Throughout his career, Bradley Silver has developed a unique voice in avant-garde blackwork tattooing. His style cohesively blends abstract texture, geometric elements, and recognizable objects, referencing art history, graffiti, iconography, pop culture, and ornamental patterns. Bradley’s work, which more closely resembles collage, abstract painting, and fine art than traditional tattooing, has gained significant popularity and garnered recognition for its uncommon qualities. During his time at White Rabbit Tattoo studio, he won first place in the “Most Unusual 2020” category at the prominent Villain Arts Tattoo Convention in Philadelphia. Later that year, Bradley was accepted to join luxury tattoo studio Inked NYC, a new space started by the world’s premier tattoo media outlet Inked Magazine, as part of their opening staff. This was a major milestone in Bradley’s career as well as a great opportunity to network and collaborate with some of the industry’s finest tattoo artists and high-end media team.

Desiring a shorter commute to his home in the Hudson Valley, Bradley Silver embarked on a life-long dream to own his own tattoo studio, while highlighting non-traditional tattooing in the region. “There are some great traditional tattoo shops in the area, but since I work in such a non-traditional style, I wanted to build a studio that focused on non-traditional tattooing,” says Bradley. Non-traditional in the tattoo industry means tattooing outside of the genres of Traditional, Neo-Traditional, Realism, and Japanese. Distortion Society works with tattoo artists working in a wide range of styles, from the delicate fine line floral and abstract work of Resident Artist Choon Lee to the vibrant mix of watercolor and painterly realism of Guest Artist Jerrra Blues.

Bradley Silver’s vision for Distortion Society has been a true collaboration with his wife Michelle Silver. Michelle, whose background is in painting and graphic design, manages the gallery portion of the business as Distortion Society’s Gallery Director + Curator. She brings well-rounded artistic insight to the business. “My design career and painting career showcase different parts of my creative identity, but these experiences enable me to approach the business both through a client relations mindset and through the lens of the studio artist,” says Michelle. Her vast experience in design – working with clients such as Live Nation, Padma Lakshmi, Jim Kempner Fine Art, and Surface Design Association – has been instrumental in creating Distortion Society’s visual identity. “We’ve approached every aspect of the business with meticulous detail and the result is a very contemporary, design-focused environment.”

An award-winning painter, Michelle is experienced in realism and figurative painting, but her current focus is on semi-abstraction, creating what she calls “emotional landscapes” which blend figurative elements, dreamy scenery, and bold swaths of color. A solo exhibition of Michelle’s current work Between Facing Mirrors examines physical and metaphysical space through the lens of motherhood and is on view at Super Secret Projects gallery in Beacon, NY through December 3, 2023. Despite her personal preference to work with oil paint, Michelle explains from a curatorial perspective, it’s not the only focus for exhibition programming. Distortion Society works with emerging and mid-career artists in a wide range of media including photography, textiles, sculpture, video, and performance, in addition to painting.

The juxtaposition of more traditional art against the physical attributes of a tattoo studio makes for a unique environment. “The space you’re in really informs your experience, and our tattoo experience is rather different,” Bradley explains. “In our personal lives, there isn’t a difference between tattooing and fine art; they are one in the same. For a lot of the tattoo community, their artistic journey begins in fine art which evolves into their tattoo art practice. So, when we first conceived of Distortion Society, it seemed like such an obvious way to include tattooing in the sphere of fine art.”

Distortion Society has had the pleasure of exhibiting a few artists who have dual careers in tattooing and fine art. Evan Paul English, an artist from Boise, Idaho now based in Brooklyn, New York, had a solo exhibition Un/entangled in July of 2023. The exhibition delved into themes of romance and the process of disentanglement, analyzing ideas of American domesticity through a queer lens. The current exhibition also features a dual painter and tattoo artist Laura Bochet. Her solo exhibition Somesthesia centers around bodily reactions and memory, considering the relationship between connection and communication and how the feeling of closeness translates into memory. Flashes of eye contact and clouds of color swirl around the viewer, distant faces appear and just as quickly, disappear. Here, the observer is also the observed, immersed in a silent conversation that recollects personal feelings of closeness, longing, and nostalgia. Both artists also tattooed at Distortion Society (English as a Guest Tattoo Artist in July and Bochet currently as a Resident Artist), further blurring the line between fine artist and tattoo artist.

“It’s incredible to see the way people engage with our space. We have gallery visitors with little knowledge of tattoos who sit and digest our tattoo portfolio books in the same manner with which they’re taking in the art: studying it, asking questions, really looking at each piece with an inquisitive eye,” Michelle adds, “It’s exactly the type of reaction we were hoping to gain, so it’s thrilling to see it in action.”

With a stellar exhibition lineup and an active roster of resident and guest tattoo artists, Distortion Society is gearing up for a busy 2024. “We both feel it’s really important to not limit ourselves in what we can become,” Michelle shares, “there’s such potential for collaboration and growth.”

_______________________________

Author’s Bio:

Michelle Silver is the Co-Founder and Gallery Director of a combined art gallery and tattoo studio in Beacon, NY called Distortion Society. She is also a freelance branding and web designer and studio artist focusing on oil paintings that blend abstraction, figurative elements, and emotional landscapes.

The post Blurring Lines: Fine Art and Body Art appeared first on Art Business News.

And how you can do it will be our topic of the day.

KEEP EVERYTHING NEUTRAL

When people think about abstract art, the first thing that comes to their mind is usually a splash of bold colors. Abstract art can indeed be like that, especially if it tries to tell the artist’s story. But this is not always the case. Sometimes a story of abstract art can be told with gentle, simple, and neutral colors. Many artists prefer neutral, earthy, or even soft pastels in their art. These colors will bring warmth to any room and elevate it with elegance.

So, when you decide to style your home with abstract, don’t feel pressured to go bold. Go neutral instead. Moreover, choose colors that match the ‘vibe’ of your room. And, of course, pair them up with nice frames – white frames, for example, match neutral colors the most.

FILL YOUR SPACE 

However, if you are not new to abstract art, if you are not afraid to display its bold colors and peculiar shapes, then fill up your space with it. It will make your home look amazing and unique. Just think about all the exciting conversation starters you will have.

But let us get one thing straight — you can’t just hang pictures and photos randomly on the wall, and you can’t just put figurines and other pieces of art randomly on the shelves. Abstract art is abstract enough! You need the order to make it stand out. The best way to do that is to plan where your pieces will go. Use the empty space in your home and experiment with your art pieces there.

DARE TO GO SMALL 

Yes, most abstract art is big — paintings, photos, figures, and even things like bowls tend to be more prominent in size when abstract. But, if you want to style your home with abstract art, don’t think that bigger is always better. It is not! Your home will not look aesthetically pleasing if you fill it with a lot of big abstract pieces — they will look ununified, and they will always stand in your way.

So, instead of using big abstract pieces, go small instead. It is much better to fill your space with many small pieces than two big ones. Moreover, we know that sometimes it might be hard to find many art pieces for your home. After all, they should all match. If you experience difficulty when doing this, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a professional — an art dealer or gallery that you trust. This kind of professional will be able to answer all your questions, fill your collection with some of the best pieces, and make your home look amazing.

MIX THINGS UP 

Who said that art in your home must belong to the same genre? It doesn’t! Moreover, who said that art pieces must stand on an empty wall or have a special place dedicated to them? It doesn’t! You can style your home with abstract art without worrying about your other art pieces, decor, and furniture. Of course, everything should match in a way, but don’t let that be the primary focus of your attention. You can have many colors and styles in your home if an element ties them together.

So, play around with the objects in your room. Put art in the middle of furniture. Experiment with colors. And, if you want to make everything polished, try to match the colors of your abstract art pieces with something in your room. Match it to something smaller – a pillow, a frame of another art piece, a vase, etc. This will make a lot of difference.

THINK – DOUBLE 

If you have a big room and a big, empty wall to fill out, abstract pieces will work in your favor. But, this time, don’t use one big piece or plenty of smaller ones. Use doubles. Many abstract artists create these kinds of pieces called identical or mirrored. These pieces look very similar to one another or connect to one another. They can be a great way to style your home with abstract art, especially if you don’t know where and how to start incorporating abstract art in your home.

Moreover, you can use this idea for many things, not just for pictures and photos in your living room. Doubles look great above bed frames, cabinets, and even above fireplaces. So, don’t be afraid to try this out if you have some space to fill out. Just be careful of the dimensions of the art. The doubles you choose should match the size of what’s underneath them. That is the best way to style your home with abstract art and make it look interesting and unified at the same time.

Author Bio: Sarah Collins currently works for a2bmovingandstorage.com movers as a consultant. She enjoys writing articles for her blog in her free time. She covers topics such as decorating, remodeling, gardening, moving, parenting, etc. Sarah is also a wife, a mum of one girl, and a cat owner.

The post How to Style Your Home with Abstract Art appeared first on Art Business News.

John Dowling will be showing several pieces from his “A Miracle In The Making” collection, including two large 60” x 78” abstract pieces surface mounted on acrylic. His digital paintings are best observed in larger sizes, although the smaller formats are also exceptionally striking. However to truly understand Dowling’s vision he prefers to share them in the larger formats. Another interesting facet of Dowling’s vision is that the pieces are meant to be viewed both as individual works and also as montages of dozens, hundreds, even thousands of works that then form a distinctly new image. When complete, they can measure hundreds of feet in length and width for use in large arenas, atriums, and permanent grande installations.

Dowling’s odyssey began in the ’80s. While recovering from a devastating illness he spent time painting his photos on his laptop as art therapy. Dowling was and is a preeminent photojournalist and fine art photographer and has photographed countless celebrities, models, politicians, executives, wildlife, landscapes and nature, high-profile events, and life in general. Often Dowling would walk daily marathons to grow new arteries as he was born with a genetic mutation in his liver that destroys them. He is lucky to be alive and looking forward after 30 years of fighting the effects of this mutation to the cure that was just announced and will be available sometime in the next year.

During his days working with film and in traditional darkrooms Dowling experimented obsessively with multiple exposure photography and montages. Years later while recovering from those grueling marathons and surgeries Dowling began to photo-retouch old photographs from his family albums and friends’ ancestry photos that were ripped and torn. Later he would superimpose many digital images taking the most attractive portion of each shot to create a master print comprised of many photographs to create one world-class portrait. As Dowling’s retouching and compositing became more and more elaborate he started to paint his photographs with abstract textures and combine images to create illusions.

What makes Dowling’s work so unique is his extensive use of layers that cause each viewer to have different perceptions of what they see. A unique technique of leading the viewer to have false affirmations of what they see, as well as challenging the human conscious mind to see what actually exists. The actual term for this psychological effect is scotomization. Dowling relies heavily on this illusionistic technique and has taken it to a level rarely if ever seen in the art industry both historically and presently. These shapes, patterns, and illusions often lead to the viewer working to find the objects in his pieces and to moments where the observer has a “eureka moment” or epiphany.

Today, collectors are retaining Dowling to create and curate leased pieces to form galleries in their homes and offices that can change seasonally, or permanently for those who invest in Dowling’s art. In the early days Dowling’s museum-quality prints sold for a few thousand dollars, however, within a year, offers on Dowling’s abstract pieces increased to well over $5000 on editions of 100. Now Dowling is receiving offers for well over $7500. Larger 1 of 1 editions is selling for over $150,000. In addition, each piece in his collection has a master NFT that is valued at between $150,000 and $349,000. There are 218 individual works of art in Dowling’s “A Miracle In The Making” fine art collection, his first collection to be released since the ’80s. He is already receiving offers on the entire collection which includes reproduction rights. Dowling will retain author rights.

The post John Dowling Fine Art – Artexpo New York Spotlight Artist Recipient appeared first on Art Business News.

“End to End, E2E is a Graffiti & Street Art term that refers to a huge graffiti piece that covers a wall from one end to the other. On a subway train, it refers to a piece that covers the entire train, end to end.” Says Jeremiah Heller, art curator at End to End Gallery.

“This lexicon has been the inspiration behind our brand and our monthly exhibits in our Downtown Hollywood Showroom in Conjunction with the Downtown Hollywood Art Walk where we have curated an End to End space featuring a curated collection of Modern & Urban Contemporary Art from my personal collection that truly embodies the meaning of the term and creates a unique viewing experience. Placing works from our personal collection allows the works to be viewed publicly and allows us to educate and share our passion for the works within the collection.”

End to End Gallery will be located at Booth #104 at Artexpo New York 2022. Check out some of the pieces that will be featured below!

A Curated Selection of Originals, Limited Editions and Sculptures from the leading Modern Contemporary Artists in the world including Kaws, Jordy Kerwick, David Shirgley, Ryan Travis Christian, Derek Alyward, Javier Calleja, Baldur Heglason, Michal Kagen, Roby Dwi Antono, Giorgiko, Erik Parker, Joakim Ojanen, Cesar Piette, Kai, And Yoshitomo Nara.

A Curated Selection of the Leading Museum Inducted Black Artists from our personal collection of Originals, Limited Editions and Sculptures. Work by Hebru Brantley, Kayla Mahaffey, Max Samsing, Dovie Golden, Marcus Brutus, Marcus Leslie Singleton, Jammie Holmes, and James Kerry Marshall. 

Brian Calvin’s highly stylized portraits feature flattened planes of saturated color and evoke elements of Surrealism, Pop art, and Cubism. The artist often paints his predominantly female subjects in extreme close-up. A single face can comprise disparate skin tones and different colored eyes. It can be difficult to decipher whether Calvin’s compositions feature one face or two, and his group scenes often merge characters’ faces and limbs. Beneath Calvin’s bold, sunny hues lie serious conceptual concerns and an engagement with abstract principles. The artist received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1994. He has since exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Milan, and Tokyo, among other cities. His work belongs in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Portland Museum of Art, and the DePaul Art Museum. Calvin has also painted landscapes and interiors inspired by his California roots.

Originals, Editions, and Sculptures will be on Display

Artexpo New York will be held at Pier 36 April 7-10, 2022. Tickets are available here.

The post End to End Gallery – Artexpo New York Spotlight Artist Recipient appeared first on Art Business News.

Each year Artexpo New York offers special programs ranging from immersive artist-led experiences to compelling seminars and today’s most pressing industry challenges and trends. Their three main programs include Art Labs, the Spotlight Program, and Topics & Trends.

The fair, taking place October 28-31, champions the power of the arts to start conversations and bring people and art together.  Check out this year’s Spotlight Program recipients below!

Eric Jensen

Utah native, Erik Jensen was born deaf and considered art to be his first language. Jensen lives by his motto: “People will tell you that you are a crazy dreamer because they don’t believe in you. But crazy dreamers believe in themselves and prove they are not crazy dreamers by making it happen. So be a crazy dreamer and make it happen.” Jensen creates images using recycled keyboards. His work has been shown at numerous fairs and conferences. 

Booth RA-9

Caroline Bergeron – Aro Artiste 

Michele Riche

The main subjects of Michele’s paintings are primarily women because that is who she best relates to. The women in her pieces represent strength and confidence. Michele’s paintings have a sense of mystery and longing yet draw you in and leaves you with a feeling of curiosity.

Booth S704

James Venuti –  VENUTI PHOTOGRAPHY

James Venuti is a photographer and woodworker based in New York City specializing in architectural and cityscape photography. Taking advantage of his talent in woodworking, he began carving custom frames for his photographs, creating one-of-a-kind works of art.

Booth S701

Tom Lohner

Tom Lohner, an energetic and award-winning Austrian artist and rising star in the art world is famous for his imaginative depiction of pop culture, believes that the single most important ingredient in any artistic process is passion.

Booth S301

Jay Chung

Jay Chung came to America and received his M.A.’s in Communication Design and Computer Graphic from the Pratt Institute in 1984 and 1995, respectively. He has exhibited at the Myungdong Int’l Art Festival in Seoul, Korea, and had a solo exhibition at the Art Expo New York in 2019. He also exhibited at the Galleria Larkina in Venice, Italy, and the Riverside Gallery. “I especially feel like we need to recharge after long painful monotonous life we have been suffering through over 1 and a half years due to pandemic. I have been trying to relay the message of encouragement in vitality, ‘Recharge Life’ using bright and bold colors.”

Booth S308

The post Artexpo New York 2021 Spotlight Artists appeared first on Art Business News.

Temperature

When you look at the history of art, many pieces survived hundreds of years without air condition. But when it comes to modern art, they need more care because, for example, what if you have a piece made of wax-based materials? In summer, within a couple of minutes, a sculpture or an encaustic painting would melt and drip on the floor. The damage might not be so severe to other materials, but not taking care of the art pieces will shorten their lifespan. Even transporting them to the storage is risky, so it is always better to have fine art moving insurance as an added layer of protection.

The temperature inside the storage unit mustn’t fluctuate too much. It needs to be at a constant temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If there are sudden upsurges or drops in temperature, it can crack the paint, damage the paper, and make wood crack. Not to mention it will most certainly encourage mold to thrive and wreak havoc on everything in its path.

Humidity

A high concentration of humidity in the space where artwork is stored can cause the same level of damage as the high temperatures. Likewise, too low, and material like wood will get dry and brittle. Thus, artwork needs to be kept at the constant 55% humidity, which is an optimal state. In a climate-controlled storage unit, this is easy to do with a few buttons. However, this type of storage might seem like an expansive solution for keeping everything safe. But when you look at it long-term, the cost of conservation and restoration is even higher. Not to mention that you can never fix some damages.

However, even with all these precautions, it is better to visit the unit from time to time and check on the state of things. One of the first signs that something is wrong will be the smell of mold.

Light

Another enemy of the artwork is the light. More specifically, the ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight can damage paper, leather, paint, and a range of other materials. Therefore, when the time comes to hang the art for a show, you should pick a place away from the window. It is why the best climate-controlled storage unit for your artwork is one without windows. However, if by any chance this is impossible to avoid, do not worry as there are a few solutions.

There are modern materials that work as filters for UV light. They easily cover the windows and perfectly protect the art. The first one is ultraviolet filtering Plexiglass and another Acrylite. They are so light and easy to use that artists often use them to cover paintings instead of glass. Also, it is shatter-resistant, so if an accident happens, the artwork is completely protected.

Pests

The only way to keep the temperature and humidity under total control at all times is in a well-sealed unit. This means that besides the air condition, there are no other passages for pests like rats and mice to enter. It is really good news as they can, unfortunately, in a single day devastate an art collection. And often, these types of damages are impossible to repair because one thing they love to do is nibble on materials and leave behind sizable holes. Therefore, paper, leather, and paintings are never safe from them. Also, in regular storage units, there is always danger from insects. Unlike with mice, it is impossible to set traps, so the only way to get rid of them is by using chemicals. Alas, most of them would damage the artwork.

Atmospheric Pullutants

One thing people often forget is that air pollution is also a danger to artwork. There are so many harmful particles that the only way to keep your pieces safe from them is in a stable environment like a climate-controlled storage unit. Because it is sealed tight, it will keep dust and pollen away from entering the unit. And removing them from the artwork surface takes time because they get sticky, and it is impossible to wipe them away. Only experts have the skill and proper materials to do it properly. Otherwise, improvising by using untested chemicals can cause more damage than good.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many reasons why you should only store artwork in a climate-controlled storage unit. Once you have selected a suitable one, the work is not over. It is always possible for conditions to change and put artwork in danger. Therefore, it is always prudent to visit the unit at least once a month to check everything. The most common sign to look for is mold on the floor and walls. It will appear as a gray discoloration, that if left unchecked, will spread to everything else. As soon as you notice it, decrease the humidity, and consult with an expert if there is something more to do. For more thorough protection, you can leave a sensor that will ping your phone as soon as there is any change. With the right environment, your artwork will remain intact indefinitely.

Author bio: Jon Carpenter is a freelance writer that works closely with Movage Moving NYC, where he employs his expertise in helping clients relocate and safely store their artwork.

The post Why Store Artwork In A Climate-Controlled Storage Unit? appeared first on Art Business News.

Q: Introduce yourself – who are you and what do you do?

A: My name is Rachel Tribble. I’m a painter, I primarily working in oil and watercolor. Occasionally I make other things: 3D objects and gilded works.

Q: What is your background?

A: I grew up in New York and studied fine art at Syracuse University and The National Academy in New York City. I also studied jewelry design. The painting of gemstones is where I really learned color and how to paint light and dimension. In the 1990s I did a lot of performance work and multi-media installation work, a little in New York, but primarily in nightclubs in Minneapolis, where I lived for 9 years. I have always been environmentally aware and the majority of my performance and installation work focused on the esoteric and social consequences of the human disconnection from the Earth. Those works lead me to be invited into the Native American community in and around Minneapolis. I took a few years off from the artwork as I learned from the people and worked for a company partnering with Tribal communities. During that time I began a series of paintings that were entirely elemental and inspired by the Ojibwe traditional beadwork. In 2007 I showed them for the first time. The work attracted the attention of Disney and I was invited to create a poster for the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. The poster won an award for Disney and started what is now over a decade of collaborations with the company and showings at Epcot. I have done other commercial work and I regularly work with private collectors, galleries and sell online.

Q: What art do you most identify with?

A: That’s a really hard question. I love art, of all kinds. But I think it’s the silence of Rothko’s color fields and the solitude of Robert Kipniss that touch my spirit. But equally, I relate to the deliberate and beautiful chaos of Lance Letscher and Jackson Pollack.

Q: How Do You Work?

A: The paintings usually come in dreams or spurts of imagery in my mind like I’m watching a film. There is a knowing that I need to get this down before it disappears so I’ll just sketch it out on a sticky note, anything really, just to get it out of my head. Then I start with a watercolor study and work it out there, on paper before committing to canvas. But equally, I just go for it and commit to canvas without even making a sketch; especially if I understand the size of the work and the texture of the image I’m seeing. If it’s clear that the thing is oil and not work on paper, and there’s no need for me to work it out ahead of the canvas. At the point where I begin, it’s not just the image I explore. There always seems to be a tonal frequency and a singular point that the painting emerges from. I’ll spend time finding that sound meditation and the point to start. When the work begins it is layers of color on top of the texture, I cant even say I am fully conscious of what I’m doing, it just begins to work itself out. I love to paint in the dark, with all the overhead lights off and only one or two of my studio lamps on in the background, just enough light to show me the canvas. So many times I will be working and the sun will disappear into evening and night, and I don’t realize I’m in the dark. I love when that happens. The work is always emotional and often three or four of eight or more paintings will come all at once. It’s like an explosion of imagery and paint and it’s hard when that happens. I never want to leave the studio when I’m painting like that and it becomes hard to hold the balance of everyday life and being in the world of the painting. I’ve been known to sleep near the paintings just to understand and see them.

Q: What has been your favorite experience so far as an artist?

A: Receiving emails from people who live with my work or have recently found it. Telling me how a painting helped them through a really hard time in life or crisis. Especially during the quarantine, when some prints sold and I found out they were being purchased for the nurse’s break room in a hospital that was overwhelmed with COVID patients. And emails from an emergency room nurse in New York City and a hospital administrator in Michigan, both of whom were struggling with what was happening and found my work online. A similar type of thing happened in 2008 during the economic crisis. It’s incredibly humbling and makes me realize that what I do is not just me working, it is in service to others.

Q: Who inspires you?

A: My sons. Also my dear friend and watercolorist, Coco Connelly, and environmental activist, Joni Tobacco. I also follow Doctor Elvis Francois on Instagram.

Q: What is the best advice you have received?

A: Don’t give up.

Q: How Has Your Career As An Artist Shifted in the Past Year?

A: This is a huge question. Like everyone I had to find a way to sell, I was already working towards being online, so I just focused there. I struggle with social media and all that goes with it. It’s completely opposite of my personality and I realized I had to find a balance with what it meant to be online and if I was going to continue to sell, what would I focus on? I began to expand into different areas, trying out different platforms and ways of selling. What was nice is that my collectors and some people who just followed me but had never actually purchased a painting started to buy. As people moved and redecorated… I sold a lot of work. I started thinking I’d just paint right through the quarantine but then the fear and overwhelm of what was happening in the world started to show itself. I didn’t know what I was painting anymore, nothing made sense to me. And then my teenage son started to crash into a significant depression. I was terrified of what was happening to him. I didn’t go into the studio at all. I was working in my kitchen and the paintings became small. I went from medium and large-scale canvases to small watercolor paintings and then even smaller, miniature paintings that fit into a matchbox. I’ve always been a color-oriented painter, but the color started to disappear. Grey, silver, black, and white replaced the monochromatic expressions of jewel-tone color I had always been slightly obsessed with. Then the work went white and silver. Silent. Not quiet, just silent. I think that’s partially what I’m dealing with right now. I think I’m still working out of that complete state of overwhelm and panic. Feeling like static on a television screen. I’m back in the studio and doing some larger canvases again. I’m finding hints of color and dimension in ways I never knew I could find them before. The biggest change is that I started doing some figurative work along with the elemental. Silent spirits and protector beings emerging from the light. I’m not ready to fully show those paintings yet. But probably soon.

The post Meet the Artist: Rachel Tribble appeared first on Art Business News.

What Types of Objects Can Be Insured?

You can insure pretty much any piece of art you have in your home. It can be made of precious stones or metals, or even from everyday materials like wood, clay, stone, or even paper. Besides art pieces and sculptures, you can also insure antique furniture, coins, etc. Moreover, the things you want to insure do not have to be old and extremely expensive nor something from today’s top collectible artists. Quite the contrary, they can be works of living artists or something you are emotionally attached to.

In short, fine art pieces that you should definitely insure are those unique pieces that are impossible to replace, pieces that you often lend to museums, collections whose value would increasingly drop if just one of the pieces would get damaged, or pieces that are just too old and fragile. It’s simple. There is fine art moving insurance for any art piece in your home.

What Does the Fine Art Moving Insurance Cover?

The things your insurance covers, of course, depend on the insurance company itself. In general, all insurance companies take complete responsibility and claim that they will cover all risks. However, there are always some coverage exclusions. For instance, if your fine art gets damaged during the move because of fire, flood, or another natural disaster, you will get full compensation. Or, if your pieces get stolen or lost, the insuring company will take all the responsibility too. But, if there is a war, or if you are keeping your pieces in a storage unit with moths and vermin, you will probably not get your money back. So, when choosing an insurance company, be sure to ask the insuring agent about all scenarios they do and do not cover. 

How do the Insurers Value the Fine Art Pieces?

Another question you should ask your insuring agent is how are fine art pieces valued. This can be pretty subjective, and it will, once again, depend on your insurance company. If you want to get the exact prices and answers to all of your questions, it would be best to contact the company and ask for an estimate. They will be more than happy to do it. Or simply ask your art agent if you have one. But, in general, the value of your fine art pieces will depend on the following aspects: 

• Purchase price 
• The item’s value in the time of the damage/loss
• Declared value 
• Replacement cost 

You may be surprised at the prices when you first hear or see them, but do not let that scare you. Insuring fine art comes with a hefty price tag simply because those pieces are expensive themselves! Just think about it – how much money did you spend on a particular piece, or how much money will you need to pay if something goes wrong with your art? 

How to Find A Reliable Fine Art Moving Insurer? 

Finding somebody who will take full responsibility for your fine art is extremely hard. There are, of course, many insurance companies out there that deal with these kinds of things, just like there are companies that deal with buying and selling fine art, but you must make sure that the company you chose is reliable and high-principled.

The first thing you should do is ask various people for recommendations. These should be people you trust and those who have some experience dealing with art or, even better, moving it. If you cannot find anybody who can recommend an insurance company that will cover art during the moving process, turn to the Internet and do thorough research on the companies you find there. A background check is a must. Be sure to check the company’s website, social media, comments section, and what other people say about them on various forums. That is the only way you can find a reliable fine art moving insurer. 

What Will Your Job Be?

Fine art moving insurers are there only if something goes wrong with your art. This means that everything else must be done either by you or by a moving company. The cheapest option will be to have a DIY kind of relocation. But keep in mind that this kind of relocation will consume a lot of your time, energy, nerves, and ultimately, money. Not to mention that it will be a lot more complex and stressful. On the other hand, hiring professional movers will be more expensive. But, with their professional help, you will be sure that your fine art pieces will arrive at your new address intact and ready to enjoy in their new home.

If you opt for the second option, be sure to find the best moving and the most reliable moving company out there. It should not be just any moving company, but one that specializes in moving fine art. Those professionals are the only ones who know how to properly pack and prepare any art piece for your upcoming relocation. After all, while fine art moving insurance will compensate for any damages, it’s in your best interest to do your best to prevent anything from happening in the first place. 

Author Bio: Angela Simmons has been working for Simplify Valet Storage & Moving. She specializes in moving art pieces and similar specialty items. In her free time, Angela also enjoys going to museums and art galleries. She is a wife, a mother of two, and a cat owner.

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While art invokes the spectrum of our feelings, art buyers are also purchasing peace of mind because collectors generally trust artists and dealers. Confidence in these transactions is the principal support for valuation, so it’s puzzling that only a small fraction of art sold carries robust authentication.

Art crime remains the third highest-grossing criminal trade in the world. Counterfeit persists and is hard to measure beyond high profile cases like Philip Righter, but theft is common, with “grab and run” accounting for about half of the loss according to the FBI.

Most artists, galleries, and collectors rely on some level of physical security. Over time, arts protective layers have grown more sophisticated, from guards and glass to cameras and sensors. Even the science of authentication continues to advance in the face of persistent threats.

Working toward nominal authenticity and physical security are certainly worthwhile pursuits. However, the market thinks art businesses can do more. In fact, Deloitte’s Art & Finance reporting finds stakeholders persistently agree that the art market needs to modernize its business practices to meet the expected standards of a transparent, trustworthy, and developed marketplace.

FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS

In this context, let’s reinforce that most artists and galleries are simply trying to run a business – building relationships and making sales in a highly fragmented industry.

 “We spend a lot of time with our clients,” says Susan Watts, owner of Olson-Larsen Galleries, a full-service gallery in Iowa representing Midwest artists. “Our sales cycle is usually quite long – weeks, if not months. Our relationships are so important to our business and investing in relationships has benefitted us during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Further, the basic need to keep track of inventory and sales is not unique to art businesses, and modernizing business practices looks a lot like what Metalcraft has seen in other industries – moving from spreadsheets to more sophisticated systems for asset tracking. Specifically, there are now a host of cloud-based management systems for galleries and collectors. For example, Watts relies on Art Systems, an automated database software, for managing her gallery’s business.

Metalcraft got its start supporting asset identification and tracking processes in 1950, building a global business selling bar code tags, which still deliver value today by reducing the time and errors associated with manual data entry. However, barcodes – like spreadsheets – require significant human effort. Modernizing art businesses also can involve what Metalcraft has seen in other industries: evolving systems to address security and management challenges using radio frequency identification (RFID).

THE CASE FOR RFID

RFID technology automates many business processes by using electromagnetic fields to transmit data from an RFID tag to a reader, allowing for accurate, real-time data useful for management tasks – for example, tracking artwork as it is received, moved, or sold. The tags can be read by handheld devices or fixed antennae at doors or points of sale.

Indeed, the needs of art businesses aren’t much different than others Metalcraft has served in developing a range of RFID tags to durably meet the demands of customers tracking inventory and other assets. They supported their first art tracking project in 2012 when Silent Partner Technologies brought their background in RFID and barcode tracking to the development of a flexible RFID solution for asset management and theft deterrence for art collectors and galleries.

“Display, storage, transfers, and sales are all important events when we’re talking about high-value art,” said Ted Kostis, president of Silent Partner Technologies. “You want to know where your artwork is at all times.”

The company’s web-based solution uses a mix of technologies suited to the needs of the individual collection manager. For some galleries, Kostis installs antennae to complete a web-based inventory automatically every few minutes. Other art clients are content to complete inventory with a handheld RFID reader during periodic inventory or handling – moving from storage to display, for example.

In all instances, the premise is that each piece of art is detailed in a database and assigned to an RFID tag that is attached discretely to the back or inside of the artwork – each tag’s pre-encoded number links to the data, allowing a traceable history of each piece accessible via the Web. 

“One of the real benefits of RFID is that it greatly reduces the time to locate art and removes the need to handle a piece during identification,” said Kostis. Wireless scanning via RFID also reduces the potential for catastrophe, such as dropping or destroying a work of art. Collection managers can identify art without moving it in a gallery or unpacking it from a shipping crate because tags can be read right through the crate — reducing labor, time, and potential damage. 

Using RFID in an asset tracking solution gives owners and sellers improved visibility and control of high-ticketed gallery and museum artworks. They can run more frequent inventory counts to get a handle on the whereabouts of the pieces of art at each location.

“Many in the art world still don’t know that RFID exists,” said Kostis. “There’s so much potential. RFID can help art sellers confidently expand. Museums and private collections get better visibility to high-value artwork with less effort.” For example, Kostis’ testing with Metalcraft tags inventoried 93 larger paintings in a 30,000 square foot floor in a New York City high-rise in under three minutes and read 237 paintings inside of a storage room under two minutes. “How could one person do that work without RFID?” asks Kostis. “It would easily take an hour, but most pieces aren’t even moveable alone.”

AUTHENTICITY AND TRUST

At Metalcraft, RFID promises faster, better art collection management. Beyond saving time and money, it allows people to focus on relationship-building that strengthens trust.

In October, Metalcraft introduced a tamper-proof RFID tag for stronger asset tracking and authentication. The DuraDestruct RFID security tags are durable and can’t be transferred, featuring a patent-pending construction that renders labels useless upon tampering or removal. These are discrete tags, only 4 inches wide, 1 inch tall and just .02 inches thick, that can be read from a distance of 40 feet in the context of an RFID-based art tracking system. For galleries and collectors, it’s another way to offer peace of mind to buyers as it provides an additional level of security for tracking and authenticating high-value assets. 

Art remains vital. Now more than ever, it’s important to build efficiency and confidence in the sharing of art with the world.

About the author:

Kyle Bermel is Chief Operating Officer of Metalcraft, a designer, engineer, and manufacturer of custom property identification solutions.

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Bove Jewelers owners and avid art enthusiasts, Bob and Matt Strehlau, have been saddened by the closing of museums and galleries around the country and were inspired to do something about it. The two wanted to provide the beauty of art and spread holiday cheer to their community by creating their own art museum. Bove customers donated pieces from their personal collections to help create the exhibit.

“Art is the perfect way to escape reality, and be pulled into an artist’s world,” says owner Bob Strehlau who has “always drawn inspiration, solace, and peace from art.” Bob hopes that their store can offer people a place to escape reality, after enduring such a challenging year. “This can be the perfect way for people to refresh their mindset as we enter a new year.” Customers will be able to shop fine jewelry while admiring pieces from well-known artists, including Banksy and Dali.

The art exhibit also includes Van Gogh’s painting, “Landscape with Tree,” and Warhol’s painting of John Lennon. The store is following all the precautionary guidelines suggested by the CDC and the exhibit will remain at 50% capacity.

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