Behind the Artist Support Pledge.

In early March, when my freelance work, arranged studio visits and commissions were starting to get cancelled, I decided to take a week off and visit my family in Leeds. Armed with my laptop, a small amount of art materials and five days’ worth of winter clothes, I didn’t anticipate that I’d still be here six weeks later! Luckily for me I had a dusty A1 cutting mat, three metal 1 metre rulers (yes I have a ruler collecting habit) and some sheets of paper left over from a previous residency at The Art House in Wakefield stashed away. My Mum generously allowed me to convert her kitchen, and now dining room into a temporary studio, where I’ve been producing daily new drawings which have now become part of the Artist Support Pledge.

 

The outbreak of coronavirus in the UK and subsequent lockdown has affected each and every one of us. It’s easy to focus on the things we have lost; the majority of artists rely on income through self-employment and many of us work not only as artists, but for arts organisations too. The crisis has highlighted the complexity of the art world we inhabit and how vulnerable we are as individuals.

One outcome of these strange times is the Artist Support Pledge; initiated by Matthew Burrows, the pledge encourages artists to use Instagram as a platform to sell work for £200 or less, each time the artist reaches the goal of £1,000 in sales, they pledge to buy an artwork from another artist in the scheme. Initially I was reluctant to take part, as I was concerned that there are many people in more need than me (although many artists, including myself, are also making donations to charities through their sales). After chatting with artist Brigitte Parusel, who told me how beneficial she’d found the pledge, I reappraised the opportunity.

 

When the world around you has changed, there’s something very reassuring about waking up every morning and drawing. The pledge has given us a sense of purpose and it’s also allowed us a feeling of normality. It’s helped artists to connect with one another and also meet potential new clients. I’m delighted that one of my drawings is now travelling to New Zealand to be part of a green school and others are on their way around Europe to brighten people’s homes. But most importantly it’s helping to democratise the arts; allowing artists a straightforward method to sell their work and support each at the same time.

I wanted to learn more about why artists are taking part in this scheme and to share their experiences. I’ve interviewed 10 artists and the man himself, Matthew Burrows, to offer a further insight into the project.

Artist Support Pledge artist responses:

What inspired you to initiate the Artist Support Pledge?

I’ve always believed that a culture of trust and generosity is the best place for the artistic personality. Honesty to oneself and community, giving more than expected and seeing without meanness or smallness of mind seems to be a good definition of a healthy artistic persona.

Did you have any idea of how successful it would become?

No, not at all. I like to think that when you put something out into the world, one should be slightly embarrassed by it. It’s a necessary component of taking risk. The situation was desperate for so many artists, I didn’t care what people thought, I just had to do something. I couldn’t have imagined how successful it has become.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

I’m selling well now, I missed a lot of sales in the first few weeks due to the amount of messages from artists and press: at times I was getting two per second; I just couldn’t process them all. I now have that under control with a website and a well-established Instagram account (@artistsupportpledge) for info, announcements and how-to guides. I also have PR and admin support from the Crafts Council and a steering group to help me think through developments. I haven’t had a day off in six weeks and most days start early and end late, but it’s a huge honour to serve my community so I am well motivated.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I’m only just starting to make work again and only for a couple of hours a day. I was making a new series of work on paper (‘In and Through’ series) before ASP so I’ve continued to develop that. I’m hoping to be able to get back to large scale works in the next few weeks. My studio is next to the house so lockdown isn’t a problem.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I’ve already purchased quite a few. So far I have bought work/s by: Colden Drystone, Scott Robertson, Jacqui Hallum, Phil King, Katie Pratt, Daniel Pettitt, Karolina Albricht, Phillip Allen, Benjamin Risk, Andrea V Wright, Sam Windett and Joe Packer. I think my framers are going to be happy. I’d like to buy some work by makers; I just need the time to find some that isn’t sold.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I heard about the Pledge very early on and thought it was a good idea so I posted some work, sold some and carried on. Now deciding what to post has become a daily ritual.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

Nothing new, though some of the works have been recent pieces – my focus on painting has been off ever since the shutdown. I have been painting at home but they are not hitting the mark. This has meant looking back and reflecting on finished paintings. What still holds up, what doesn’t and it feels like the sands have shifted when I get back on it.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

I have sold a few paintings – which is strange in itself. Like the times. It has kept me (and a lot of us I suspect) connected to painting, painters and the outside world during these days of enforced isolation. I have discovered some great new painters and through the Pledge I also donated a painting to a Covid-19 fundraiser run by Sofi Novell.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

So far I have bought works by Phil Allen, Gordon Dalton, Tamara Dubnyckyj and Andrew Graves. And finally a big thank you to Mr Burrows!

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I am taking part in the Artist Support Pledge because I wanted to do something to show support for artists and to raise some money for charities such as the NHS and Trussell Trust Food Banks. Although the NHS shouldn’t need charity and should be funded with appropriate equipment, especially for those risking their lives to save ours, unfortunately there is a serious shortfall and many of us are feeling we should help our key workers where we can.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I’ve been creating small editioned prints of glitched photos of paintings from the Rijksmuseum. The 1st print was a Mother and Child image because at the time it was the UK’s Mother’s Day and I wanted to make something that resonated the need for compassion and love in a time of crisis.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

The Artist Support Pledge has been a good way to feel connected to a community of artists in a time of isolation and despite this crisis it’s been great to see the artist community support each other.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I have a list of artists I would like to purchase from but until the end of April I will be working out how many pledges I have to fulfil. These are exceptional circumstances from which there will be an unusual marking of this history with a collection of art from the #ArtistSupportPledge that will lift my spirits from these strange times.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

Since all this happened I’ve had exhibitions and opportunities cancelled or pushed back until much later in the year. This gives an opportunity to make some extra money and is actually quite refreshing for artists to be so transparent with some sales.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

Mainly paper based works; I’d anticipated being in lockdown for a while, so I’d stocked up on coloured card and vinyl. It’s led me to making different series of collages and small maquettes for sculptures which I’ll hope to make into larger pieces once things are back to normal.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

I’ve sold a few pieces which has been financially helpful. Also it’s been great to see other artists doing it and meant I’ve “met” and gotten to talk to other artists I didn’t know before which has been great.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I’ve been lucky enough to make one purchase so far and I bought a piece from Jo Hummel. If I get a point where I can buy more I have seen some work by Phil Allen and Robyn Graham which I really like too.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I am really grateful this initiative has been generated. It is really powerful to create a network of artists supporting other artists and it is a great approach to sustain artists through this time.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I have been making some new tracing paper paintings, made from previous life drawings, and I am also making some new life drawings.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

It is making a big difference for me in that it has made my work more accessible to purchase, and in turn other artists more accessible for me. I haven’t previously had very small works and works on paper available, so people that have followed my work but not had the funds to financially support me now have that opportunity.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

Kim Booker, especially her beautiful ink drawings. Shannon Bono and Emma Fineman.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

As a terrible sales woman myself the ASP platform has helped rip up that weird art world decorum of never having prices on work – which opens it right up to the people who may normally be nervous to ask. I love the fact that more people will be living with my work, that I’ll be living with other people’s work, and I really need the brass.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I launched into a new massive painting at home when Coronavirus hit London but I’ve found it difficult to focus on. Since lockdown I’ve been working on much smaller oil paintings of atom bomb explosions on glass (while sitting down) which seems to keep me calm and help me forget everything else for a while.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

I think, as artists, we all live very finely balanced financial lives; our household finances as a whole are in pretty bad shape right now, so it will really help us get through. Seeing as exhibitions and deadlines have all been postponed; making work for ASP has given me focus and I’ve been getting up mega early to make the most of the daylight.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I got in early when I saw one of Chris Shaw Hughes’s tiny carbon paper drawings of a WWII German Soldier, he is fighting in the desert with goggles and his face wrapped up in a bandana, it felt appropriate. I’ve got both eyes on a piece by Narbi Price who has made some drawings of a wall in Hartlepool, comprising of stones from the ancient town wall, breeze blocks and bricks from Barratt Homes; also on my radar are Broughton and Birnie. I bought my other piece from ASP which is a painting on paper by Katherine Tulloh (only £60!).

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I could say it’s about contributing to a scheme which helps other artists out in these difficult times [and that would all be true], but I can’t pretend that it doesn’t help me out too. Like many artists I’ve had shows postponed or cancelled, and all the usual sources of income for me and my family have been threatened or compromised in some way, so anything extra is very welcome right now.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I’ve been concentrating on works on paper so far – small gouache paintings, some collages or a combination of both – things which are easy to do at my kitchen table while I’m unable to get to my studio. I’d say they support my usual studio practice rather than being a direct response to the lockdown, though I’m now noticing things in them that might suggest otherwise.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

I had no idea if anyone would feel like spending even £200 on my, or anyone else’s, artwork in such strange and worrying times, so the fact that this has been so successful is very heartening. I suppose it’s also made me realise that there’s a strong demand for these more affordable artworks and that I shouldn’t neglect this in whatever sort of art world awaits on the other side of all this.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I’ve already been able to acquire two excellent bits of work by Clare French and Aliki Braine and am almost ready to buy my next pledge piece. There’s too many good things to choose from really; my current wish list includes Nicky Hirst, Matt Calderwood, Mimei Thompson, Mandy Hudson, Marija Rin, Hermione Allsop, Kasper Pincis, Doris Erbacher, Patrick O’Donnell, Simon Chalmers (who has a very appealing miniature rusty shed sculpture I’ve got my eye on…) and many others, but obviously it all depends on what’s available.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I like that it comes from a place of generosity and sharing and it gives me a new structure in which to create something. My intention was to set aside an hour a day to make a collage and put it straight onto Instagram – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I have a box of old, used sheets of Letraset which I am applying to random magazine and book pages. I am using the activity of making to mull over our current situation. Sometimes the text is in control and other times the image leads the way. The series will stop when the Letraset runs out.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

Apart from it being a useful creative distraction, I’m using some of the money to support my local Foodbank, some to buy the work of other artists and the rest will get swallowed up in the hungry gaping hole that is studio rent.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

So far I have bought two works – a very worried blue owl by Mimei Thompson and a beautiful blue pyramid by Roland Hicks. My further wish list includes Nicky Hodge and Hermione Allsopp.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

Frankly, to keep the wolves from the door! It’s a challenging time for artists at every stage of their career, and all my scheduled exhibitions and projects for the year have understandably been cancelled, which means zero income. It’s also a wonderful way to support fellow artists, and gives a real feeling of solidarity.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I started a series specifically for the Artist Support Pledge based on cherry blossoms by Hokusai. I am especially interested in trees right now, and their connection to the breath, as Covid-19 is a respiratory illness. Cherry blossoms in Japanese culture represent ephemerality, fragility and transience.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

It’s not just about money, which I need in order to make ends meet, but about the structure it has helped me to build. I set myself the task of making a new watercolour every day and it has helped me to shape these otherwise amorphous days.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I have so far reached £2000 in sales, and I have purchased a beautiful print by Liz Elton, a drawing by Jess Wilson, and I have commissioned a drawing by Nina Mae Fowler, who is drawing portraits for food banks. I’d love to add works by Emilia Bergmark, Adam Bridgland, Henny Acloque, and you, Fiona Grady!

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

With this initiative Matthew Burrows has created something unique which has changed Instagram into an opportunity for artists to support one another in this crisis financially and creatively. It’s amazing how many artists are taking part, potentially we are all buyers and can become collectors, so that’s very exciting.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

It started with folding screen prints I already had. That developed into creating new materials for folding where the pattern is painted and the paper cut into unusual shapes. The results are 2D/3D pieces based on ‘Doublesidedness’; the next step will be the introduction of more colour.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

Taking part has invigorated my practice during lockdown; it’s like working towards an exhibition or deadline. Selling my work on Instagram and buying pieces by artists I admire is a new and rewarding experience.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

There are many great artworks being offered. I bought pieces by Johanna Melvin, Patrick O’Donnell and Henrietta Armstrong. On my wish list are works by Jost Münster, Zarah Hussain, Rupert Hartley, Christine Wilkinson to name only a few.

Why are you taking part in the Artist Support Pledge?

I see the ASP as a movement. I really like that the ASP was instigated with a strong principle of generosity. While financial merit was necessary to start with, this cycle of positive energy and supportive community is infectious and is the reason why I want to continue to contribute to this platform. Also, I give a percentage of my sale proceeds to the charity Hospital Rooms whose work I value a great deal. It makes me happy that I can help those in need as well as supporting my fellow artists.

What are you creating for the Artist Support Pledge?

I am mainly focusing on works on paper which include collage, pastel and charcoal drawings. I want to work freely during this period with lots of play and experiment – small and fast paced work. When our life is monotonous like this, it is important to feel some sense of progress and achievement. Particularly with collage, I am enjoying exploring colours and shapes. I am sure that this will lead to something more substantial later on.

How is the Artist Support Pledge making a difference for you?

It is certainly keeping me busy – it feels like a new job! It replaced my lost income, and it’s enabling me to focus on creating with much less financial pressure. Connecting with and supporting fellow artists and friends has been extremely valuable. I am also being introduced to many new and interesting artists, which is exciting. Importantly, dealing directly with buyers has been immensely rewarding. To hear their appreciation is very humbling, heartwarming and encouraging.

As part of the Pledge all participants have agreed to purchase work from another artist each time they make £1,000 in sales; which artist would you like to buy from?

I am nearly due to pick one or two.  I have a long list of artists whose work I love and admire. It’s going to be hard to decide… A few artists whose work I may go for this time are Thomas Hylander, Annabel Dover, and Roland Hicks. All very different, but they all have authentic intricate marks and tactile sensibilities in their works which I respond to.

06.05.2020

Words by Fiona Grady

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