Art Problems: I Don’t Make Art to Sell; Do I Still Belong in the Art World?

Art Basel Miami Beach in November, 2022. (graphic Nancy Zastudil/Hyperallergic, original photo Valentina Di Liscia)

I don’t make artwork to sell, and I’m starting to feel invisible. The media only covers art market stars, which is gross, but I can’t help feeling alienated. I don’t have a place at the Miami fairs, and I’m feeling down about my prospects in this industry. What can I do? — An outsider in an insider’s world.

I’m sure you’re not the only artist feeling out of sorts, thanks to the dominance of the December fairs. By this week’s end, there will be enough coverage of multimillion-dollar art sales and exclusive celebrity parties that most of us will despair over the vast inequality on display!

Regardless of how you feel about the millionaire and billionaire class, art fair events attract a lot of art professionals, so it’s usually an excellent way to meet people. Despite the number of artists who disavow the fairs, I’d wager most would rather be active participants. I’m not saying this is you, but for many artists I speak with, the problem has more to do with not being invited to the party than the party itself. 

The trouble, of course, is that fair art is only one form of art making, and within that environment, it’s pretty easy to forget that other types of art exist. If the main opportunities for visibility center on blockbuster events and sales, outrage, and influencer fodder, then yeah, the people forging unique paths will be perceived to have less value and fewer avenues for visibility. 

And that has real consequences for art because it means less diversity, less experimentation, and ultimately a culture where innovation can’t flourish.

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