BBC Two's new series The Big Deal with Steph McGovern puts an unusual part of the art world centre stage: the business of representing and selling art.
Seven pairs of aspiring art dealers are thrown into the contemporary art market and challenged to identify promising artists, negotiate commissions, understand what buyers want and, ultimately, make sales. The six-part series tests much more than whether contestants have a good eye. It tests their ability to turn art into a viable commercial proposition.
For artists watching the programme, there's an important lesson: making great art and building a successful art business are two different disciplines.
And historically, that's one of the reasons a good art agent, dealer or gallerist has been so valuable.
A good art agent doesn't create the work. They help create the conditions in which the work can succeed. That can mean helping an artist:
The Big Deal makes some of those skills unusually visible. In its opening challenge, contestants select emerging artists, agree commission arrangements and attempt to sell their work at auction. Later challenges test their ability to interpret buyers' requirements and match art to potential collectors.
The art may start the conversation. But commercial success requires organisation, communication, judgement and follow-through.
Professional representation can be extremely valuable. But the reality is that many emerging and independent artists don't have an agent or gallery managing the commercial side of their careers.
So they become artist, marketer, gallery manager, administrator and salesperson all at once.
They have to photograph and catalogue work. Write descriptions. Maintain a website. Answer enquiries. Manage prices. Share new collections. Keep track of what is available. Build relationships with followers. And somehow find time to make art as well.
That's where technology can play a very different role.
LettsArt gives artists and gallerists their own online gallery and tools to organise artworks, create collections, communicate with followers and sell directly to collectors. Rather than putting your work into somebody else's marketplace and competing for attention, you retain control over how your art is presented, shared and sold.
And increasingly, Art Intelligence can tackle some of the repetitive work that once consumed hours of an artist's time. LettsArt includes tools designed to assist with tasks such as artwork descriptions, tags, gallery content, imagery and search.
It doesn't replace the judgement, relationships or advocacy of a brilliant human agent - it helps make the independent artist considerably better equipped.
One of the most useful ideas artists can take from The Big Deal is to look at their own online presence through the eyes of an art dealer.
Ask yourself: if somebody wanted to represent my work tomorrow, would I make their job easy?
Could they immediately understand who you are?
Could they see your strongest work?
Is each artwork professionally presented and properly described?
Can they understand your collections, themes and artistic story?
Is it obvious which works are available?
Can an interested collector easily take the next step?
A good agent creates confidence around an artist. Your digital presence should do the same.
Don't start with what you know about your work. Start with what somebody encountering you for the first time needs to know. Make your artistic story, collections and individual artworks easy to understand and explore.
Collectors rarely buy pixels and canvas dimensions alone. Explain the idea, inspiration, process or story behind the work. A strong description gives someone a reason to pause and become interested.
Titles, dimensions, media, prices, availability and imagery should be accurate and easy to manage. It isn't glamorous, but good commercial infrastructure makes everything else easier.
Not everybody who discovers your work will buy immediately. Give visitors a way to follow your gallery and continue the relationship. LettsArt is designed to help artists build their own following rather than surrender that relationship to a third-party marketplace.
Use Art Intelligence and automation for appropriate repetitive tasks so your time goes where it has the greatest value: creating, building relationships and developing your career. Technology should support the artist, not try to become the artist.
There is another lesson here too.
Good agents, dealers and gallerists aren't simply salespeople. At their best, they understand artists, collectors, positioning, timing and relationships. That human expertise can be enormously valuable.
Technology doesn't make that expertise redundant.
But it can change the starting position for independent artists.
An artist with a professional gallery, organised catalogue, strong descriptions, clear pricing, an existing following and direct relationships with collectors is better prepared, whether they remain independent or ultimately work with a gallery or agent.
That is the opportunity LettsArt is built around.
The art belongs to the artist. The audience relationship should too.
And while your next great art agent, for now, will be human, there is no reason the business behind your art can't become considerably smarter.
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Not using LettsArt? Why not sign up today? It’s powerful software for artists to show, manage and distribute their art online. Perfect for artists with zero tech skills, our no-code, AI software lets you take control of your online presence and build sustainable success through direct sales.
To sign up to LettsArt (it’s FREE!) go to www.LettsArt.com .
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The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a six-part BBC television series in which seven pairs of aspiring art dealers compete in real-world art-market challenges involving artists, buyers, negotiation and sales.
A good art agent or dealer can help an artist position their work, connect with collectors, negotiate opportunities and manage the commercial side of an art career.
No. Not yet 😉. LettsArt is software that provides artists and gallerists with tools to manage their galleries, artwork, followers and direct sales more effectively.
No. LettsArt is specifically positioned as an alternative to relying on a marketplace. Artists and gallerists build and control their own gallery and collector relationships.
LettsArt uses Art Intelligence to assist with administrative and content tasks such as artwork information, descriptions, imagery and search, helping artists spend less time managing technology and more time developing their creative practice.
Yes. LettsArt is built for both artists and gallerists, including paid plans that support multiple users and larger artwork collections.
