Artist collective

Anartist collectiveorart grouporartist groupis an initiative that is the result of a group ofartistsworking together, usually under their ownmanagement,towards shared aims. The aims of an artist collective can include almost anything that is relevant to the needs of theartist;this can range from purchasing bulkmaterials,sharing equipment, space or materials, to following sharedideologies,aestheticandpoliticalviews or even living and working together as anextended family.Sharing of ownership, risk, benefits, and status is implied, as opposed to other, more common business structures with an explicit hierarchy of ownership such as anassociationor acompany.

Many artist collectives had and still have a major and significant influence on the various epochs ofart history.In a broader sense, literary groups and group formations of musicians can also be referred to as artist collectives or groups.

Description

Purpose

The aim of the artistic initiatives was and still is to get in touch with other artists, to point outavant-gardeor newly defined efforts in art in the broadest sense, to break away from traditional, academic approaches altogether, to break new ground and to follow them for example by organizing joint exhibitions. The boundaries between all areas offineandapplied artare fluid.

In contrast to the mostly programmatically oriented artist collectives, only the costs for the use of common workspaces or artistateliersare usually shared in studio communities. Due to long-standing friendships, thematic joint exhibitions and the inevitable examination of the work of the other members, however, mixed forms can form that go beyond the pure community of convenience.

Between Artist Duo and Artists' Colony

The transition from artist collective toartist colonyis also fluid. One speaks of the latter when it comes to large-scale settlements of artists of the same direction. Examples of this are theNazarene movementin Rome and theBarbizon school.The decisive factor here is the personal decision of the individual to align their place of residence with that of like-minded artists, which can be conducive to the optimal further development of the respective art movement.

The opposite extreme of an artist group is the artist duo – the smallest, but also the most symbiotic form. Often there are real-life partnerships (as withNiki de Saint PhalleandJean Tinguely,or also withGilbert & George). It is not uncommon for larger groups of artists to emerge from the "nucleus" of a duo, such as thePre-Raphaelite Brotherhood,for example, developed from the founding duoJohn Everett MillaisandWilliam Holman Hunt.

Criteria for the term "art collective" or "art group"

Designations such as "The Tachists"orJunge Wilde(The Young Wild Ones) cannot be assigned to any real groups of artists; they merely indicate common stylistic features within an epoch. A clear indication of the actual existence of such a group is a written memorandum such as that published inAndré Breton'sSurrealist Manifestoin Paris in 1924 and signed by several like-minded artists. As a result, the members of such a group committed themselves to subordinate themselves to a common goal. This also included the group exhibitions, to which everyone should contribute their part instead of just showing themselves.

Overview

Artist collectives have occurred throughout history, often gathered around central resources, for instance the ancient sculpture workshops at the marble quarries onMilosin Greece andCarrarain Italy. During theFrench RevolutiontheLouvrein Paris was occupied as an artist collective.^{[citation needed]}

More traditional artist collectives tend to be smallish groups of two to eight artists who produce work, either collaboratively or as individuals toward exhibiting together ingalleryshows or public spaces. Often an artist collective will maintain a collective space, for exhibiting or as workshop or studio facilities. Some newer, more experimental kinds of groups include intentional networks, anonymous, connector, hidden or nested groups, and groups with unconventional time-scales.

Artist collectives may be formed:

for economic reasons, to give members volume purchasing power and allow costs of publicity and shows to be shared,
for political reasons, to increase local lobbying power for arts infrastructure, to gather behind a cause or belief,
for professional reasons, to develop a higher group profile that benefits the individuals by association, to create a hub for curators and commissioners to more easily locate potential talent.^{[citation needed]}

References

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