To Be Or Not To Be Unique.

It's a great question. I'm not sure either. When I go shopping, I actually watch what people are buying because I want to know the same thing. I watch what people are buying on FAA as well. The stuff being sold in retail is what people are buying a lot of. Usually when I see people shopping in retail, I see them buying the familiar things which are floral paintings, abstracts and word art. That's what I'm seeing in my area.

Until such a time that all people are alike in what they want as art, there's no way to determine what "they" want.

I think the mass of people collect what they are comfortable with (satisfies a memory) & the fact that everyone has something similar proves they have good taste.
For myself purchasing - I want something more. Bigger, better, brighter...moody, broody, suggestive...

You can work on mass appeal , and also unique pieces. I would definitely focus on technique though - because that is your "brand".

Welcome aboard, & best wishes.

Janine, you bring up such a great point about people needing to feel that they have good taste and buying something that is comfortable.

I have been commissioned to paint two paintings. One person who commissioned me last week is into really hard heavy metal rock bands. She wears black and lots of expensive gems. She has a beautiful face with blond hair down her back and wears a black leather Jacket and drives a hot rod Mustang. What did she commission me to paint after she said she hates impressionism? Flowers. The same thing that my eighty year old parents want.

The other lady commissioned me to paint her husband's birthday present. She said she loves my work but no booze. I'm like thinking to myself, "what in the hell am I supposed to paint? Sailboats and sunsets?" So I'll be thinking about painting landscapes and flowers. It's going to be a tough week for me, but I'll happily post all my failures as prints on FAA. (Smile)

I always say I'm not going to allow people to commission me and then, I'm back in the saddle working.

I think being unique is better because people notice your work, but be ready to go where people want you to go!

Mik, what do you think is better, being unique or fitting in?

I think when people shop at FAA, they're mostly looking for decor.

Unique, different, unusual,,,,whatever you call it has a small audience. It is usually the audience with an understanding and appreciation for art and the money to own it.

I like this market.

The majority of the population are pretty picture buyers. They don't know the artist. They like the image. They pay a Walmart price. And they hang it in their bathroom.

The majority of artists like this market.

i feel like i'm being quizzed for a school report.

unique doesn't mean it has to be an object no one has seen. while nice to look at, if no one has a connection to it, it probably won't have a lasting impression. it a good idea to have your own unique style so people can recognize its yours.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Well, I am glad to have a large response. As to your question Lisa, I am not sure what I prefer. Right now I am doing something that I believe to be unique, because I am painting several types of insects, (not just the popular ones, butterflies, ladybugs, and such). And I have to tell you, they are not all that popular. Honestly I have heard a lot about bugs being creepy. I find it a bit humorous. If they are even being creeped out by my work, I call that successful, even when they are not buying. I still am planning on 9 more in my series and I highly intend to see it through. With my next series I am going to do something generally more likeable. Mechanical objects, much like my trumpet, if you have seen my page. In the end, Mike is right, it is all about style. Style is what attracts people to your work. Now for the tough part, how to attract people to your style. Maybe that is where subject comes in.

Rats rear, don't know and don't care. If your goal is to express yourself to others just work and don't worry about the market. If your goal is to sell lots of c@#$ then I would think more comfortable scenes and approaches would have a larger audience. My personal advice would be, just work and see what happens and where it takes you. You are different than anyone else so if you follow yourself your work will be unique.

I know of no other way than to be unique.

I don't think you have a choice but to be unique because you are. So all these grandiose attitudes in valuing unique is unimportant. Unique is more than just different, never heard or seen before, etc, Unique is standing above all the others, not being an outcast. People don't like unique cause it all is, they want something that they like.

There is no right in being an artists in what people have to like (having the same interest, philosophy, taste as you). If you can't paint something they do that's on you. It would be your limitations that you can't compete with the greats, the over done topics, political censors, etc not people's appreciation of superior. Just because you want to create it has no bearing on what people should have a right to want.

So superior is definitely the artist that no matter what the audience can appeal to them OVER (not simply different then) all that's gone before, the popular culture, etc.

But you're creating for an audience. You intend your work to be seen and hopefully even purchased (or at least most are). So to me it's stupid to not be as aware of what the market likes as much as possible and pick topics that appeal to them. Subject has no bearing on whether the work is superior or not, so makes sense to pick ones people like.

-- mary ellen anderson

I'm unique like everyone else =)

I'm curious about the question.

If modern art is what is now, and everyone who is an artist says hey I'm a modern artist therefore I should be striving to create something new, this can be new approach, new design, new materials, or new theme, or any or all four.

You could try to be the Picasso, no one to stop you. Or the next Warhol. Or Lichtenstein, or Pollack, but what do you have that's so unique that no one will copy once you reach a certain level of success?

This is why it's good to strive to be different from the last thing you created, for yourself and the audience.

If you want to be different just for the sake of it it's not so difficult. I could be different by saying how who why where when which, but the trick is obviously to be different and good.

You have to remember that new art is prospective, while taste is retrospective. Only after becoming accustomed to Picasso did the world warm to Picasso, not the other way around.

My advice is to try both - try to develop in new directions, but don't waste too much time developing so far that not even you like what you're doing.

The thing is to stretch yourself, beyond what you're comfortable with, but a little at a time, over time

Here is a link to recently sold... See how many variations of what people like being sold here.. hard to know exactly what sells. seems random and unpredictable.

http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/all/all?page=1

its not what sells on that page, its who sells and how often and can you recognize the work they make. in the end it all depends what the buyer wants and what clicks with them. but if they want more for their house, then the method you use to make things should be pretty much the same. so no matter what they choose they all kind of go together.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I don't believe there's such a thing as truly unique art. What subject hasn't been done before many, many times? It is possible for an artist to have a unique style but I think there are few that truly stand out. The tastes of collectors/buyers are as varied and different as that of the artists, so it's impossible to answer your second question.

Just keep " doing what you do" Mik. When you start showing up in the Google searches - people will know where to go to get some really cool insects.

Lisa - don't I remember a passionate purple round belly vase in your Gallery when you joined here ? I just looked, & it was gone.
On the similar note as your "Taste of wine".
I can "see it ", & you can do it. Palette knife & large rosettes. A purple passion frenzy - sell her that ; )

I like your bugs, welcome to FAA.

Thank you, Janine.

I really like your bugs, Mik. You are an amazing and unique artist.

You don't attract people to your style....your style attracts people. Some may like it. Some not. Don't let it bother you. Keep creating.

in the end it depends on your goal. a style lets you be recognized as an artist or at least you. some people may like that style, some may not. if you find that you like changing styles, then try it. if that one sells better than the others, make more of it. but the key to selling is consistency, you want the look to be about the same in each image you make.

as far as bugs go, they hardly sell as photos and other things. many just don't like bugs that much.


cropping - you should make it clean to the edges of the color - i'm not sure they would print it otherwise. you need more keywords. everything from gross and creepy, to bug collectors and entomologists, because they are your market for this. looking close at it, i can see lines, yet at the same time it looks soft, if you have a scanner, scan this in. keywords should also mention the type of spider, that there are eyes, fuzzy, colors, etc. and your name.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Can you "be" unique? You are what you are. It is not up to YOU to decide if you are unique or not.

People will decide how unique you are by themselves. They may say "this is unique" or "this person is TRYING to be unique" or "I have seen this before".


I look at it like being funny. You are funny or not. You can TRY to be funny but often people look at it as just that...someone trying to be funny.
Sure, anyone can "accidentally" be funny sometimes and sometimes a generally funny person will bomb. But it seems some people truly have a knack at being funny. It comes easier to them.

Chasing what you THINK is unique or trying hard to be funny is sometimes just sad. Just be what you are, don't worry about what other's think of you.

If you are not unique then you are commodity like rice or copper and be prepared to sell based on price alone.