Not many people realize that art is just another way to look at life, rather beautifully. And even fewer have the potential to make art a way of life. Here’s one artist who not only looks at life artistically but has also made it her way of life. Having studied the history of art and design as her higher education, it was only obvious that Marianne Henio paved her way to be an art critic, a historian and a writer. But interestingly, she has steered out a little to make a virtual art gallery for the artists to not just promote themselves but also interact and eventually sell their art to the right buyers.
This virtual art gallery is called ‘The Art of Women’ and its further extension, ‘The Higher Art Company’, aims to promote its artists and their respective art form, rather unconventionally. Moving beyond regional boundaries and onto a global platform to showcase her collection, Marianne has been striving to get the spotlight right for her small group of artists. In conversation with Kiran Chopra…
Let’s start by knowing about ‘The Art of Women’ and ‘The Higher Art Company’.
‘The Art of Women’ online gallery was conceived a little over a year ago. It evolved from my art history background and my dealings with artists in relation to my writings and interest as an art historian/critic. This, coupled with my fascination with the subject of the representation of women in both art history and contemporary art, led to establishing an online gallery that would be a showcase for some remarkable artists working in this genre. The purpose of the gallery was two-fold; to exhibit and sell the work of these artists, and to create a place where debate and discussion could take place surrounding such a controversial subject.
‘The Higher Art Company’ is a recent extension to this idea which came from enquirers from the commercial sector into the supply of art to hotels, restaurants, offices and other commercial premises – for sale and to hire.
So, how did the idea of forming a company like this occur to you? What inspired you?
There are hundreds of online galleries today, all competing and struggling to sustain. The art market has taken a huge beating, as most luxury-end products do in times of recession. I have seen friends who have run physical galleries for years suffering because of this downturn. I see artists struggling and want to help.
I have always been involved in the art world in some shape or form, whether it be writing, selling, studying or just looking on, as an observer. It seemed natural for me at this point to move into the sale of art in our new virtual world. I designed a gallery that was totally different in visual terms to what already existed online, and instead of representing every genre out there, I chose to concentrate on a niche that is close to my heart.
I invited a handful of artists, whose work I highly rate, to join me. My inspiration was the art that they produced.
What were the initial hurdles that you came across?
Technology! I had to learn how to develop and run an e-commerce website. This can be a very expensive game, so with a very limited budget I had to become totally involved in the process myself, which eventually I realized was going to be a huge learning curve for me.
As the year has progressed, I now see the biggest hurdle being the internet itself. It is difficult to compete with the giants who have the necessary funds to keep them ahead of the game. To succeed one needs to be seen. This is the major hurdle.
Who were the first few clients and how has this experience been so far?
The first few clients/customers were actually friends and local businesses. Even though the internet is worldwide, much can still be said for ‘word of mouth’ and ‘friends helping friends’. The personal touch cannot be underestimated. I think that in the art world this will take a long time to change, if at all. Yes, we have gone virtual in many respects but art is not only visual; it is personal, emotional, engaging and real.
When we talk about a company that does only portraits, instantly, a glamour image pops up, how do you manage to come up to the expectations of your clients?
Portraiture is only one strand of the art that ‘The Art of Women’ offers. The idea of glamour in portraiture is really a very personal sentiment which sits almost entirely with the sitter. The artists with ‘The Art of Women’ gallery who offer the service of portraiture are experienced in this field and each has their own way of working with their client to make them feel at ease and create the desired result. The client chooses a style that they feel best suits their requirements, whether this be glamorous in their eyes or not, and then work with the artist of their choice to fulfill their needs. It may be that the client ‘sits’ for the artist on an initial sitting. It may be that the artist works entirely from photographs. Either way, the artists do their best to work to the client’s brief and to meet their expectations.
Tell us about your team?
A small team really. I have IT support and social media support from a local company. I work alongside another local company who provide printing services, framing, and delivery & installation services. The site is managed by me in terms of sales and liaising with the artists. Then there are a handful of art writer’s who support me by providing articles for the Art News space within the gallery. And of course, there are the artists themselves, who have been my inspiration all through this process.
What are the essentials that you keep in mind before starting any assignment?
As I get older, I believe more and more, that any project taken on should be close to one’s heart. Preparation, determination, hard work, perseverance and ambition are all desired, but passion is to me the most important ingredient to success.
So have you achieved what you wanted to?
I don’t think that I will ever come to the end of the process as such. So far, it has been very organic in that one aspect of the project has grown and developed into the next. Of course there was an initial aim and an initial set of goals – these are essential otherwise one doesn’t know where one is heading. But I am already planning the next stages of the process.
What are your future plans?
I am in the process of writing a book to promote the artists in ‘The Art of Women’ gallery. This will eventually become a series of books related to the artists, their work and their lives. Writing and art history are my passion. All future plans will fall within the art world in some way, shape or form. I have recently had one of the artists from the gallery, Richard Barry, begin my portrait which is very exciting as I am now sitting at the other end of the spectrum.
My most recent book was written due to my fascination with the availability of material in the Public Domain and my wish to share this discovery with others. http://amzn.to/PU9Q57
Check out Marrianne’s work on: www.theartofwomen.co.uk
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