Artists Commissions
David Watson, Brighton Seafront
David Watson, Langley Green Hospital
Jayne Wilson, American Express, Installation 1
Jayne Wilson, American Express, Installation 2
Kay Aplin, Llanbradach Follies, east turret
Stig Evans, On Cloud 12
Stig Evans, Langley Green Hospital
Keith Esdale, Untitled
Andrew Gifford, Brighton Pier |
A Guide to Commissioning an Artist Phoenix Brighton is home to over 100 artists working in a variety of forms: painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, film-making, illustration, installation, jewellery, ceramics and design. Between them they have a wide range of commissioning experience which includes working in corporate headquarters, public buildings, hospitals, shops, small businesses, schools, parks, public squares, churches, heritage settings and private homes. What they have in common is a passion for their work, a commitment to its quality and the ability to produce it on time and on budget. Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. Georgia O’Keeffe, artist
This is a brief guide to take you through the process of commissioning an artist, suggesting the areas to focus on and the questions to ask yourself to help achieve not only the highest quality artwork, but also to ensure that the process is enjoyable and robust enough to produce a finished piece of work that meets your needs and expectations. Why commission an artist To own a work of art is a source of great pride and joy. It’s also a statement; a reflection of your taste or your company’s or your employees’ values. To go one stage further and commission a work of art allows you to become personally involved in exploring and engaging with the creative process. The artist brings their imagination, their interpretive skills and their extraordinary sense of what is possible. You bring your ideas and your intention and together the work is created. I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else. Pablo Picasso, artist
How to develop a brief
The brief will also include artist selection and reviewing progress, timescale, budget and fee, installation and maintenance, and contract. Artist Selection / Reviewing Progress You may want an open competition with as many entries as possible or you may wish to pre-select a small number of artists to respond to your brief and to present their ideas. This will be informed by the nature of the work and the value of the commission, but it is also a choice you can make. You can also choose what it is you need to see to help you make your decision. This may include a written proposal, a sketch or mock up of the work in situ, experience of undertaking similar scale commissions and of collaborative working and a link to the artist’s website. We are very happy to advise you of the most appropriate process for your project. Once you have appointed the artist and met to discuss the brief in more detail, you may want to see a revised response to the brief before the work commences. You will want to be clear about who the direct point of contact for the artist is, whether there is any approval process involved and whether there are others who need to agree and sign off the proposal. A review is recommended to ensure both you and the artist are satisfied with the progress and direction of the commission. The number of meetings will depend upon the size, scale and complexity of the commission. A commissioned work of art can be static, moving, part of the infrastructure or a projection of light and sound. It can last for a minute, a day, a year or a lifetime. Pavel Buchler, artist
What is an appropriate timescale If you wish artists to submit ideas in response to your brief, the recommended minimum period for artists to develop ideas is one month. After this if you want to hold interviews and then refine the brief with a preferred artist this is another month. The production and / or fabrication of the work could be anything from two to six months, depending on complexity, size and materials. However if the project is part of a larger development, this will determine the timings for the production of the artwork. It is also useful to allow time for delivery and installation. The key to making all this work is establishing a good relationship with your chosen artist and being very clear about how you wish to communicate and how often. It can be possible to complete work in a different timescale to that outlined above, but only with the agreement of the artist and you should be mindful not to risk compromising the integrity of the work they are creating for you. Budget You will want to agree the fee and payment structure and this would usually include one third of the fee upfront (as the artists will encounter some expenses immediately), one third part way through the process and a final payment on completion and delivery. You should also confirm whether the fee includes the cost of all materials, installation and delivery.
An artist is not paid for his labour, but for his vision.
Installation / Maintenance How will the work be installed and who will do this? Discuss and agree this with your artist in advance and also ask the artist to consider the context of the work and suggest how the impact it creates and the interest it generates could be maximised. Also determine whether the art work will require any on-going maintenance and are there any measures you need to take to ensure it remains in a good condition? Contract The brief is the final document you both agree to work to and this should include any amendments that are made post-appointment. Both commissioner and artist should have a copy of this to refer back to. For small to medium sized commissions letters exchanged between both parties which reference the brief can act as a legally binding contract. For large commissions it is recommended a solicitor draw up a contract. You will also want to discuss copyright and insurance (the artist will need public liability insurance if they are installing the work), however these are very easy matters to deal with and we can advise you on this. It is essential that artists are supported and encouraged to have a creative input into the regeneration of our cities. If you look at other successful cities across the world you recognise the ones that are proactively encouraging artist activity. They are the cities that people want to visit and remember visiting. Charles Quick, artist
How Phoenix Brighton can help you We are a gateway to over 100 artists. We are happy to contact all our artists on your behalf or work with you to identify a short-list of artists to contact. We are happy to do this without you incurring any costs. If you would like us to work with you to short-list and appoint an artist we can help you do this for a small fee or we could help you project management the whole commission. Whatever help or support you might need we will happy to provide it whatever your budget. Additional Benefits of Commissioning an Artist In addition to the work of art itself, the commissioner can also enjoy a positive press and marketing campaign, with a strong image to support this, and a uniquely branded Private View to which they can invite their clients. It also allows the commissioner to support local artists and if it is a Phoenix Brighton artist, to support one of the key engine rooms of Brighton’s creative industries. The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. Aristotle, philosopher
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