The Mental Issues of Artists

Posthumous Psychiatric Diagnosis of the Mental Issues of Artists

The idea of the association between creativity and mental illness actually goes back to Aristotle’s call that artists have tendencies toward melancholia. The psychiatric diagnoses provided emerge from various stories, letters, typical social and cultural behavior, and other various sources particular to the time and the artist. Hospital records may have recorded that this or that artist was confined or in a rehabilitation mode for weeks in a given hospital. Such bits and pieces of information combined and embellished by the diagnostician may insinuate certain conclusions about the behavior of the artist and hence, following the behavior identifiers flow the particular mental aberration, i.e. manic-depressive. The fundamental problem with the posthumous or retrospective approach is that other than providing an interesting narrative or story about the artist, there is the pallor of pseudoscience attempting to mask itself as real science. In effect, while retrospective or posthumous approaches are valid to understand the workings of a given phenomenon, the current methods or lack thereof in investigating the mental lives of artists who have passed hundreds or thousands of years ago do not fit into the accepted approaches… read the entire article: Posthumous Psychiatric Diagnosis of the Mental Issues of Artists: Hocus Pocus or Real Science?

Auction House Risk Factors to Consider

Business of Art, series

Auction houses have been cracking down on bidders in terms of their ability to pay. Internet and telephone bidding on an international scale places bidders under a cloak of invisibility in knowing whether such bidders are willing and able to make good on their bids. Newly developing nations not secure in the rule of law places the auction house in a no-win situation since collecting debts or enforcing contracts only works if a given country has the structures and system to obey international law. No rule of law means that deadbeat bidders can operate undaunted because they face only lip service in being prosecuted or being required to pay their bills. Countries incapable of legal follow through have pushed auction houses to require solid credentials to have the privilege of bidding on works. Escrow payments, prior to bidding, serve to protect all from worthless bids and inefficient litigation to collect from deadbeat bidders. Further, unlike dealers and galleries which may sell unbeknownst to the consignor, auction houses are transparent such that consignors may be provided a greater level of comfort knowing how much, when, where, and to whom a given work was processed…

Read the entire article: The Auction House - Know Your Risk Factors

Art Insurance is not “One Size Fits All”

Tailored to Fit - Fine Art Insurance

If you have read the previous three articles in a series authored by Shaunda Clifton in reference to fine art insurance, you are bound to be wondering whom to contact and how to approach the amount of coverage needed, not to mention the price tag. In this article entitled Insurance is not “One Size Fits All” Art Insurance Series #4, you will discover the best way to find the coverage that will fit your needs exactly. Read more

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