https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/04-december-08-december-2023/exploring-collectible-design/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:39:36 +0000 hourly 1 https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/04-december-08-december-2023/exploring-collectible-design/comment-page-1/#comment-188284 Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:52:39 +0000 https://www.designweek.co.uk/?p=298253#comment-188284 During the 1980s, I worked with a team of people trying to develop training materials for crafts makers. One member of the team was very committed to the application of costing and pricing methods like those used in major manufacturing enterprises. He could not understand that in Crafts, and more particularly Arts, these methods are frequently overridden by a simple rule… “what the market will bear”. Otherwise paintings could be assessed on the basis of canvas, backing, frame and the total amount of paint used, together with the time spent making the work and possibly an allowance for skills acquired. In sculpture too, prices might only include the weight of clay used, casting materials, carving tool usage and time doing the work. What of creativity? How do we price imagination? What if all artworks were not signed by the maker? Would the works by the famous reach the same spectacular amounts if their artworks were presented anonymously?

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