The era of the solitary genius doggedly pursuing creative discoveries is passed. The exquisite skill of networking is now crucial for artists’ careers. Success, according to a new study is not determined by individual talent or originality, but rather by one’s network of connections.
The authors of the research, examine the careers of 90 avant-garde painters working around the start of the 20th century. Not all of them failed; some, like Picasso, achieved legendary status. Some are still on the periphery, while others have disappeared entirely.
The “peer network” of each artist was analyzed to see how they were connected socially and professionally. They compared their results with the renown each musician has attained and were shocked to discover no link between the two.
Instead, the study found that those artists who had a large number of connections were “statistically more likely to become renowned.” The development of a stronger sense of creative identity is facilitated by exposure to a large and varied peer group or Fame Art Gallery
Undoubtedly, Kandinsky, Matisse, and Picasso are artists whose inventive verve and technical expertise are hard to resist admiring. While their social skills may have helped them advance in their respective fields, we value these artists more for the lasting testimony that their work is to the extent to which it demonstrates their determination to expand the expressive potential of the language of painting.
Did they learn to schmooze their way to fame, or did they learn to mingle with the proper people because they wanted to be heard at all costs because of what they had to say? The research does not take into account important factors like race and gender, hence it cannot provide an answer to this question.
Artists of color and women undoubtedly had quite different interactions with the art world, the public, and the spotlight than their white male contemporaries did. Dora Maar, for instance, was a photographer of remarkable courage, intelligence, and innovation whose social circles were as wide and varied as Picasso’s, yet she was only known for being one of Picasso’s girlfriends for decades.
It’s reasonable to conclude that one day or another social media sites come through to those who understand how to utilize them, given that this very fact undoubtedly led to the current “rediscovery” of her magnificent work.
In the twenty-first century, it is more crucial than ever to have a wide network of contacts in the art world. That’s because, as Albert-Laszlo Barabasi argues in his book “The Formula: The Ultimate Law of Success,” evaluating artistic performance is notoriously difficult. Quality is not only immediately recognizable, but also quantifiable in the realms of athletics, science, and (to a lesser extent) music. Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” however, is no longer the case in the visual arts.
Duchamp’s hoax inverted convention and, some would argue, abolished the concept of taste entirely. At a time when the Modernist painters were still squabbling in their workshops and trying to make a name for themselves at parties and salons, he started a revolution that is still influencing how art is created, seen, and valued today.
Today’s art industry wagers on fame rather than quality since the former is frequently irrelevant. In other words, artists need their social Portrait oil Paintings more than ever to get their names out there and be taken seriously as professionals whose work is worth investing in.
The long-term success of an artist’s career may be facilitated through intelligent, purposeful networking. Those who can successfully traverse the art world’s complex worldwide system of galleries and institutions greatly boost their chances of success. According to Barabasi’s findings, an artist’s first five shows are crucial in determining whether they will achieve lasting renown.
