With this change in the commission’s establishment comes a change in the power structure. Similar to the entertainment industry in the 1930s, power in the art world shifts from distribution channels (galleries) to creators (artists). And with greater independence for artists comes greater responsibility. In a world where collectors interact directly with artists, who sells their work and when are artists busy producing? To sustain this change, artists need to be more entrepreneurial and learn how to manage new tasks. Some hire more staff, others are happy to work with galleries that take on sales, promotion, placement and support work. It’s a role that today’s galleries already play. But the power dynamics will switch.
