| | | | BoundlessGallery.com In The News 
 Internet making term 'struggling artist' an oxymoron
Everything imaginable can be found online if you know where to look.
So why not art?
In the past, an artist could only become successful by self-promotion, dogged determination and, of course, talent. But the great cyber-equalizer has subdued the struggle for unknown artists who don't have the time, personality and wherewithal to promote their work to brick-and-mortar galleries.
According to Peter Gregory, president of BoundlessGallery.com, artists whose works might never have been seen beyond the local galleries are exposed to the world. This is especially true for art that falls into a narrow niche.
Online for just over a year, BoundlessGallery.com sold 1,400 pieces in 2005.
"We currently represent a little more than 1,000 artists and have an inventory of nearly 10,000 pieces," Gregory said. "We primarily sell original artwork, mostly paintings but we also sell jewelry, sculpture, photography and even handmade furniture."
BoundlessGallery.com features works from 885 artists from the U.S. and 155 artists from 41 other countries.
The site is simple to use and has features that allow browsers to search by category, price, dominant color, discipline, theme, style and dimensions. Jewelry, paintings, sculpture, photography and even handmade furniture can be found through any category.
An advanced search for "flower" in all categories in the $20 to $200 range turned up 178 pieces. In the same price range, changing the term to "rose" rooted out only 55 pieces. Choose blue/purple as the main color category and you'll get 425 pieces of art ranging from "Kebab Madonna" to lapis lazuli jewelry. As with many Internet searches, the more general the search, the more lengthy the results.
When the site first came online, Gregory figured it would be considered a minor league outlet.
"We have a better selection than many art galleries," he said. "And we sort the site by quality; the first 400 pieces are worthy of a brick-and-mortar art gallery."
Prices range from as low as $10 to as high as $2,000 with probably the largest number of pieces between $200 and $600 (2,247). Works on the site go as high as $60,000.
With all the options and the clean look of the site, it would seem a win-win situation for both artist and virtual gallery owner. But there still is a certain cachet that an artist looks for in an online gallery.
Sharla Bailey Kidder is president of Biddington's Inc., an online art gallery and art information site in business on the Net since 1997. She has an art history degree from Wellesley College, has worked in art galleries in Boston and in New York City, and writes columns on the Biddington's site under the pseudonym "Jake" about art and its value.
"As in choosing a brick-and-mortar gallery, they want to show with other good artists and to be assured that their work is presented appropriately," Kidder said. "While there is not much down side, no serious artist wants to exhibit at a trashy site with a lot of distracting ads and pop-ups."
Kidder said that many artists maintain their own Web site in order to be visible to collectors and curators. Their main goal in establishing the site is not necessarily as a direct sales tool.
Local artist Gerrie Govert decided she needed to update her Web presence when a woman in England asked about one of her paintings and she had to fax her a copy.
"For me it was one of the first indications that I needed a better way to put this together," said the Crown Point resident and award-winning artist. "But you still have to get out there and work and show the work."
An advantage Govert sees is for artists who have a limited number of signed prints to sell. Having a Web presence is not free or easy. She has been putting off purchasing a digital camera, but knows her online photos will show better and more quickly with one. Also, she has noticed that the same picture on two different Web sites looks different on each one. As far as commissions go, Govert said she has heard of galleries on the West Coast charging up to 75 percent on sale of the work. The norm in a gallery is around 40 percent to 50 percent.
Tony Bianco is a successful local artist who hasn't quit his day job. He has lately been updating his Web site and sees it as a great tool where commissions and gallery invitations are concerned. He heard from someone in Hawaii about a commission to do a painting. Also, a gallery in Highland called Uncle Freddy's learned about him through his site and invited him to do a show.
Gregory said the artists on the BoundlessGallery.com site do not get paid until the buyer is satisfied. And the buyer has seven days after receipt of the piece to decide. After that time, the gallery sends the artist 75 percent of the payment for the piece.
For buyers of art on the Internet, Kidder said safety is a concern.
Reliability means that the transaction and shipment are completed properly and that the work is authentic and represents value. When Biddington's first started nine years ago, she said, people were very concerned about the transaction process; now most people treat it as normal until the prices get quite high, then sometimes they require a little more personal service.
"Online galleries representing living artists and artists selling their own work usually don't present authenticity problems," Kidder said. "Of course, there are those mass-produced in China 'originals' for cheaps, but I think most potential art buyers can spot that kind of scam."
Kidder warns that purchasing art on eBay has its pitfalls. "Some sellers are honest and some are not, and others simply haven't a clue about what they're selling," she said. "Usually, the artworks on eBay are older works so condition becomes a significant issue, too."
Making a decision on a piece on the Internet should not only involve looking at the work itself, but also at the artist's professional resume. Take into account the artist's education, gallery exhibition history and museum placements.
"Very rarely does an artist come from nowhere; these days an artist also is an art professional," Kidder said.
"If the artist has a substantive resume, then the art work is more likely to retain an increase in value over time."
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