Do artists have a ‘brand’?

Let’s think about branding more like in the traditional sense than marketing a product: how would a person know if a horse or cow belonged to them? By the mark hot branded onto them showing the owner’s unique symbol. So, how would anyone know if an artwork belongs to you?

The answer might seem obvious, such as having your name on the back, or your signature on the front, or it being offered for sale on your social media or website, but at each of these stages there are little markers that are identifiably you. Your signature is uniquely yours, and your website will look different to anyone else’s, but do these things match your art style? Do they match the wording you choose for your social media posts, or text on your website? Having all of these things (and more) telling the same story about you means you will have a cohesive message about you, and ultimately your art. It is this story, or narrative, that people connect with, whether they are fellow artists, art collectors, gallerists, art writers. You never know who will be with you on your art journey to the places you want to go, so being ready with a cohesive narrative, or ‘branding’, will help you on your path.

Let’s look at some examples. Here is a screen shot from the Instagram of Jessie Feitosa: her Instagram is bright and fun like her work, her profile image shows herself with her work, and indeed she features in some of her posts and her own image makes up part of her brand.

Her website is similarly fun and colourful, with links to buy works and prints, and because of her positioning within the art market, this is entirely appropriate. Feitosa is listed with a number of galleries that also express her fun and colourful attitude, which is again conveyed in their social media presence. Altogether, Jesse Feitosa has a cohesive brand which could be described as fun, bright, colourful and accessible.

Next we see a different style of brand altogether with Chelsea Gustafsson. Her Instagram consistently only shows details of her works with very short blurbs for text or simply the title.

Her website is extremely pared back: an artworks page, an essay, her CV and how to contact her/find her works. No available pieces, no prices.

If someone wanted to see or purchase her works they would need to do further research, perhaps contact her representing gallery or trawl through Gustafsson’s social media, or perhaps reach out directly to find out more. Her overall brand could be perceived as serious with topical messaging, high end and exclusive.

What style is right for you? Only you can determine that, but it might help to think about how you would want to have your ‘brand’ described. Would you consider your whole art narrative as fun, quirky, clever, topical, shock, tongue in cheek, expressive, relaxing, cheerful, bold… find your style and ensure all messages you send out into the world tell this same story about you.

Article by Vernissage Art
Authors Tamsin and Steve Buic