Since completing the Art Business certificate at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, I split my time between my own art and building an art business service. Currently, I am working with a collector to create a strategy and inventory for their massive art collection - 2,500+ pieces. The strategy aspect is to align their art collection with their personal financial and legacy interests; the inventory to understand, value and insure the collection.

Some items will remain in the collection and some deaccessioned- whether gifted or sold to fund other endeavors. We are using software to house the inventory, which means we, me and a small team of art or art history, students, are photographing pieces, matching related receipts and other provenance (found either on the back of the piece or in one of 40 years of banker boxes.) The process also includes documenting dimensions and tracking media, substrates and other info, and valuation of each piece. (This is a 9 to 12 month project.)

In order to create a process and to train the students, I have personally data entered about 70 items.  I am struck by the lack of information that we can glean to be able to document an individual piece. This is not good for the Artist.

Basically, if it can’t be identified and associated with the artist, it cannot be (easily or with certainty) valued. This means that is highly unlikely it would be included in an exhibit or go to auction. For an artist these are the things that add and prove value in their work. Therefore  the beauty of the painting is truly only as good as eye of the beholder. To put it plainly, if you want your art to increase in value, so you or your heirs or your gallery can price it higher, it must be attributed to you.