"Art, like beauty,
is in the eye of the beholder.
And the beauty of the 'Net is that it's a world of eyes
there for the beholding."
But first we need to get your art up and out there...
Do I need to photograph my work?
Your work needs to start life on this site as a .JPEG (or maybe a .GIF) which is
a digital image file. The easiest way to produce these files is to photograph your art with a digital
camera or scan
your art. Here are the bare essentials:
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How do I get the images of my work onto the site?
Simply hit one of the upload buttons like the one below (they all do the same thing),
and follow the instructions. No idea what price to put on your art? Try our guide to pricing.
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I M P O R
T A N T
All prices are in Australian dollars.
To workout your price in $AUD please click on the price converter link below.
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What happens if I make a sale?
When your art sells you will recieve immediate e-mail notification. You then need
to pack and ship your work. This is not difficult but there are some specialist
techniques and it does need to be done carefully. Want to see how and why art packing
differs from regular packing? Click on the link below.
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I M P O R
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ArtSales.com.au requires that you use a courier service with
computerised shipment tracking.
Don't worry, most large reputable couriers offer this.
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How will I be paid?
Our preferred method of payment is through PayPal, the world's largest, safest and
most respected Internet payment service. Opening a PayPal account is free, quick
and easy, with no set up costs or ongoing fees. It also gives you an additional
degree of financial protection and can be used for transactions on countless other
sites across the Web as well as offline.
To learn more about PayPal or to open a PayPal account, click the logo below.
If you prefer, we also offer electronic inter-bank transfers, or even a good old
fashioned cheque.
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"An advantage is like medicine:
it works better when you take it.
Oh, you want to know what the ingredients are first?
Sure, here's a list..."
"There is no defense against the impact of a new idea!"
New tools: new views - but these often sit awkwardly with tradition.
Take the art establishment and courtesy of the Internet, a suite of 'virtual' advantages
that could be bolted on to wow the world with a new creature, let's call it: Gallery
2.0. Talk about a tough marriage and a difficult birth.
But first, let's take 2 minutes of history to put it all in perspective.
It all began when Art met 'Net...
"The marriage of a practice so old,
to a technology so young...
Well, there ought to be a law against it!"
With apologies to Mrs. Whistler
Too conservative?
After all conservation is all about
protecting valuable and precious resources,
and art is definitely one of those.
However, get too conservative
and you run the risk of missing the big picture –
this was very nearly the approach
of the entire art establishment.
Despite the Internet being the fastest growing retail outlet on the planet for more
than a decade, it was only last year that one of the bastions of the conservative
art world, dipped a cautious toe into cyberspace.
A little nudge from Sotheby's...
and the online artsales ball
started rolling
Art auction giant, Sotheby's,
decided to hold their annual contemporary art auction
not, as they have traditionally done,
at their York Avenue headquarters,
but instead on their internet site, Sothebys.com.
The public response was overwhelmingly positive.
''That we would be selling works in the (USD) $20,000,
$30,000 and $40,000 range is a surprise,''
said Craig Moffett, president of Sothebys.com.
Across the Atlantic in London, The Saatchi Gallery Online,
(which does not provide promotional tools or e-commerce facilities)
has claimed dealers already spending ₤100,000 (AUD $250,000) on paintings
without seeing them in the flesh, while offline galleries have reported that
"Ten years ago,
we used to have 500 people coming to an opening.
Now it's closer to five than 500."
Art galleries are discovering
that many people prefer the comfort of
choosing art online.
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 04.12.00
At least in the short term, we expect that purists will still want to see
the most expensive works in the flesh, but
"the current trend strongly indicates
that when collectors buy art in the future,
it's more likely to be with a click of the mouse
than a nod at the auctioneer."
It's an unstoppable trend and
the art establishment embracing online sales
is clear progress, but
online and offline, art auction houses and private commercial galleries
can still be daunting places if you're not used to them.
Numbers are increasing but it's still a small percentage who would
just poke their noses in for a quick look.
"Ere, Fiona what're you up to Friday evening?
Fancy a quick squizz at MetroMax Gallery before nipping out for a drink?"
Probably not the standard line echoing across the city mid-week...
Most art sites still don't get the whole Internet thing
and simply transpose the traditional gallery business model to the 'Net
without embracing any of the new possibilities, but despite this
Online art has reached a tipping point
with the 'Net being adopted
as the new mode
for sophisticated buyers.
Safe to say that it's no longer just the province of early adopters,
but enough of the big picture, ready to be part of it? Hit the upload button anytime
you're ready.
Or read on for more 'Gallery 2.0' advantages...
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advantages
"Instant access to
a global art market.
Choose to show your work to the world
whenever you want,
for millions to view at any time or...
choose to show your art for a limited time and
just to those who make it to the show."
On the World Wide Web, geographic and time constraints do not apply.
What if you want to show just one piece... a hundred pieces... even thousands...
the physical constraints of bricks and mortar galleries also do not apply.
What if you want to show and sell pieces as you produce them without having to wait
until you have an exhibition worth, not to mention the attendant wait for income?
Online, you have the flexibility to post what you want, when you want, and with
us it can stay there for as long as you like, rent free.
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advantages
"Free is good but valuable is better.
Let me show you how to transform our free gifts
into valuable presence..."
What's the most the most valuable thing on the Web?
A shining presence:
your presence, front and center when people go looking.
Now that can be through reputation or
through the search engines (preferably both!)
You can do it through your own site or
being part of a larger site (again, I'll show you why it's
preferable to do both) but one of the unique things about ArtSales.com.au,
is that you get the additional synergy of this sites size
with the presence of your own site.
How does all that work?
Everyone who's part of this site gets their own blog...
and search engines love blogs!
So if you want, you can put yourself in the search engines to boost your Web presence
and ultimately your profits.
Like anything that's worthwhile, it takes a little time and effort,
but if you're serious about using your art to make good money on the net,
the seamless integration of our e-commerce engine
with the unique personality of your own ArtSales blog,
gives you the best of both worlds.
What's a blog? Heard the term but not sure what it is?
Think of it as a site you can run without needing any coding skills.
So if you wanted to engage the public in the production of a piece,
to show a work in progress
- a process which most members of the public find fascinating -
you'll be able to do just that. Or offer an insight
into your creative process,
a virtual tour of your studio or work space, or even
just share
a few of your daily musings. Build a relationship with your public
in a way that was never possible before, and when people
feel they know you, they are more open to what you have to offer.
Another advantage of your blog being part of the ArtSales.com.au family,
(your domain is ArtSales.com.au/blog/YourName) is that as one site improves
in the search engines, it helps the other,
and that means
more brightly shining presence for everyone.
There's also a signature file generator so you can promote your work, your blog and gallery with every
e-mail you send. Or perhaps you'd like to generate online postcards of your work.
With us there's more than one way to create a presence.
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advantages
Complete this well known
defensive art statement:
"I don't know much about art but...
I know what I like!" Right?
Whenever you hear these words,
someone's feeling on the back foot about a simple opinion.
We naturally avoid situations where we feel inferior
or uncomfortable and sadly, for many, that's the art world.
Conversely, we seek out environments where we can grow
and our opinions are respected, and that's the aim here:
people returning this site and getting into art because of a mind shift to
"I don't know much about art but I know when I'm liked!"
A conversation I had with a childhood friend, about how enjoyable galleries are,
led to the comment that he never went to galleries because
"they were boring places for rich snobs".
The look on my face must have been obvious because he was quick to reassure that
he wasn't talking about me. Through my eyes, the art world is a warehouse of inspired
imagination but through his, it's a dauntingly exclusive place: austere galleries
displaying precious, expensive works, often overseen by dismissive gallery directors,
which he pointed out to me, left him and lots of others, feeling financially uncomfortable
or scared of saying the wrong thing.
My friend's perspective was an eye-opener to the need for friendlier, easier and
cheaper access to art, and a knowledge base so everyone can appreciate and learn
about art in the comfort of their own environment. This site is designed to remove
the traditional barriers to entry, letting some of the hot air out and hopefully,
having a few fresh breezes blow through.
By removing these barriers, the 'Net (including us),
is establishing a broader market with new players.
The game just got bigger and now hopefully
everyone feels welcome to play.
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advantages
"Dealer or no dealer?
Real partnerships with dealers can be great...
but who cares for your best interests more than you?"
With commissions of 25-50%, slow or no payment, and contracts including exclusivity
clauses with demands for commissions even when a work sells overseas or interstate
through another gallery, you have to question, how equal is the partnership that
some dealers and agents offer?
Please don't misunderstand me; dealers and agents take on the risks of an entrepreneur
and can be responsible for launching the career of an artist and making them famous.
They can also be quite valuable for those artists uncomfortable with the business
side of art, and many are very good.
However, industry surveys reveal frequent complaints, particularly when economic
conditions are a little tough, of drip fed payments, unreconciled accounts, undocumented
commissions, the granting of discounts or extended terms to collectors without the
artist's knowledge or permission, and galleries tenaciously hanging on to money
and artworks.
There have been instances of artist's
asking for the return of a work they believe hasn't sold,
only to get payment with a memo saying
"You wouldn't believe it, but we sold that work only last week."
Melbourne artist Bruce Armstrong, well known for his
colossal wooden sculptures, commented that
"It's really stressful to think that you're working on something
for three months, then some dealer waltzes in when it's sold
and takes nearly half. Paying a bit of rent and running a shop
is much easier than making the art."
The Age: Review 01.10.05
Weigh carefully just how equal the partnership may be when considering a dealer
or agent, and avoid the unnecessary aggravation of being locked into a contractual
relationship with a slow-paying gallery.
An alternative, particularly whilst an emerging artists, is to become your own dealer,
using promotion through ArtSales.com.au, and the tools and strategies we provide.
Recognised artists, with a healthy non-exclusive relationship with their dealers,
can also obviously benefit from this approach.
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advantages
"Smaller costs and larger profits
A low 15% commission
lets you charge sub-gallery prices
and still make larger profits."
Lower starting prices can encourage more sales
and can help to establish your career more quickly.
The seller's guide on pricing goes into the psychology and dynamics
of this more thoroughly, in particular the sections titled:
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advantages
"A few more advantages
It's only a benefit if you take advantage,
and ArtSales.com.au gives you the advantage."
The Internet is changing the face of art:
how it's viewed and how it's bought.
Above are just a few of the areas where ArtSales.com.au can help you benefit
from
access to this global market. Now that you appreciate the broad brush strokes,
here are some of the finer details.
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Free and unlimited uploads, non selective, no ongoing costs, low commission on sales
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Full e-commerce galleries, buyer protection, wish list and shopping cart
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Easy setup and editing of your gallery and blog using
your own computer
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Bio sheet, image details, additional NFS commissions gallery, buyer feedback
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Secure communication with buyers while keeping
your details private
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Gallery visitor statistics, online promotional tools, buyer visualisation tools
I doubt there are even any pay sites that offer anything close this,
and I can't promise it will stay free forever
(except for those who are already in).
What will these advantages mean for you?
There's only one way to find out. See you on the other side...
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advantages
