At last, a remedy for a broken art
Falling out of love with a painting is painful. One man shows how to handle the break-up with dignity, says Alex Wade
Is it possible to fall out of love with a painting? It may seem strange, but collectors know the feeling. What was once so beguiling can morph into an irritant, so much so that once the love has gone, it’s barely possible to imagine how it ever existed. What to do, then, with a painting that is no longer an object of adoration? Sell it on eBay? Or pack it up and ferry it to an auction house? Neither option is ideal: eBay may be many things, but it is hardly a guarantee of artistic excellence. As for auction houses, these come with hefty commission and no guarantee that a work of art will realise its value – not to mention the fact that they can be a lot of hassle, too. Mark Hatwood, a gallery owner based in Cornwall, believes he has the answer. He is about to launch an online community, called ArtRehome, and is convinced it will remove the stress of selling preloved art. “The idea came to me while I was running my gallery,” says Hatwood, who owns The Harbour Gallery in Portscatho. “So many people told me they wanted to refresh their artwork – or sell on art they’ve inherited but don’t like – but didn’t know how to do this easily and safely. “Like most galleries, I don’t sell rehomed art, so the only advice I could give was to use online auction platforms or traditional auction houses, which can be costly, cumbersome and, sometimes, unsafe and unreliable. “I started searching for a better solution and was astounded to find there was no dedicated internet site for the sale of preloved art. Then it came to me: I’d sit down and make one myself.” The result is ArtRehome. com, a website that aims to sell preloved art in an easy, safe and accessible way. “It has cost tens of thousands to develop, but it’s been worth it. We now have a secure and user-friendly website that will transform the way preloved art is sold worldwide, while also giving a flow back into the industry so people can exchange art they’ve fallen out of love with for new art they will cherish.” From the start, Hatwood identified a key concern of customers buying art online – how do they know it is what it says it is? He solved this problem by developing ArtRehome’s provenance rating system (PRS). “One of the best features of ArtRehome is the PRS,” claims Hatwood. “Sellers who lack the proper provenance are given a means of obtaining verification either direct from artists themselves or a gallery that knows the artist’s work. This service gives confidence to ArtRehome’s users and helps protect against fraud.” The venture is supported by the Artists Collecting Society and the Royal Society of Arts. ArtRehome has three tiers of membership – one for artists, one for galleries and one for personal sellers and buyers. Users sign up and are then able to post photographs of works they want to sell, as well as the price they would like. There is no charge for listing a work for sale, and it can remain on ArtRehome indefinitely. Commission for sales is set at a base rate of 7.5 per cent of a painting’s sale price – although customers can pay more if they feel the service warrants it. Either way, the commission is a long way from a gallery’s standard markup of 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Hatwood, who has spent the past year developing ArtRehome, believes the website is unique. “I don’t know of anything similar, anywhere in the world,” he says. Hatwood’s eclectic career gives weight to his claims. He has been around the block and back again; moreover, in a market that in recent years has seen more art galleries close than open, he has made a success of the Harbour Gallery despite its location deep in the Roseland Peninsula, some way off the main tourist track. Hatwood settled in Cornwall in 2004. He founded two environmental social enterprises to recycle batteries and light bulbs, known together as the CoBRA scheme, which bagged environmental awards and became a nationwide success. He acquired the gallery in 2012. Despite having a career as a musician and novelist as well, it is the role of gallerist that suits Hatwood best. “As a child I was always drawing and I went to art college when I was 16. I’ve loved every minute of running the Harbour Gallery, meeting artists and getting to know their work.” With this kind of passion underpinning ArtRehome, Hatwood might well be on to another winner. And for those who no longer have the faintest clue why they fell in love, he might just have the answer. For paintings, at least. ArtRehome.com launches today. See also theharbourgallery.co.uk ArtRehome.com is a new service to sell preloved art, but other options are also available online. Auctionata.com Auctionata claims to bring the thrill of the auction room online. Using a real-time auction system, you can bid and sell in its weekly auctions – wherever you may be. The company is run by a team of international experts, state-licensed auctioneers and experienced professionals. It now has an office in London, so you can have high-value items valued in person. Auctionata also deals in antiques, jewellery, teddy bears, stamps – you name it. If someone collects it, they sell it. MarketTwo.com This American service lists artworks owned and housed by original or current owners interested in selling. To use it, simply choose a plan that meets your needs. When buying art, the Market Two service offers the buyer a discreet and personal experience. The process ensures that the buyer and seller are equally served in placing the right art in the right collection.