Art books cover four corners of the art market: artists, galleries, publishers and collectors are beneficiaries of today's art books

Art Business News, Dec, 2005 by Julie Keller

Today's art books are providing the credibility artists need in order to be commercially viable; the added sales and marketing "might" for which savvy galleries and publishers are always searching; and the information about artists' lives that collectors desire.

The books themselves fulfill a variety of missions, says Geoffrey Bonneycastle, whose Alius Corporation, Duarte, CA, recently published Jia Lu, a 176-page, full-color art book featuring the work of its artist Jia Lu. Bonneycastle says this book Chas served the artist as a portable showcase of her best work; the publishers as a promotional tool that generates revenue; the galleries as an effective sales tool; and the collectors as an informative introduction to the life of the artist in whom they have invested."

Indeed, a well-thought-out book can give an artist credibility in the marketplace and also provide an extensive, easy-to-navigate catalog of his or her work. "The chief purpose of a book about an artist is to legitimize his work," says Thomas McKnight, Litchfield, CT, who is currently preparing a book of his paintings from the past decade that will be published in 2006. "In a well-edited book, the words and personality of the artist can be eloquently conveyed to present and future collectors," adds Tim Hill, director of Artbook Press, which recently completed the publication of The Best of Behrens, a compilation of the work of artist Howard Behrens that includes an illustrated index of every Behrens limited edition created since 1980. "An art book can validate an artist and tell a story about the creative journey of an artist," adds Buster Baba, director of publishing for Grand Image, Seattle, which has published books by Jim Harrison, Dan Gerber and Thomas McGuane and recently released a new book on the work of Max Hayslette.

Book Benefits

For artists, galleries and publishers considering creating an art book for one of their artists, a reality check about the financial payoff of an art book is needed. A book should not be created for the sole purpose of generating immediate revenue. A book should be considered as more of a marketing venture designed to enhance sales, honor an artist and provide collectors information and background about the artist. "Galleries are not bookstores, and books offer minimal profit margins" advises Hill. "Their purpose is to champion the establishment and long-term success of both artist and gallery."

A book may eventually pay off, according to Bonnycastle. He says that Jia Lu, while expensive to produce, was a value-added item that has earned a small profit and has been invaluable for its promotional value. "It is substantial enough to sell for a modest price so that unlike advertising, it pays for itself and earns a small profit in the long run, it is an easy package to send to prospects and allows customers to stop and look carefully at the work after an interview or sales call."

"I think that when an artist is in high demand, an art book can generate even more interest and understanding of the artist," says Baba. "In a way an art book does the same thing as limited editions or posters for an artist. It exposes more people to their creative talents and genius."

Bonnycastle also points out that an art book gives collectors more reassurance about an artist's longevity. "When an artist's work is recorded in a book, it is there for posterity," he says. "An art book says the artist is thinking about the place of her work in relation to history and to her contemporaries."

Timing Is Everything

Choosing the right rime to release an art book can be a complicated endeavor. If a book comes out too soon in an artist's career, it may seem premature, while waiting to produce a book until the end of an artist's career can prove to be short-sighted.

"Somehow a book makes an artist official [and says] he has arrived," opines McKnight. "However, it can be perceived as a vanity publication if it arrives too soon. The artist's position in the market should be prominent enough to warrant a book, and his production of artworks should be extensive enough to make a book interesting and varied."

Hill agrees, saying that an artist must be ready for the legitimacy an art book creates. "An artist, young or mature, should have achieved a distinctive voice and point of view, as well as the technical skills to consistently produce works of high quality," he says. Hill adds that an excellent consideration for artists (and their gallery representatives) is career longevity and to look at art books as ongoing, multiple projects. "Major artists are well-advised to consider each book as a work in itself, not a definitive volume but one of a series of books showing growth and changes throughout an artistic career."

But no matter when during an artist's career a book is released, it does provide validation in the marketplace. "I am always more interested in an artist who has a book out," adds Harriet Rinehart of Bentley Publishing Group, Walnut Creek, CA. "It gives them a certain credibility, it marks them as a professional and someone who has been making art for a substantial period of time. For me, as an art poster publisher, a book shows me that the artist has a consistent history of creating a coherent body of work, rather than an amateur bouncing from idea to idea.