“Going through a gallery or dealer is usually the standard for selling your artwork,” said Ewelyna Koszykowski, a senior in illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design. “However, selling work online has become popular, and it is pretty easy.”
The benefits of selling art online are numerous. First, it is much faster. An artist can complete an entire transaction in a few minutes. In other words, the speed at which information is acquired on the Internet will also catalyze the process of completing an online sale.
Advantages to online art marketing can be placed in three categories: convenience, wider selection and research.
Round-the-clock Internet access ensures the art market is always open, making it possible to inspect gallery locations, auctions, and catalogues virtually anywhere at any time. Plus, prospective buyers can get online in the middle of the night and gain access to a wide variety of artwork from around the world. In addition, in-depth information regarding art advertised on specific Web sites is readily available.
Ricardo Gonzalez sells his work online from his home in New York City. Gonzalez said he found the Internet to be an effective sales medium because it reaches a large audience.
“It’s great because people from all over the world can buy your work,” Gonzalez said. “It is kind of weird selling your work to someone you don’t know, though.”
Artists are commonly asked when and where their art can be seen. Because his work is available online, Gonzalez said it is much easier to show people his work no matter his location.
“When I travel I always have people asking me when they can see my work. Now, I can just say, ‘If you have a computer I can show you right now,’ ” Gonzalez said.
Which brings up another point about the Internet: access. A person can contact any gallery, museum, art Web site or artist virtually for free. It also gives buyers an option to choose an art dealer from the most exclusive galleries, auction houses, and fine arts Web sites in the world.
It is logical to assume an increase in selling art on the Internet would bring down attendance at galleries and shows, but this is not the case — and for good reason.
“People still appreciate the idea of a live show where they can view the work and interact with the artists in person,” said Edward Pauley, executive director and curator at the Parkersburg Art Center in West Virginia.
Pauley said the live aspect of buying art at a gallery or auction will always be the experience people cannot get from the Internet. Gonzalez said he loves live shows, citing them as one of the best aspects of being an artist.
“It’s comparable to listening to a band’s CD at home and going to see the band live. It’s a totally different experience,” Gonzalez said.
By going to a gallery, an artist can focus on presentation, which is not easily achieved on the Internet. Galleries allow an artist to focus on lighting, positioning of their pieces, and, most importantly, interaction with the people.
On the other hand, some artists want to maintain privacy of their collection, so they hide from the public, concealing their identity.
Some collectors don’t like buying art at galleries or in person is because they aren’t comfortable negotiating price face to face. Through the Internet, a person can negotiate on their own schedule, spending as much time as they like when considering the negotiation process.
Every benefit has its drawback. Koszykowski said the Internet can be deceiving when purchasing art online.
“You can read and see the size of a particular piece but not really get the idea of the actual size in person,” said Hatuey Diaz, a sequential artist based in Chicago. “Also, you might not be able to really get a feel of the texture or true colors of a piece.”
The quality of an art piece is difficult to decipher when viewing it on the Internet. It’s impossible to tell if the artwork is damaged by seeing it only on a computer monitor. A piece of art in perfect condition can be scanned to provide the image that is seen, but a damaged piece can be easily sold instead.
“I have a friend who is featured on the same Web site as I am, and he has had four pieces returned to him because they looked good on the computer, but when the buyer got the pieces they weren’t what they had expected,” Gonzalez said. “If you are going to display your work online you need to have good, clean pictures, use proper filters and everything so it remains true to what the work actually looks like.”
The Internet is becoming an increasingly competitive market place for people to buy and sell art. If someone is planning to buy artwork on the Internet, it is best to take time and do research. To achieve the best results, artists and buyers alike should take precautions when buying or selling online.
