Are The Decorative Arts Losing Their Appeal?
June 10th, 2010 by admin
It seems that the art world has experienced a roller coaster period of demand and price fluctuation. Some areas seem to be recovering quite nicely, as Picasso and Giacometti works can attest too. With the decorative arts, the rebound can be characterized as not happening. Demand is not even static, but appears to be still sliding or stalled at best. Is this trend reversible or more systemic with the nature of these items?
Shelter magazines have stamped their approval on showcasing residences with a minimum use of antiques and furniture in general. White walls and scattered rugs on plain wood floors are the template for as little as possible in a room. The sentiment of these publications is exemplified by the walls acting as a backdrop for nothing or a “trophy” painting or work of art. The practice of multiple quality items juxtaposed next to each, like in the Barnes Museum could hardly be conceived in today’s endeavor to need high tech and best image necessities.
I find that today, decorative arts as a means of functional furniture and life style is in conflict with the perception of its usefulness. Obviously, this stuff has lasted through a certain test of time and still survived. Decorative arts require some functionality; fine arts involve only the necessity of a visual interpretation, a much more powerful emotional and intellectual connection. In today’s way of thinking, innovation should offer better and more efficient functionality with simplicity of use. Is that such a tall order for antiques?
The other side of the argument is that furnishing a home with antiques requires much more than just physical and aesthetic qualities. The most difficult aspect of these items is time and passion to understand them, as a collector. That type of zeal is hard to translate into the emotional and intellectual qualities present in fine art. Would a collector of American 19th Century Hudson River School paintings have the same passion for furniture of the same period? Undoubtedly, a collector of contemporary art would not consider any piece of furniture other than modern. Bulky, American 19th Century furniture would distract from modern art, but modern furnishings in some way can enhance the 19th Century art. Certainly at a minimum, antique furnishings are mean to embellish any period art on the walls and not necessarily to compete with it.
Perhaps the Decorative Arts are to be relegated to the ash heap of second tier status. A comfortable antique dining chair is certainly a rarity and will never receive instant recognition like a Picasso. Besides, unless someone has written a sign on the chair, how would you know that George Washington sat there!
Timothy Lovrinic wrote on 06/16/10 at 2:38 am :
Well Newel, here we are again. The state of the antique decorative market.
You know, antique forms are more popular than ever. Look at the background sets in film and tv. Filled with antiques. Baker, Lexington Home Brands, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and many many other business capitalize on the traditional antiques forms. It is not that what we sell is not desired intrinsically, but the marketing machine for our industry is nonexistent.
The ADA gave its’ highest honor to a non dealer? Really. In these times, lets give our highest award to a non dealer? Really?
And I have to say, the auction industry is doing a really really really good job at marketing themselves. They really are bigger, faster, better capitalized and are never going to be stopped. Never.
So what are we to do? I am like most dealers, and I don’t do much. I guess I do a little more as a fact by taking the time to write this, but on a whole, we as dealers don’t do much real marketing, organizing or promoting.
We need to organize, nationally. And once we have organized, spend the dues to advertise and promote nationally.
We need to find a way to get the auction houses to give the verified trade dealers, across the spectrum, a discount on the buyer’s premium. Designers who are verified are granted huge discounts from manufactures of contemporary decorative arts. The 25% that the Duopoly charge is a margin ours business can operate on.
I do not know how to do this or where to start. I am just a small player who has been playing for 30 years.
Our method of operation is industry wide: secrecy, specialized knowledge and protectionism of source. Two out of those three are no longer applicable due to internet transparency. And secrecy is negative.
The decorative arts industry is doing just fine. The antiques trade is in horrible shape. Not because no one likes the beauty or line or human context of our collective past manifested in objects, but because we haven’t marketed our group well.
I wish I had answers. I wish I knew who was in charge. I wish times were like they were. But I don’t have answers, and no one is in charge and the times are changing and leaving us behind. The state of the decorative arts market? Just fine. Unless you sell antiques.
admin wrote on 06/16/10 at 8:09 am :
Thank you for your comments and thoughts on being a decorative arts antiques dealer. It has always been a systemic problem for the creation of an effective dealer organization. Unfortunately, the combinations of social, economic, and levels of knowledge have cause conflicts in vision and goals for such an organization to be created and effective.
Your sense of exasperation is shared by me and many others in the industry however I disagree with 2 of your concerns. First, I do believe that the auctions can and must be stopped from using blatant deception (secret reserves) and fraudulent methods (chandelier bidding) to rig the bidding process. Second, the buyer’s premium is an absurdity and barefaced conflict of interest that the public at large (and not just dealers) should recognize.
Craig Anderson wrote on 06/23/10 at 8:53 pm :
I enjoyed this topic and it makes you really think though some issues. Older pieces (antiques) where designed to have a function which to me is the essence of an antique. I am a historian and not a dealer so that also tends to put the functionality to the forefront of an item.
I have a non profit Historical Radio show and we are now starting to publish a magazine. I have received many photos and stories of items from candle sticks to spinning wheels. All are interesting and have their story.
I think what it comes down to is personal preference and the highlighted piece. As you state in the 2nd paragraph if the focal point is a painting then it should be highlighted drawing attention to only it. However, for home use (displays) and many museums we have worked with they want to showcase the home and its environment. Wanting enough items that make you linger.
I think this market will always be around and sought after. As all of history we see the old as new and trends come and go, but it always goes and usually in circles. It may take 50-100 years to get there but it will be back.
Author wrote on 07/1/10 at 8:28 am :
The decorative arts are not losing their appeal - on a retail level they are just being out-marketed by the auction houses and newly manufactured items. People may be buying less - but they are still buying. Only the highly assertive marketing-wise will be able to compete with the numerous options out there.