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Artists' agents working in different fields often operate in very different ways.
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Artists' agents
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Difficult to find and often hard to manage the relationship. As sales through agents incur commission and increase prices, galleries prefer to act on recommendations or direct contact with artists. The most positive approach seems to be the 'active portfolio' where an agent holds slides or examples of work by a large number of artists.
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| Craft agents
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Few makers of one-off or limited range high quality work sell through agents. As with visual artists, galleries and shops are generally not interested in buying from agents. For the smaller outlet, contact with the maker is essential for them to recognise the unique qualities of the work which helps them sell it. There are agents selling to high street chains and gift shops suitable only for makers producing in quantity (who are probably already experienced at selling through trade fairs which is where you might meet this kind of agent).
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| Photographers' & illustrators' agents
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Useful for promoting your work in the commercial field but not essential for success. Illustrator Carmel Hayes recommends getting experience of seeking work yourself before signing up with an agent. She says most agents only look for advertising and design work which pays best. Even with an agent you still have to find your own editorial and publishing work.
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| Overseas agents
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Overseas department store agents based in the UK and foreign agents may be part of your distribution network for selling work abroad. The contacts and local knowledge an agent offers can be essential to marketing your work successfully in another country. But make sure you establish a contract with an overseas agent since it is difficult to negotiate at a distance. The DTI can give advice on making contacts overseas. (See; Business; Overseas trade)
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Kit Abramson, 'Speaks for itself', 2000
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| Kit Abramson: internet gallery | | I had always been cynical about exhibiting work on the web questioning motives of the .com industry. However, I began to investigate cyberspace more closely when a postcard of my work fell on to the desk of an Internet gallery.
 Full story
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Question
I've been producing paintings and hand painted cards for the last couple of years and need to find an agent to market the work, which would leave me more time to paint rather than write letters to new outlets!
answer
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