Arts and the market: an ethnography of their complex contemporary relationships

Abstract

Purpose An in-depth understanding of how art is valued in the market using photography as context. Changes in how photography is produced and consumed warrant a contemporary understanding of the contributions of artistry and commercialism. Design/methodology/approach A seven-year ethnography explored the current state of the relationship between arts and the market through four phases – education and training; initial fieldwork; in-depth interviews; confirming and clarifying findings through additional fieldwork. Findings Analysis of ethnographic data reveals eight inter-related categories of findings – artistry; commercialism; contrariety of artistry and commercialism; credibility of photographer (producer); shared vision; value co-creation; control of access; collaboration and coordination. As these categories progress, there is a shift in control over identifying and creating value from artistry to commercialism. Research limitations/implications The relationship between artistry and commercialism has a history of contrariety, culminating in a contemporary situation that favors the contributions of commercialism. Recommendations are made for how the definition of value can begin to shift back in the direction of artistry. Practical implications Improved collaboration and coordination among artists and arts management organizations is recommended to better represent artistry in defining and creating value. Originality/value Interaction with members of arts markets enables the researcher to investigate the contemporary relationship between arts and the market from the inside. Findings reflect the current state of the relationship and inform differences in power dynamics between the influences of commercialism and artistry in defining value.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Arts and the Market, 2026 · DOI ↗