Young artists have the ability to use their age, their youth, to spin marketing efforts towards the idea of the up and comer. They can imply that now is the time to buy the work, because their career is on the rise (older artists can do this as well, if they are emerging like an artist that is young – but it’s my opinion that they have much more potent marketing material, as I’ll say next). Young artists can access that up-and-coming marketing slant very easily.
But, as I’ve seen a lot of people post so far, not all artists are in their twenties and emerging. A lot of artists are those who are older and have come back to art, or to it for the first time. I’ve always felt these artists have such a wonderful marketing tool waiting for them because of their age. It’s been my experience that clients like work that connects to them in some way, and often it’s part of the artist’s own story, about themselves or the back story to the work, that helps sell the piece. If you are an artist later in life, you have the ability to connect with those collectors who also have a longer life history. You, as the artist, are probably doing something that the client wishes they could do – and you’ve lived life a lot like they have. It’s common ground, ground that younger artists cannot get. It seems to me that people like to see a little bit of a reflection of themselves in everything around them, so meeting an artist that has worked and lived in mainstream life and has now turned to painting has a lot more of an appeal than the art of a twenty-two year old fresh out of college. And the reason that this is more powerful than the idea of the up-and-comer is that most of the people buying art tend to be those people that are older and more established with a more secure financial situation. I know when I was twenty-two I wasn’t building my art collection.
Just a couple of thoughts to add to an already well-stocked series of responses.
]]>The up side is that time is precious to me. Therefore, I put some of my energy into figuring out what I want to say with my painting. At this stage, I don’t have to rely on making money with my art so can investigate themes that draw me in.
It’s exciting to be so eager to work – almost like falling in love; I think about it all the time.
I’m 64, don’t mind telling people. Haven’t really experienced much in terms of negative reactions – the most annoying is being taken for a hobbyist by some of my friends and family. While I’m a latecomer and my skills and art history knowledge are limited, I do consider myself to be serious – but having a lot of fun, too.
I used to have a friend who made the distinction between serious and sober. You can laugh and have fun and be perfectly serious about what you’re doing.
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