Comments on: Put your contact info on the back (or bottom) of all artwork

By: Rebecca

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:48:43 +0000

For the benefit of clients that purchase your work, you can place information directly on the back of your unframed work written in pencil…then it cannot be tampered with by a gallery.

As far as a gallery not providing you the artist with client information, check the local laws. I discovered recently that some of my galleries are required by law to provide me with my client list if requested… Definitely worth the look. (My galleries do earn every cent…so I have no plans to use such a list to ‘sell behind their back’ so to speak..)

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By: Shaida Parveen

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:09:57 +0000

Why should it be upto the gallery??? i mean an artist creates his art, what does it matter what he puts on the back? that should be up to the artist, if an artist wants their contact, then why not, it them who created it, and why should anyone be making a issue about this anyway,, a gallery will face your art frontface, and once they make they sale, who on earth wants penalise whats on the back, that will never be displayed ever! just seems so strange, that there is even the issue of what a artist does with his art on the back! crazy world……

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By: Alyson B. Stanfield

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:33:24 +0000

Sari: Keep us posted on the service. Brian: Yep, I agree. If we can find you on Google, we can find you–as long as you have more than one way to get a hold of you. Remember that email isn’t 100% reliable. Heck, it’s not even at 50%. Gotta include a phone # or address.

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By: Brian Sherwin @ Myartspace Blog

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:43:42 +0000

I have to agree with Tina in that artists should at least have their name on the piece (or back) and a good internet presence. If I do a search of your name and nothing comes up with your art in that search there is a problem. The art world is shifting toward the internet more than ever with each passing year. True, there was a crash in the meshing of the art world and the net early on… but things have changed and will continue to change. The fact that so many galleries are improving their websites is a good sign of that.

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By: Sari Grove

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:58:10 +0000

yes , it is the only reason I joined … late last night I Googled id security labels & an article about Fine Art registry came up …I had no idea you could put this kind of tag on & register provenance online … I went to their site , joined with the free membership & in the joining process they ask you how many tags you want to order … the minimum order is 10 , at 2 dollars & a bit each , plus shipping , & a credit card number later I am joined … I am going to experiment with this before committing further …but I really think it is something I will use , seeing as I have had several problems with galleries here being rather casual about inventory & other rather important ‘ details ‘ …

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By: Alyson B. Stanfield

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:45:00 +0000

Dan: No, it’s not too much. It would be like a gallery label. In museums, we kept all of our labels attached to the backs of the paintings when they weren’t being shown. We’re talking 5 or 6 very short lines–or one longer line with commas! Tina and Katherine: Yes, it depends on where the piece is going. Sari: I’m afraid it’s part of the way things work. If you want to keep your info on there, you must stand up to the gallery and build that level of trust with them. Tina: This is sure true: “If you’re doing it right, your name should be sufficient anyway.” If you’re promoting yourself correctly and online enough, people will find you! Lauren and others: Keep in mind that not everyone sells through galleries! Sari: Thanks for the link. It’s hard to find it on their site. Wonder if you have to be a member. Is that the only reason you joined?

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By: Sari Grove

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:51:42 +0000

after this conversation , I realised my real issue was security & I just joined Fine Art Registry & ordered their security id tags for my paintings …(it helps to track provenance)…check it out at … http://www.fineartregistry.com/ & thank you T. & L. for making me think …& ArtBizBlog , again …

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By: Lauren

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:35:18 +0000

I agree that it’s a no no to put your contact details on the back of a painting. Galleries hate it, and will even go as far as not taking your work if you put your own contact details on it. I put my full name on the back, the year it was painted and the title. I know that if buyers know my full name they will easily be able to find me on the internet to buy more work. The beauty of the internet!

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By: Sari Grove

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:04:13 +0000

T. …a contract is a contract & you always have to honour that , even if they want bananas on the frame , the contract of course is king … I get collectors calling me a year after buying a painting, asking me about why oil pastel is smudgy & oops the gallery that closed last summer hadn’t mentioned the painting had sold or who to or that they paid (I was told they defaulted) … one of my framers puts a silver label on with the frame information & their contact info, so if the frame needs fixing they can go back to the source… personally , I think it is nice to help the collector to find you , if they have questions or complaints, & especially since I show in different galleries almost every year & a half … many older people are not internet savvy & 1994 was pre-internet here, which ain’t that long ago …From a saving paper perspective, I totally agree… anyway , chacun son gout …

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By: Tina Mammoser

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:13:53 +0000

Sari you have a choice – either comply with the gallery’s procedures (no artist contact info was clearly stated in the contract) or not show. If an artist, who had signed the contract, dropped off work with other labels on the back they could be removed since they’d agree to have no info like that. I’m not actually talking about conservation type info – usually it was something like an Avery label with their address and stuff. Nothing that would stand the test of time really, and usually from artist who had little experience of showing with galleries. If you’re doing it right, your name should be sufficient anyway. A Google search should give a collector all the info they need and a way to contact you directly, or one of your agents. 🙂 The necessity of paper labels is from the pre-internet world of art.

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