Lesson 2: The Artist and Exploitation
The Artist and Exploitation lesson will discuss artist as a worker in society and whether the artist is is prone to becoming exploited in today's economy. The students will be asked to reflect on the previous lesson in terms of the way artists were treated and regarded by patrons. This lesson will take 4-5 hours.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will become acquainted with the many traps and pitfalls an artist may be subjected to in today's work environment and economy, as well as an understanding of how money and star status can affect art and artists. Additionally, the student will have a better knowledge of the role investment money and collectors have in the art world and its affect on the artist. The ability to recognize adversity in the job market and art world, as well as identifying genuine opportunities, should result from comprehending this lesson.
Essential Questions
Activity
The students will discuss each essential question and each question will be accompanied with a pertinent website(s).
Does the artist get exploited in today's job market? If so how?
Develop a discussion using the following links:
Exploiting the Artist (list of several short articles discussing today's artist exploitation)
What the Artist' Union of the 1930's can teach us today (Ark Work magazine article, a
discussion on worker's unions should be included)
Pay the Artist (Atlantic Monthly article about federal funding for the artist)
Guerrilla Girls: Free the Woman of Europe video (Woman artists exploited)
Top Ten Lies Told to Artists and Designers
W.A.G.E. (Working Artist and the Greater Economy)
Vanity Galleries (galleries that want the artist to pay in advance to show their work)
Tips to Protect Yourself
After perusing these links ask the students if any of them has been asked to make art for
free or have been asked to pay to be in a gallery or show, albeit, this issue may have come
up during the viewing of the above websites.
Is taking advantage of someone's talent always bad?
Note: Jean-Michael Basquait (before showing the film, peruse the official website
familiarizing the students with the artist)
Show the film The Radiant Child, a documentary consisting of 1986 footage of Basquait
that remained unseen for 20 years. After the film, engage the students in a discussion of
Jean-Michael Basquait and his rise to the top of the art world and how any of Basquait's
benefactors may have been trying to exploit him or his art.
Does Money Manipulate Art?
Does Money Manipulate Art? (discuss this list from the Art Workers Coalition exhibit 1969)
Art Dealers as Market Makers (A detailed article about art dealers and artist like Damien Hirst
making multi-million dollars per art piece.)
The Artist and Exploitation lesson will discuss artist as a worker in society and whether the artist is is prone to becoming exploited in today's economy. The students will be asked to reflect on the previous lesson in terms of the way artists were treated and regarded by patrons. This lesson will take 4-5 hours.
What the student will learn and be able to do:
The student will become acquainted with the many traps and pitfalls an artist may be subjected to in today's work environment and economy, as well as an understanding of how money and star status can affect art and artists. Additionally, the student will have a better knowledge of the role investment money and collectors have in the art world and its affect on the artist. The ability to recognize adversity in the job market and art world, as well as identifying genuine opportunities, should result from comprehending this lesson.
Essential Questions
- Does the artist get exploited in today's job market? If so how?
- Is taking advantage of someone's talent always bad?
- Does money manipulate art?
Activity
The students will discuss each essential question and each question will be accompanied with a pertinent website(s).
Does the artist get exploited in today's job market? If so how?
Develop a discussion using the following links:
Exploiting the Artist (list of several short articles discussing today's artist exploitation)
What the Artist' Union of the 1930's can teach us today (Ark Work magazine article, a
discussion on worker's unions should be included)
Pay the Artist (Atlantic Monthly article about federal funding for the artist)
Guerrilla Girls: Free the Woman of Europe video (Woman artists exploited)
Top Ten Lies Told to Artists and Designers
W.A.G.E. (Working Artist and the Greater Economy)
Vanity Galleries (galleries that want the artist to pay in advance to show their work)
Tips to Protect Yourself
After perusing these links ask the students if any of them has been asked to make art for
free or have been asked to pay to be in a gallery or show, albeit, this issue may have come
up during the viewing of the above websites.
Is taking advantage of someone's talent always bad?
Note: Jean-Michael Basquait (before showing the film, peruse the official website
familiarizing the students with the artist)
Show the film The Radiant Child, a documentary consisting of 1986 footage of Basquait
that remained unseen for 20 years. After the film, engage the students in a discussion of
Jean-Michael Basquait and his rise to the top of the art world and how any of Basquait's
benefactors may have been trying to exploit him or his art.
Does Money Manipulate Art?
Does Money Manipulate Art? (discuss this list from the Art Workers Coalition exhibit 1969)
Art Dealers as Market Makers (A detailed article about art dealers and artist like Damien Hirst
making multi-million dollars per art piece.)