Art Sourcing. What you need to know.

Finding the right artist for a commercial space is one of the most underestimated parts of any project, because most designers approach it the wrong way round.

They start with aesthetics.
Something that fits the colour palette.
Works with the furniture.
Doesn't clash with anything.

It sounds reasonable until you realise you've just described the process for choosing a rug, not commissioning art.

The best commercial spaces I’ve worked with almost always started with a different question…

“What should this place say about us, and who can say it in the best way?”

Here's how we approach that question at Creative Debuts:

1) Start with the space's story, not its spec.

Every building, office, and hotel has a context. A neighbourhood. A history. A type of person who'll spend time in it. The right artist is someone whose practice connects to that context in some way.

2) Look for authentic fit, not stylistic imitation.

The brief shouldn't ask an artist to make work in a style that isn't theirs. It should find an artist whose style already belongs. There's a significant difference between commissioning work that mimics what you want and finding someone who naturally produces it.

3) Understand the artist's practice before you brief them.

What are they actually exploring? What does their work mean to them? The artists who produce the most interesting commercial work are the ones given enough room to bring their real perspective into the project.

4) Resist the pull towards the obvious.

The most memorable spaces we've worked on have featured artists most of the clients had never heard of before we introduced them. Emerging artists bring a freshness and specificity that established names often can't.

5) Commission for the long term.

Art that was made for a space, rooted in the culture of the people using it, holds its relevance in a way that purchased or rented filler pieces don't. It becomes part of the identity of the place rather than something that gets replaced in the next refresh.

Art sourcing doesn't have to be the stressful bit at the end of a project. Done properly, it's one of the more interesting conversations you'll have during it