AI Art Tools
In January 2023 an unprecedented lawsuit was filed in a US Federal Court by three US based visual artists. It is a ‘class action’ comprising separate claims by three artists, who bound themselves into a single lawsuit…
Impact of the Online Safety Bill on visual arts practice
The Online Safety Bill is the latest in a series of very concerning Bills proposed by the UK Government that threaten freedom of expression, such as the new Policing Act…
Trademark or Copyright?
Towards the end of 2022, a significant judicial decision tackled a longstanding discussion within intellectual property law circles: whether copyright and registered trademark protections can apply simultaneously to the same image. Such questioning was the focus of…
Collecting
In surveying the contemporary art ecosystem in 2022 at its close, a novel initiative appears to have been largely overlooked, which merits wider exposure and consideration: a Code of Conduct for Contemporary Art Collectors (CCCAC). Primarily adopting a professional…
On Freedom to Protest
On the morning of 14 October 2022 Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, 1888, was vandalised by two environmental protestors throwing the contents of two tomato soup cans over most of the painting exhibited in Room 43 at UK’s…
MIND THE GAP
London is for buyers, not for artists these days. But, if art reflects society, will economic segregation change that mirror to a telescope? Artists are being forced out of town due to the high cost of living…
Goodbye London, Hello Glasgow
I moved to Glasgow in search of adventure and a new beginning. I fell in love with its architecture; the sandstone tenement flats and its post industrial warehouse buildings. The wide streets, open spaces and its…
Mental Health for Creative Freelancers
11 stories tackling the everyday mental health challenges of creative freelancers Mental Health for Creative Freelancers is the antithesis to run of the mill mental health advice. It is designed as a practical guide to…
Trust
It is remarkable to hear of a dealer absconding with the proceeds of numerous artists’ sales, and of victim artists bringing remedial legal action. Artists often complain they have not received in good time – sometimes not at all…
Running open calls
This article talks about the barriers open calls present to artists. It suggests ways of running open calls to overcome these. Open calls are often used by organisations to find artists to work with. An organisation produces…
Grant funding for artists
Grant funding is a well known type of funding for artists. It is a competitive field, attracting more demand than there is funding available. Our research with visual artists revealed that many artists are making unsuccessful…
Selling Art Now
In August 2022 a first sale of recent work by emerging artists via an innovative live virtual public auction was launched by veteran art market professional Simon de Pury, drawing upon his vast experience as both public…
Artists decolonise museums
Workshops in June and July 2021 on how artists practice can help with the work of decolonising UK museums and collections Artists decolonise museums built on research and action for systemic change in how we can address…
Adaptations
Understanding how artists can adapt their practice for sustainable income on their own terms. Adaptations began as a pilot workforce development grant for three visual artists in spring 2021. It was intended to support artists find new sustainable ways…
The Unasked Question
‘Where there’s a hit, there’s a writ’ – so goes an old music business saying that may also apply in the art business. Significant financial gains by hit makers in the art world sometimes trigger lawsuits by…
Brexit Bites
The UK’s art market is now feeling the effects of post Brexit laws that handicap domestic and international trading activities, chiefly involving physical shipping of artwork. In 2020 the EU was the second largest global art market behind…
Compliance
Lawsuits by artists against dealers are as rare as hens’ teeth, chiefly because most solo artists have few if any resources to challenge wrongdoings by dealers invariably better resourced in the art ecosystem. Which is why artists have pooled…
The Emperor’s New Code
‘NFT artists and collectors and traders take care,’ was last month’s envoi concluding a selected survey of the current state of the art NFT landscape. Key emerging legal issues include copyright infringement, stealing then minting and…