Why should I organize my artistic practice?
Take control of your artistic legacy.
You’ll never see some of the artworks that leave your studio again. At least not physically once they are sold, donated, or destroyed. That’s why documenting your work is crucial in keeping a complete overview of your entire body of work.
2. Know your oeuvre.
An organized overview of your artworks helps you develop consistency when working on titles, material descriptions, editions, prices, and other... This helps your professional aura towards collectors, curators, and everybody interested in your work.
3. Make more informed artistic decisions.
Cataloging your art helps you decide when an artwork is “finished”. This is a crucial artistic step in the creation process. Even if certain artworks tend to transform over the years, it's best to catalog all of their stages.
4. Build professional relationships.
Discover the relations between your artworks and contacts. Who shows interest in your work? Which works have been shown where? Who buys your work regularly? To whom did you send a proposal for which specific artwork(s)? Whom should you notify about your next show? Which curators and critics show interest in which artworks? Build strong relationships by growing your knowledge about the people in your network.
5. Know the symbolic value of your work.
Create a treasure of valuable information (for instance exhibition history) to valorize your individual artworks and total body of work.
6. Maximize opportunities.
Prepare your studio visits. Not all of your artworks will be at your studio. Make sure you have an organized and professional way to present a good overview of your work to potential collaborators and clients.
7. Show your work.
Make sure your work is visible for the world to see. Do this in a professional way and make sure to show relevant and new works.