Sara van Bussel

In contemporary discourse, the notion of the artist as a brand manager reflects a profound shift in the understanding of artistic labor and authorship. To grasp this evolution, one must first acknowledge a long-overdue premise: artistic practice is work. Despite its intellectual and emotional depth, art-making is not merely a vocation of inspiration or a leisure pursuit for the privileged. Yet society often continues to view artists through the lens of outdated archetypes — the starving genius in a garret, or conversely, the dilettante supported by inherited wealth. Both narratives obscure the economic and professional reality of artistic production in the 21st century.

Once we recognize that art is both a cultural necessity and a profession, it follows that artists face challenges analogous to those of any other field: managing visibility, sustaining production, and engaging a market. Admittedly, the art market is a peculiar one: opaque, unpredictable, and only partially governed by conventional measures of value. Unlike in most industries, success in art resists quantification: especially for contemporary art, there is no standardized metric for quality, nor an objective scale for impact. Still, the conditions of artistic labor remain tangible. Art-making requires time, material investment, and emotional endurance, and it often serves, whether intentionally or not, as a form of cultural service to a broader community.

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Within this context, the artist’s engagement with self-representation and branding emerges not as opportunism, but as necessity. Managing one’s public image, curating one’s digital presence, and strategically communicating one’s practice are now integral aspects of artistic professionalism. To “brand” oneself as an artist does not imply a reduction of creativity to commerce; rather, it signals an awareness of the structural realities of the contemporary art ecosystem: one that increasingly relies on visibility, coherence, and narrative.

Digital platforms have democratized access to audiences, allowing artists to present their work directly to collectors and the public without the mediation of traditional gatekeepers. Online platforms (including, perhaps self-referentially, COHART itself) exemplify this new paradigm, offering artists the tools to showcase, network, and manage their careers autonomously. Yet, self-representation should not be mistaken for self-isolation. The role of the gallery remains vital, particularly in terms of credibility and contextualization. Gallery representation continues to signify validation within the professional hierarchy of the art world. Exhibiting in a physical space or participating in curated programs not only extends an artist’s reach beyond digital networks but also situates their work within a critical discourse that online platforms alone rarely provide.


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This perspective resonates strongly with the research of Rodner and Kerrigan (2014), who argue that contemporary artists must cultivate multiple forms of capital—social, cultural, and symbolic—to establish a brand identity capable of sustaining a career. They emphasize that “artists acknowledge the importance of encouraging social networks with agents within the art world who have the necessary cultural capital to shape a market for the artwork and disseminate the artist’s artistic discourse to wider audiences” (Rodner & Kerrigan, 2014). In this light, galleries and professional networks are not just gatekeepers but essential collaborators in creating and amplifying an artist’s visibility and credibility.

Thus, the evolution of the artist as brand manager does not entail the obsolescence of galleries, but rather the emergence of a symbiotic relationship. Artists who approach their practice with professionalism and strategic awareness often collaborate more effectively with galleries, enhancing mutual visibility and trust. The key lies in alignment: in artists adopting branding strategies that are authentic to their practice, while galleries evolve to support and amplify this self-determined identity. Rodner and Kerrigan further highlight the importance of symbolic capital, such as reputation and recognition, stating that “foregrounding symbolic capital over the quest for economic returns… ensures a sustainable, credible and branded reputation in the long run” (Rodner & Kerrigan, 2014). This reinforces the argument that branding is not merely commercial opportunism but a strategic investment in professional resilience and long-term recognition.

Ultimately, acknowledging the artist as a professional, and by extension, as a brand, is an act of realism, not resignation. It invites a more sustainable understanding of the art profession, one that reconciles creativity with economic agency. The artist of today must be both maker and manager, visionary and communicator. In doing so, they not only reclaim control over their narrative but also participate in shaping a more transparent, equitable, and intellectually grounded art ecosystem.


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The artist as brand manager: rethinking artistic practice in the contemporary market

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