In this article, contemporary artist Al Serino would like to tell you about the advantages of online platforms for the dissemination and sale of art works, and why they seem necessary.
What happens to us when we go to visit a contemporary art museum?
Possibly several questions arise:
- What do you have to do to get to exhibit in a museum like the Guggenheim, or at the Venice or Berlin Biennale?
- -Who decides which work is worthwhile and which work is not?
- -What are the criteria?
- -And the channels?
- -Is that true art?
- -How much does public opinion influence the value of a work?
- Can art only be disseminated and sold through conventional means?
The world of contemporary art is very broad and complex, since it encompasses all current professional art, and therefore, we can find everything from the greatest replicas, to true art enthusiasts who do everything possible to make the talent of the moment known.
However, until recently, this field of purchase, sale and exhibition of art works was not accessible to all artists, only to those who had managed to get there through traditional channels (namely, art dealers , galleries, etc.). Art is something that emerges so naturally in the human being (regardless of whether your chosen career is artistic or not), that it really is a shame that there are not enough means to show it.
But, times have changed, and now the Internet exists. The Internet is a dissemination channel that, well used, can serve to bring true art to the public. Nowadays there are countless online platforms where artists can showcase and sell their artwork. From social networks like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram ... to specialized gallery owners like Saatchi Art, Etsy, FineArtAmerica and so on.
Today, the presence on the internet is absolutely necessary, and for art it is no different. With this in mind, below Brooklyn artist Al Serino will talk about the options that currently exist for artists on the internet. These can be divided into two large groups: general platforms, and specialized ones.
Let's get to know them and understand their advantages and disadvantages.
General platforms
The general platforms are all free social networks, easy to use and widely accessible, in which great visibility and dissemination is obtained. Some of them, the most important, are the ones we already know: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Amazon, etc. However, we must also take into account the drawbacks of social networks: there are millions of users, with millions of different interests. For each art or artist profile, you find thousands who share photos and personal, political posts, etc. This makes it difficult to filter the content to find the artists; In addition, they are not professional networks, and therefore, whoever finds your work on Facebook or Instagram, will not be able to know for sure if you want to dedicate yourself professionally to the field of art, or simply form part of one of your hobbies.
Apart from this, (with the exception of Amazon) they are spaces that are not prepared for online sales: if you want to sell through these platforms, the whole process will depend on an exercise of trust between the interested party and the artist, with little control.
In summary:
- Advantages of general platforms: Easy, a lot of access and visibility, wide dissemination.
- Disadvantages of generalist platforms: Millions of users who talk about other things, do not focus on art, do not allow professionalized management, and do not allow or facilitate sales.
Platforms specialized in art
On the other hand, we find the platforms Al Serino was talking about, digital spaces dedicated exclusively to the artistic field.
Some of these platforms are Saatchi Art, UGallery, TurningArt, Devianart, etc. (To discover more, take a look at Al Serino’s Profile on Saatchi Art.
Platforms specialized in art have many advantages for artists, since they are spaces specifically designed for them. In the first place, they are professional networks, they are focused on the dissemination and sale of artistic works, and therefore, on the construction of a professional artistic network, of people who live or intend to live from art.
Its services are specially oriented to this public, both towards the artists themselves, as well as towards those interested in art and even gallery owners. In this way, they achieve their own and exclusive ecosystem that encourages, disseminates and moves art, and they are the type of spaces to which those interested and art experts will come to discover new talents.
The drawbacks of these spaces?
These platforms, being specialized, are more endogamous, as is to be expected, and therefore visibility will always be lower than on social networks, since these platforms only enter those who are really interested in the art world.
Another drawback is that these platforms are normally paid, since they offer a series of services that social networks do not have, such as the possibility of selling, and of course, this entails a series of expenses that must always be considered.
For these reasons, you always have to evaluate art platforms much more carefully, because you must choose the one that really benefits you as an artist.
