a
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n
the
artists
information
company
v
38
signpost
chris Brown
introduces a
rulebook to guide you through
the whys and wherefores of
artist-led activity.
artists’ strategies: artist-led activity
Theobject of this game is tohavea successful career as
anartist. There is no limit to thenumber of players.
Each player moves around the art world using any means to realise their
personal definition of a successful artist by creating opportunities for the
production and promotion of their art. It is at the discretion of each player
whether to play selfishly or not.
To STArT
For many, the game starts in earnest on leaving college when a
player’s support system and ready-made peer group suddenly falls
away. A player must renegotiate their working environment and
methods to re-enter the game proper. There is no common starting
point, and no generally recognised best route to pursue following
this departure; the pathways through this game are more self-
determined than in any other.
Players usually adopt one of two tactics: one is financially motivated,
the other benefits a player’s artistic practice. It is rare that these
tactics can both be used during a single move, particularly in
the early stages of the game; players are often required to switch
between tactics on alternate moves.
STrENgTH IN NumBErS
In the absence of a system that requires a player to constantly be
creating art (such as college), many players find it beneficial to work
collectively. Two or more players can often operate more efficiently
than a solitary player. Allying oneself with other well-chosen
players creates a critically supportive environment where exchange
of ideas, tactics and opportunities can take place between moves.
This grouping also facilitates players to implement a key strategy in
the game: securing a venue that can be used for workspaces, initiating
exhibitions and/or projects. There are various reasons why a player
might choose to create a platform that allows not just him/herself,
but also his/her peers to promote their work. In some cases it may
be an altruistic move to address the lack of suitable opportunities
for exhibiting in a player’s region, whereas for others it is a stepping
stone to their own commercial success or wider recognition.
WHo’S WHo
This game involves the wearing of many hats, also known as
portfolio working. For example, you may find yourself alongside
curators who are also artists, or co-exhibitors who are also lecturers.
Many players have jobs that feed directly into or inform their
practice: arts administrators, lecturers, designers, technicians,
writers, even legal advisors and building site managers. Jobs that
As a newly graduated artist
aiming to developmy practice
workingwithin a collective
studio space, I recommendChris
Brown’s a-n article on artist-led
activity. It’s the kind of practical,
hands-on information that
cuts through the arts speakwe
are bombardedwith in today’s
artworld.
JeannieBrown, artist,