What should I include in a licensing agreement?
A licensing agreement should include, at a minimum: the name(s) of the specific works of art you’re licensing; what specific type(s) of product(s) the art will be reproduced on; the producer’s or…
Foreign Affairs
This article written in 1981 raises many still relevant issues on applying for Opportunities. The American Painters in Paris Exhibition fiasco, raises serious artlaw questions. Starting from the beginning, the nine page booklet/seduction package makes interesting reading. Put…
Tyson, Hirst and Hogbens Dunphy
Reliable evidence of the way living artists work with dealers to develop their careers has always been hard, if not impossible, to find. There is an understandable reluctance of both artists and art market professionals…
Rothko Revisited
There occurred in Sandy, London, Cardiff and Anglesey last month an important event for the visual arts which went largely unnoticed. That brief statement – rather like the ‘Who, When, Where, Why?’ newspaper adverts – hardly tells the…
Who cares about art after death?
Turner did: Rothko did. But apart from that question, the Rothko case raises an equally serious and more practical question for artists: how to ensure that their art is dealt with, after death, according…
Copyright Protection Abroad
Copyright protection in the United Kingdom was dealt with last month, by explaining the nature of copyright (it only applies to ‘artistic works’ and ‘works of artistic craftsmanship’); who owns the copyright (the author, at first); what…
Up Against the Wall: part 1
‘I am told that you have a thorough knowledge of the subject of artistic copyright. And write to ask if you would be so kind as to give some advice on the subject. I…
Art Online
Many myths abound, and there is much ignorance and misunderstanding about the use of images online and the sale of works using e commerce. What are the key issues involved, is there any legal protection and have any…
Copyright and Moral rights: New legislation (part 2)
Last month, we began to examine the new copyright law (contained in the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988) which will come into force in May or June 1989 looked at…
Can the organiser of an art show subsequently decide to remove a work from the show ?
Yes, and in the absence of a written agreement between you and the organiser, or in the absence of a suitable clause in…
Studios
Studios Can I negotiate the lease / licence with my prospective landlord? What counts as an affordable rent? How much deposit would I expect to pay? What other costs might I be liable for when renting a studio? What…
Working relationships in public art commissions
Learn how to develop a relationship with your commissioner so that you both get what you need out of a commission. For the artist For the commissioner Compromising practice with practicality The nature of…
Project budgets
Most funding applications will ask for a budget at some time during the process. Your budget should remain within the guideline amounts provided. It needs to clearly show how any monies provided will be spent, as well as…
Can I negotiate the lease / licence with my prospective landlord?
You will often be presented with a document described as the landlord’s ‘standard document’, the implication being that its terms and condition are non negotiable. This certainly does not…
Gormley on the Beach
Antony Gormley’s Another Place, 1997, has become the focus of extensive media attention centring on recent decisions made under UK planning law that will require his public artwork to be removed from its current and temporary…
Space Race: Part 2
Development Consultants David Powell is an independent property consultant and offered constructive perspectives and advice. There are 250 studio organisations in the UK, together offering 10,000 studio spaces, with as many artists again on their waiting…
Sellers, Buyers and Auctioneers Beware
London is arguably the world’s leading art auction location, and the oldest. Sotheby’s was established in 1744, Christie’s in 1796, Bonham’s in 1793 and Phillips in 1796. The legal and business framework for auctions in…
Infinity goes up on Trial
The visual art market place has two essential facets, distinct but clearly interrelated, especially over recent generations: exhibiting and selling. Dealers usually occupy ‘gallery’ premises: partly for their principal object (making profits from sales); partly…