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The Art World Online Q&A: No. 3 EVOLUTION By Bill Fine, President This issue addresses the fact that while the effect of the Internet in some industries (bookselling, for example) has been revolutionary, the effect of the Internet where artnet is concerned is decidedly evolutionary. And that the future holds unprecedented opportunity for galleries and art dealers. Q: I'm worried about the effect of the Internet on art dealers. It seems to me that this technology would take the dealer out of the play. The last thing we need is artists representing themselves as they do in the recording industry. A: We don't see the dealer being taken out of the play. Certainly, in the "secondary market," artists like Picasso and Matisse are in no position to represent themselves on the Internet. And most contemporary artists loathe representing themselves, and would much prefer a gallery to represent them. Artists, with few exceptions, are not business managers. Q: Well, I'm beset with representatives from Internet companies, most of whom are looking to take my inventory on consignment. It seems to me, then, that the collector ends up doing business with the Internet company and not with me, the gallery. It's similar to what happened with the auctioneers here in America in the 70's and 80's. A: artnet is not in business to wrest the transaction from the art dealer. We don't insinuate ourselves into your business. Our primary business is information. We "Web enable" dealers in our online Gallery Network to link collectors directly to the dealer, not to artnet. Q: So you aggregate Web sites. Doesn't that make you an intermediary? A: What we're providing is a systematic way for collectors and art professionals to locate significant works by important artists. But we're not taking the dealer out of the play. Our goal is to connect buyer and seller. Q: But why wouldn't I be better off with my own Web site? A: Well, in point of fact, on artnet you have your own Web site. What is different about artnet is that we make it easier for people to find your site. We have an established group of visitors who come to artnet and search our galleries by artist, allowing them to view examples of an artist's work across all 2,000 artnet member galleries. To see what I'm talking about, log on to www.artnet.com, then click on "artists." Click on "Archipenko," for example, or "Audubon." You'll find eight works by Archipenko from seven different galleries. Q: But I still don't understand why this is preferable to my representing Archipenko or Audubon on my own Web site. A: If you have your own proprietary site, and you are not represented on artnet, you will have to rely on search engines to generate an online audience for you. And getting listed on the search engines is no easy task. To understand what I mean, log on to Yahoo or your favorite search engine, and type in "Audubon" or even "Archipenko." You'll find dozens upon dozens of entries. Chances are, with your own proprietary site, you'll be a needle in a haystack The point is, with artnet, you have a guaranteed audience (over 18 million page views a month) and a platform where your works can be viewed in context. Q: But I'm not sure I'm altogether comfortable about my potential clients shopping the competition. A: I'm reminded of conversations I had with Gil Edelson of the Art Dealer's Association of America on the eve of their first Armory show back in 1986. Many of the member dealers and potential exhibitors (most of whom had galleries in New York anyway) were reticent about the rationale for a New York show where collectors could shop many of their own artists at competing galleries. I probably don't need to tell you that the ADAA show was, and continues to be, one of the world's most successful art fairs. Q: So your saying artnet's online Gallery Network is analogous to an art fair? A: Yes, except that we are open "24-7," year round. I would also hasten to add that 65% of ADAA members are represented on artnet. This is actually about the same percentage of their membership exhibiting at the fair. Q: It seems to me you guys are something of a dealer association. A: We believe the future of the art business is with the dealer, and that the Internet will empower dealers, not displace them. And to the extent that "association" connotes communication between members, artnet will continue to effect that communication. Like an association, we also offer dealers a number of services. Many of our member galleries subscribe to our Price Database, which has 3.6 million artworks by over 180,000 artists. Plus, we have a directory, research tools, a magazine – in sum, we're your key to a global art marketplace. Finally, let me leave you with an excerpt of a letter Joan Whalen wrote to us when her business was getting started: "artnet creates a new kind of networking in the art business. Since we have been online, our sales have leapt 400 percent. artnet is the marketer and communicator for the new millennium." Bill Fine: |
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| Click to view previous installments of The Art World Online Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 | Issue 4 | Issue 5 | Issue 6 |
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