Art / BrisArt
New website hopes to shake up ‘predatory’ art market
A new website is hoping to change the game in Bristol’s art scene.
BrisArt, launched in August of this year, is sure to ruffle feathers in the art market.
Launched by Chris Luffingham, BrisArt provides Bristol-based artists with a smaller commission rate with the aim of levelling the playing field for smaller local artists.
is needed now More than ever
Traditional galleries can charge up to 50 per cent of the sale price of art pieces in commission fees, however BrisArt is allowing artists self-promotion at just a 25 per cent fee instead.
Chris explains: “We have ended up with an art market dictated by patronage from the galleries who then enforce predatory fees. Galleries determine what is considered “good art” and force those select few to inflate the price at which they sell their work so that they can survive.”
Chris, raised in Bristol, argues that the financial pressures smaller artists face means that “many artists simply cannot afford to pursue their craft”. He hopes the website will ultimately “provide a platform for artists that do great work”.
BrisArt’s first month in business has been a success. Chris says he is pleased that the website has received “very positive responses”, instilling hope that there is a demand for the platform that BrisArt provides.
Local artist Nancy Chambers has high hopes for the website’s future – photo: Nancy Chambers
BrisArt has reached a compromise whereby its commission fee of 25 per cent allows the company to run, whilst ensuring the majority of profit is returned back to the artist, allowing the artist, in turn, to produce more work and reducing the financial pressure.
Bristol24/7 spoke with a local artist Nancy Chambers about her thoughts on the business model:
“Online galleries can be a great way for artists to gain exposure and reach new art lovers. Without the overheads of a high street gallery, BrisArt can afford to be more generous to its artists by offering a lower rate of commission,” she says.
“Typically, galleries with a physical presence have higher overheads. The BrisArt website looks very professional and has an interesting range of artists.”
Looking to the future, Chris proposes that it is “not out of the question that we would have a portrait artist of the year or a landscape artist of the year” but the platform is “most definitely” exclusively Bristol-linked for the moment, owing to the city’s world-class art scene.
Ultimately, he says, “BrisArt has simple aims – help artists thrive and help people buy great art.”
BrisArt launched on 12 August 2022
Main photo: Nancy Chambers
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