The Artmarket and the power of the Collector

Under one of the discussions forums on the website "Independent Collectors", titled "Private Museums", a statement caught my eye : "...but the individual and subjective choice of the private collector cannot replace the work of a team of art historians and experts in indicating which works of art are significant in the development of art history."
(thanks Silvia!)

But is that really correct?

If we take for instance Chinese Contemporary art, as a more recent example; it was one collector: Uli Sigg; who began in the 80s to collect works of art from artists in China, while he was stationed there with the Swiss government (think he was the consul). He - as one academic had put it to me "made Chinese contemporary art Salon-Fähig" (presentable at the gallery level).
Currently, he is even being criticised as having had too much influence on the market, having pushed prices to dizzying heights. His own collection, the SIGG collection, not only has a coffee table book published, but has travelled around the globe and presented by well-known museums, and is regarded as a prime example of the development of Chinese contemporary art. Comparable in quality – or even better - than any museum.

Indeed, this particular art market saw also phenomena which we in the "art world" do not really want to talk about: How market demand (ie collectors demand) can dictate what the artist churns out. We saw (but did not want to admit it) how art was being produced out of China with factory-like efficiency.

The downward economic situation is actually now being seen as a god-send by established galleries who specialise in Chinese Contemporary art; as a way to “kill out the bad seeds” and to ensure good art – and good galleries – are the ones who will survive when the crises is over.

It is of course not possible to give a quick snap-shot of the rise (and fall?) of Chinese Contemporary art here. But suffice to say, I believe that we have indeed a collectors market. Although the art-market has always been seen as a dichotomy to the law of economics and marketing (ie the supplier; or in this case the artist; does NOT produce to meet market demand ie the collectors wants) there is without a doubt, a huge influence by collectors on the type of art being produced today.

What are your thoughts, my collector friends? I am for one, fascinated on how one type of consumer behaviour which may be considered as a hobby by many, can have such an influence on art as we know it. Art is, after all, a reflection of how society has been developing in history.

Am writing a book on the subject: any collectors out there, who are interested to share their thoughts with me - and be interviewed :o) - do let me know.
your voice may be more important than you think....