This Little Pixel Went to Market: Saatchi Online

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The world of art, from painting and sculpture to music, photography and more, has long had an uncomfortable relationship with the world of commerce. On one hand, artists need the freedom to express themselves without being caged-in by economic concerns, or their work will suffer. On the other hand, these same artists are like “normal” human beings and have basic needs which include food, clothing and shelter. This means that artists, if their artwork is to be a career rather than a mere avocation, need to be able to sell enough of their work to survive in a tough business world. This places art in an awkward position of commercial competition, one in which established creators have a great commercial advantage over “undiscovered” talents. For emerging virtuosos, this is where Saatchi Online comes into play. The Saatchi Online motto, “Discover Art. Get Discovered.”, aptly describes the nature of the business. The platform was launched in 2006 as an adjunct to the famous Saatchi Art Gallery in London, and the stated purpose of the online enterprise is to advance the vision of collector Charles Saatchi and to match collectors, interior designers and companies with “emerging artists” in a variety of media, including photography. An example of how the Saatchi Online model works can be seen in its photography category where, for instance, interior designers are able to grace planned surroundings with artistic photography, and they can do it even though they have to think in terms of budget constraints. They can buy original work and prints at a reasonable price. Photographers, for a 30% commission, are able to generate sales and recognition of their work. The general public gains through access to artwork that might not otherwise be available. Saatchi stands to build its name, and bottom line, through the work it represents and the creative reputations it helps to build Under the leadership of Rebeka Wilson, who curates the online collection and is a director of the Saatchi Gallery, Saatchi Online realizes its business plan by establishing new work in the marketplace and claiming an increased market share over e-commerce competitors like Amazon, Paddle8 and Artsy. Saatchi Online bolsters its retail concept with many eye-catching features, including blogs, showcases, expert commentary and advice on buying, selling and displaying art, and the company even sponsors competitions designed to create an exciting realm of possibilities for buyer and seller alike. Winners in different categories of these “showdowns” may receive cash awards and/or have their work placed on display in the prestigious London Saatchi Gallery. Critics of Saatchi Online, Paddle8 and others in the e-commerce field complain that companies tend to promote a lot of inferior work in their attempts to achieve notoriety, and this can lead to better production getting lost in a crowd of lesser work. The profit motive has always been a two-edged sword, but overall, the general approach appears to have enough merit and proven results to appeal to a wide enough base to make the effort worthwhile. Even critics agree that the exposure for new talent has tangible value. E-commerce, in general, is likely to be a major economic player for the foreseeable future, and it will be a necessary component for artistic as well as commercial success.
— Saatchi Online