Gathige wrote:When a man in his late years cannot be rent, its not funny. Wishing him well as he sorts out the setback
Well said.
I work with artists and I can tell you that it's very hard for most artists to find stability. I'll give you a few reasons;
1. For them to attract a discerning clientele, they are forced to live beyond their means as it's a niche product consumed by the wealthy in society.
2. Most artists are semi-literate or illiterate while the literate ones have no interest in finance. A very good artist friend was conned on Ksh. 6m by an accountant who was imposed on him by one of the top art galleries in Africa.
3. Artists work solo and an artwork could take months, meaning they are not generating consistent, predictable income and when the some income checks in, it's time to pay debts etc. The price might even go very low as it's dictated largely by buyers' bids.
4. The commissions to the art dealers (galleries and middlemen) are astronomical since they know the artist is desperately living from hand to mouth. So when you hear that an artwork sold for 4m, don't get shocked to hear that the guy received 300k after paying his upkeep debts.
5. Being solo also gets them depressed leading to drug abuse and a great attraction to 'wise ladies' who clean you out like a hoofer.
Those are just a few pointers. One day, just asking how much it will cost you for gallery to display your work for a month and you'll see why artists prefer to be paid after the art is sold for at an unthinkable commission.
So, spare a thought for them as it's a pathetic world out there for real artists, one that only the bored children of the wealthy folks can afford to sustain as 'artists'.
BBI will solve it :)