Public Art Commissions: Part 2
Last month’s column continues. Phase 2: Fabrication, fees and costs In this phase, the parties will be contemplating their having a successful design/model/maquette which will need to be fabricated; in which case, they will need…
Anticipating Future Uses of Work
A traditional assumption of many commissioners, owners and users of artworks is that artists should consider themselves lucky, even privileged, to have been paid for doing what they enjoy and therefore have few if any…
Deceased Artists
Through a public consultation paper issued in June 2008, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has been seeking the views of art market professionals, artists, representatives of artists’ collecting societies, and from deceased artists’ estates, in order to…
Art for Architecture Legistlation
Two new publications signal serious efforts to advance the art and architecture movement in the U.K.: Art For Architecture (published by H.M.S.Q.) and The Register of Artists and Craftsmen in Architecture (published by Art and Architecture…
What kinds of contract might I be expected to sign when taking on a property?
When signing any document it is essential that you understand its contents. The written agreement which you enter into for “renting” your studio will either…
Running and programming your own artist-led space
If you are running your own gallery space it’s important to have an idea of the kind of programme you want. A clear curatorial vision will help attract visitors and funding to your…
Agents’ and Dealers’ Duties
Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing Madonna and Child with St Anne and a Lamb (c.1501 19) was the subject of a lawsuit decided by London's High Court in November 2010, which shed “a bright light on an…
Copyright Services
Picasso’s keen interest in taking care of the commercial dimension of his professional practice manifested itself relatively early in his career and extended also to the careers of his contemporaries; he contributed significantly to the establishment of one…
Art and the law on trial
Does the public need protecting against art and artists? Recent serious and real events in Parliament and the Courts have raised this apparently whimsical and abstract question to public notice. The law makers and…
Orphan Works 1
‘Orphan works’ are copyright works that have no identifiable or traceable owner under international and national copyright laws, and are therefore allowed to be freely copied and merchandised. These sensible arrangements were developed through international copyright treaties…
3D Artworks
The 1977 movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the subject of a recent lengthy trial at the High Court in London, at the heart of which lay the fiendishly difficult question of what – in…
What legal issues should I be aware of if I wish to use film clips in my work?
Even images, film, audio or photographs on the Internet are protected by copyright, and cannot be used without the author’s permission. Whilst…
Armenia: overview of the visual arts
The new reality proved difficult for many artists who had been until then supported by the Soviet state with free studio spaces, generous bursaries and subsidised art materials in return for political obedience (with…
Money Talks
How do you balance work, life and practice without selling out? Artists are always thought to be ‘not in it for the money’, but we all have bills to pay, holidays to go on and sometimes children to…
Email newsletters and mailing lists
Many artists keep a list of professional contacts to send news about exhibitions and events. Along with social networks these are effective at telling your regular audience what you are doing. Email newsletters are a…
Community Interest Company
A community interest company (CIC) is a limited company (either by shares or guarantee) that provide benefits to a community, or a specific section of a community. It has the flexibility of a company form and access…
Editions or Series: Artists Be Clear
Misunderstandings and disputes often arise when two people interpret the same situation in different ways. Assumptions are usually the root cause; full, frank, and clear dialogue between the parties, especially in contractual negotiations, is…
Paper Promises, part 1
Exhibiting and selling work, one off and generally, has not been a high priority in these columns over recent years, especially since we explored these areas pretty comprehensively in the first five. But last month’s deliberately…