What other costs might I be liable for when renting a studio?
There are a number of extra costs that you will be liable for when you rent a studio, exactly as with a residential property. These include electricity, gas,…
Down in the Flood
Well, it’s sugar for sugar And salt for salt, If you go down in the flood, It’s gonna be your own fault. * Or is it? The Conditions of Entry said: ‘Works submitted for consideration are…
Private Investigations
It’s a mystery to me – the game commences for the usual fee – plus expenses confidential information – it’s in a diary this is my investigation – it’s not a public inquiry* Back from the motorway the…
Ballad of a Thin Wedge
An article from the Artlaw archive about sponsorship and the Arts. You have many contacts Among the lumberjacks To get you facts When someone attacks your imagination But nobody has any respect Anyway they already…
Space Race: Part 1
Tate Modern recently hosted a national conference profiling the role of studio and workspace provision for artists in the UK. ‘Creating Places’ was jointly funded by Arts Council England (ACE), the Cultural Industries Development Agency (CIDA),…
Taxation of Prizes and Grants
Booker, Whitbread, Turner, John Moores – are the winners of those prizes liable to pay income tax? What about other minor awards and prizes given by public and private donors? What about competitions,’buying time’ awards,…
Supplementary Benefit
Supplementary benefit is for those whose resources are insufficient to meet their requirements. Last month we looked at artists’ entitlement to unemployment benefit and their duty to make National Insurance contributions; now we must consider artists’ rights to…
Droit de Suite (2002)
The Arts Council of England recently published its Research Report on the implementation of a Directive from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union requiring all 15 Member States to enact legislation to…
Artists’ Selling Power
The film and entertainment industries exercise strong bargaining power over non negotiating artists, or ‘hired hands’, whose marketability remains unproven and relatively low – the powerless majority. However they have had to learn to accept the bargaining…
What do I need to know if I want to use a board game / company name or logo in my artwork?
First, the name of the board game, or associated logos, is likely to be registered as a trademark…
Caveat Emptor
In relation to an artwork, what is the meaning of: an original a reproduction an original reproduction a multiple original a print an original print an edition a limited edition and does it matter? Some argue that it…
Parliamentary Report: UK Artists’ Resale Right
The committee describes the ARR as a ‘controversial initiative to improve artists’ incomes’, that has been operating in different ways throughout most of Continental Western Europe (where it is known as droit de suite)…
Alison Jackson’s Sven
In the media hype immediately before the start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a new film work by UK artist/director Alison Jackson was broadcast on Channel 4, Sven: The Cash, The Coach and His Lovers. Described…
Lofty Ideals
Studio space and living space, separate or combined, is essential and can be very difficult for visual artists to come by. ‘What kind of house is this, ‘ he said. ‘Where I have come to roam?’ ‘It’s not…
Artists’ right to unemployment benefit
At a time of mass unemployment and world wide recession, how does the unemployed artist fare in the welfare state? Will unemployment or supplementary benefits be paid? Does the state have a duty to meet…
The Momart Fire
At 3.40am on Monday May 24 2004 fire fighters received the alarm call, and the blaze at one of Momart’s warehouses lasted five days. Media coverage was extensive and worldwide, for what was a devastating single act…
Morals, Mores & Minors
Lewis Carroll and Edgar Degas in the 19th Century, Balthazar Klossowski (Balthus) and Robert Mapplethorpe in the 20th Century, and Tierney Gearon and Annalies Strba at the beginning of this century, each produced artworks that were…
Damage to Work
Damage to work can be a real problem, particularly when it’s discovered during a show. Although artists and galleries tend to rely on insurance companies to pay for restoration costs, there have been an increasing number of…