Atelier Coakes Blog

Fine art in a commercial art world?

I often hear someone saying something like "OH! So now THEY sold out!" in response to hearing some band's song in a commercial. 

The same sort of thing happens in the commercial art world when the work of someone who's known as a fine artist shows up in a commercial application whether it be packaging for music or an ad for a product or service.

Personally I don't see a problem. Commercials and ads are a part of our daily life. It's almost impossible to avoid them so why not make them a little more palatable? A good song no matter if it's the Rolling Stones or the Black Keys is going to make us feel less repellant to the ads. It may not help sway us in favor of the marketers persuasions but I think we as an audience are better off for it. AND it doesn't diminish the quality of the song.

Likewise a little fine art in the visual onslaught we're faced with daily could make the unavoidable seem a little less banal. For instance, I'd be love to see what Chuck Close could do for LensCrafters or what Lichtenstein might have done for Crest!

Bonus round! — the artists would benefit financially! Hopefully the money will help finance more of the work they're doing. (Fine) Artists have a difficult time affording to live on strictly what their work brings in, no matter how hard they labor at it, until they have some level of success with their work. And the odds for that happening are remote.

Centuries ago some artists were financed by "patrons of the arts". Generally these patrons were rich individuals who commissioned the artist to do work for them. Many of these works were either based on their (the patron's) narcissistic desire to be portrayed by an artist or their wanting to make an offering of the work to their church in hopes that it would put them in the favor of prominent cardinals and bishops of the time. Without these patrons, even some of the later most famous artists, were unable to make a living. These were the original "starving artists", Van Gogh being an obvious example, having sold only one painting, The Red Vineyard, only months before he died.

My favorite example of a fine artist who did commercial work regularly is Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939). The question is in fact was he a fine artist doing commercial work or a commercial artist whose work was some of the most influential and sought after of the Art Nouveau movement. Some of his most famous work was done as a set of labels for bar soaps by Armour (of Chicago) and posters for Job's cigarette rolling papers. He and his contemporaries, Lautrec, Chéret, Grasset, Rhead and Steinlen, among others successfully bridged the line between the fine and commercial art worlds.

I think most of us remember the campaign by Absolut Vodka that featured the work of many fine artists. They had a cleaver campaign to begin with but the inclusion of art done with the assistance of contemporary fine artist in their particular style seemed genius and brought a little more attention to those featured.

I was recently the benefactor of an art exhibit sponsored by Bombay Sapphire Gin. They teamed with The Rush Arts Gallery in New York. It was a great experience and a rare opportunity for an emerging artist such as myself to get a much broader exposure than I could have without their support. The exhibition started, for me, at a gallery that was hosting the Chicago area arm of the exhibit, Gallery Guichard. The exhibition then proceeded to Miami for inclusion in the Scope Art Show during the Art Basel Miami Beach last December. The show was expecting 300,000 visitors and I sold three pieces during the exhibit.

After the exhibitions were over a representative from Bombay Sapphire's marketing firm asked if I'd allow them to use one of my fine art images for marketing their product if they were so inclined. When I mentioned it to some friends a few responded with a horrified look and said "Did you say yes?!?!" I said of course! I have nothing to lose. I'll get even MORE exposure for my work. I'm certain many art collectors happen to be fans of gin as well. It's tapping an avenue and volume of exposure that's far beyond what I receive from any of the galleries I show in from time to time.

Currently my day to day "career" is as a commercial photographer/visual artist. I approach my commercial assignments on a daily basis with the disciplines of a fine artist and I execute my fine art concepts in my "spare time" with technical expertise gained working on my commercial assignments. The result, in my humble opinion – my fine art experience makes my commercial work stronger and the technical aspects of my commercial work make my fine art stronger. 

For my part, I'd rather see a magazine with fine art or at least art that has fine art sensibilities applied to the commercial claims we find on the pages between articles. It'd be a refreshing change from what we've come to expect.