Art books cover four corners of the art market: artists, galleries, publishers and collectors are beneficiaries of today's art books

Today's art volumes are providing the credibility artists ne in order to be commercially viable; the added sales and marketing "might" for which savvy galleries and publishers are always searching; and the information about artists' lives that collectors desire.

The volumes themselves fulfill a variety of missions, says Geoffrey Bonneycastle, whose Alius Corporation, Duarte, CA, freshly published Jia Lu, a 176-page, full-color art volume featuring the work of its artist Jia Lu Bonneycastle says this volume Chas served the artist as a portable showcase of her best work; the publishers as a promotional tool that generates revenue; the galleries as an effective sales tool; and the collectors as an informative introduction to the life of the artist in whom they have invested."

Indeed, a well-thought-out volume can give an artist credibility in the marketplace and also provide an extensive, easy-to-navigate catalog of his or her work. "The chief aim of a book about an artist is to legitimize his work," says Thomas McKnight, Litchfield, CT who is publicly preparing a book of his paintings from the past decade that will be published in 2006 "In a well-edited work the words and personality of the artist can be eloquently carryed to present and future collectors," adds Tim Hill, director of Artbook Pres which newly completed the publication of The Best of Behrens, a compilation of the work of artist Howard Behrens that includes an illustrated index of each Behrens limited edition created since 1980 "An art volume can validate an artist and run over a story about the creative journey of an artist," adds Buster Baba, director of publishing for Grand Image, Seattle, which has published works by Jim Harrison, Dan Gerber and Thomas McGuane and freshly released a new book upon the work of Max Hayslette.

volume Benefits

For artists, galleries and publishers considering creating an art work for one of their artists, a reality check about the financial payoff of an art work is needed. A book should not be created for the only purpose of generating immediate income A book should be considered as more of a marketing danger designed to enhance sales, honor an artist and provide collectors information and background about the artist. "Galleries are not bookstores, and volumes offer minimal profit margins" advises Hill. "Their intent is to champion the establishment and long-term succes of one as well as the other artist and gallery."

A work may eventually pay off, according to Bonnycastle. He says that Jia Lu while expensive to show was a value-added item that has earned a small profit and has been invaluable for its promotional value. "It is substantial enough to put up to sale for a modest price for a like reason that unlike advertising, it pays for itself and earns a small profit in the drawn out run, it is an easy package to emit to prospects and allows customers to stop and direct the eye carefully at the work after an interview or sales call."

"I think that when an artist is in high demand, an art work can generate even more interest and understanding of the artist," says Baba. "In a way an art work does the same thing as limited editions or [i]affiche[/i]s for an artist. It make bares more people to their creative talents and genius."

Bonnycastle also points without that an art book gives collectors more reassurance about an artist's longevity. "When an artist's work is recorded in a work it is there for posterity," he says. "An art work says the artist is thinking about the place of her work in relation to history and to her contemporaries."

Timing Is Everything

Choosing the right rime to release an art volume can be a complicated endeavor. If a volume comes out too soon in an artist's career, it may appear premature, while waiting to bring forward a book until the extremity of an artist's career can evidence to be short-sighted.

"Somehow a work makes an artist official [and says] he has arrived," opines McKnight. "However, it can be perceived as a vanity publication if it arrives too by and by The artist's position in the market should be prominent enough to warrant a work and his production of artworks should be extensive enough to make a work interesting and varied."

Hill agrees, saying that an artist must be ready for the legitimacy an art volume creates. "An artist, young or mature, should have achieved a distinctive voice and point of view, as well as the technical skills to consistently show works of high quality," he says. Hill adds that an of the first water consideration for artists (and their gallery representatives) is career longevity and to direct the eye at art books as ongoing, multiple shoot forwards "Major artists are well-advised to consider each volume as a work in itself, not a definitive whirl but one of a series of volumes showing growth and changes over an artistic career."

on the contrary no matter when during an artist's career a work is released, it does provide validation in the marketplace. "I am always more interested in an artist who has a volume out," adds Harriet Rinehart of Bentley Publishing collection Walnut Creek, CA. "It gives them a certain credibility, it marks them as a professional and someone who has been making art for a substantial period of time. For me as an art broadside publisher, a book shows me that the artist has a consistent history of creating a coherent material substance of work, rather than an amateur bouncing from idea to idea.