This week’s essay is about what prices in the art world are actually measuring - not value, but position. Context. Leverage. Urgency. Who is standing behind the number. youtu.be/3Ev3bfdk72I #BlackbirdRook #ContemporaryArt #ArtMarket #ArtCollecting #artworld

There isn’t one art world. There are several. They run alongside each other – overlapping, rarely aligned – each with its own values, economics and gatekeepers. youtu.be/p3H4wLLRMIw #ArtWorld #ContemporaryArt #ArtCareers #BlackbirdRook

For those interested in seeing more of the work I share privately with collectors, paid subscribers on Substack receive a short monthly post. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir...

Five concrete policy proposals - with cost logic - focused on labour, space, education and public commissioning. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #culturalpolicy #artsandculture #publicvalue #creativeeconomy #dcms #artseducation #civiclife @lisanandy

What actually happens when the artist leaves the studio? Outside the Studio looks at the unwritten rules that shape artists’ careers – where talent isn’t the issue, but the system is. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #artcareer #professionalpractice #contemporaryart #emergingartists

Eric Banks - Mind Garden. Slow, built painting made through layering, scraping and revision. Forms press up from within the surface - part figure, part structure. Work that rewards time, not speed. www.artsy.net/viewing-room... #EricBanks #ContemporaryPainting #BlackbirdRook #Artsy #Painting

Jim Cheatle’s Tray paintings sit between belief and illusion. From Dürer’s rhinoceros to AI image models, this essay argues that art draws its force not from certainty, but from not knowing. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #jimcheatle #dürer #collectingart #blackbirdrook

Why Are Gallery Press Releases Written in Code? This video looks at the peculiar language of gallery press releases. Who is this language actually for? youtu.be/YR7_7yCZzg4 #pressrelease #contemporaryart #blackbirdrook #artwriting

A practical guide to navigating the art world. Read Outside the Studio. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #professionalpractice #artadvice #artcareer #contemporaryart #artistlife #emergingartists #artschooltruths #artworldlogic #blackbirdrook #studiopractice

Every so often you come across a body of work that stops you: a serious, under-recognised painter whose depth has quietly outpaced their visibility. That’s been my experience encountering Eric Banks. blackbirdrook.com #ericbanks #contemporarypainting #painting #PhilipGuston #MaxBeckmann

Eric Banks Comedian, 2009 Acrylic-paper fusion on board 101.5 × 127 cm In Comedian, humour becomes a structure rather than a release. #EricBanks #ContemporaryPainting #comedian #contemporaryart www.artsy.net/artwork/eric...

Who sets the direction of contemporary art now - artists, or the systems around them? A short essay on power, absence and drift. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #artworld #BlackbirdRook

Should I Buy a Banksy? I’m asked this question every six months or so - usually by a new collector looking for something sensible, recognisable and safe. Originally written in 2019 and still uncomfortably relevant. youtu.be/L69LjnHbKzk?... #banksy #contemporaryart #artcollector

Every so often you come across a body of work that stops you: a serious, under-recognised painter whose depth has quietly outpaced their visibility. That’s been my experience encountering Eric Banks. blackbirdrook.com #ericbanks #contemporarypainting #painting #PhilipGuston #MaxBeckmann

How do you tell if a young artist’s work will last - not just trend? Most artists who have a moment soon find that it is just a moment. The spotlight moves on - the work doesn’t suddenly become bad. plastermagazine.com/opinion/colu...  #contemporaryart #artcollecting #youngartists #artmarket

Why are art galleries so weird about prices? Watch if you collect, are thinking about collecting, or have ever felt wrong-footed in a gallery. #artworld #artcollecting #contemporaryart #artmarket #artgallery #collectors #artadvice youtu.be/cewbnbsxQjY

Most galleries don’t fail because they can’t sell art. They fail because the model itself is structurally precarious - reliant on delayed payments, informal credit, and constant low-level anxiety. #artworld #artbusiness #galleries #contemporaryart #artists #collectors substack.com/@blackbirdro...

What actually happens after the studio? A practical guide to navigating the art world. Read Outside the Studio. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #professionalpractice #artadvice #artcareer #contemporaryart #artistlife #emergingartists #artschooltruths #artworldlogic #blackbirdrook #studiopractice

Hanging pictures at home isn't about turning your house into a gallery. It's about rhythm, proportion and not hanging too high. A practical January newsletter on height, spacing and framing. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #HangingArt #LivingWithArt #CollectingArt #ArtAtHome #ContemporaryArt

Who Would be an Artist? A quiet reckoning with what it means to choose a life structured around making art – now, when everything feels brittle and uncertain. #contemporaryart #artistslife #professionalpractice #artandculture #creativework #blackbirdrook youtu.be/k576wAA9l9s?...

Many artists don’t disappear because the work isn’t strong enough. They disappear because no one ever explained how this world actually operates. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... If it earns its keep for you, even briefly, it’s done enough. #professionalpractice #contempoaryart #artist

Blackbird - Singing in the Dead of Night In 2022, Blackbird Rook invited artists who also make music to respond to crypto art - each artist a blackbird, singing into the digital dark. youtube.com/playlist?lis... #BlackbirdRook #CryptoArt #DigitalArt #ArtistMusicians #ContemporaryArt #MusicAndArt

Why does contemporary art so often arrive in waves? Read the essay on Substack: open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... Or listen and watch on YouTube: youtu.be/M3n5pnAN-78?... #contemporaryart #artworld #artwriting #artcriticism #visualculture #collectingart #cultureandcapital #blackbirdrook

This video explores a question that sounds faintly ridiculous and immediately revealing. Is Being a Collector Embarrassing? youtu.be/90meaJ_fTmw The original essay appears in The Diary of an Art Advisor by Blackbird Rook on Substack. #culture #blackbirdrook #contemporaryart

Last call - a Christmas present for someone who cares about art. Give a gift subscription to The Diary of an Art Advisor. blackbirdrook.substack.com/subscribe?gi... #contemporaryart #blackbirdrook #contemporaryart #artist #collectingart

Happy Christmas. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with this year - artists, collectors, curators, writers and institutions. A complicated year, but a generous one. Details, works, guides and writing here: blackbirdrook.com With thanks Greg #contemporaryart #artcollection #artist

Why has embarrassment become the default emotion of modern cultural life - contemporary art in an age of permanent self-audit. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #AnnaWintour #RoryStewart #Vogue #TheRestIsPolitics #ContemporaryArt #ArtCollecting #CulturalCriticism #ArtWorld #Collectors

Last call - a Christmas present for someone who cares about art. Give a gift subscription to The Diary of an Art Advisor. blackbirdrook.substack.com/subscribe?gi... #contemporaryart #blackbirdrook #contemporaryart #artist #collectingart

Parcels thrown at gates. Jobs quietly disappearing. A country mistaking the performance of success for the substance of a good life. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #futureofwork #aiandculture #britishlife #artandwork #aspiration #blackbirdrook

I’m trying to make sense of what happens when the political centre caves in - and what that does to art. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #artandpolitics #populism #brexit #culturewars #artcriticism #blackbirdrook #artcollecting #artworld #ukpolitics

Collecting Contemporary Art ebook – a record of early Blackbird Rook placements and the conversations between artist, collector and advisor that shaped them. blackbirdrook.com/store?catego... #collectingcontemporaryart #contemporaryart #artadvisor #artadvisory #artcollecting #artcollector

Outside the Studio teaches legibility, momentum, pricing without self-sabotage. It’s the unwritten curriculum every artist needs once the work leaves the room. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #artistguide #professionalpractice #contemporaryart #studiolife #emergingartist #artcareer

Collecting Contemporary Art ebook – a record of early Blackbird Rook placements and the conversations between artist, collector and advisor that shaped them. blackbirdrook.com/store?catego... #collectingcontemporaryart #contemporaryart #artadvisor #artadvisory #artcollecting #artcollector

This week’s piece looks at the uncanny - not the gothic, but the quiet wrongness threaded through contemporary life. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #artwriting #artcollector #blackbirdrook #uncanny #davidlynch #strangerthings #parasite #midsommar #artworld #collectingart

Give a gift subscription open.substack.com/pub/blackbir...

Bump in the Night - curated by Nicola Bealing for Blackbird Rook. www.artsy.net/show/blackbi... #contemparyart #bumpinthenight #contemporarypainting

Outside the Studio teaches legibility, momentum, pricing without self-sabotage. It’s the unwritten curriculum every artist needs once the work leaves the room. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #artistguide #professionalpractice #contemporaryart #studiolife #emergingartist #artcareer

Outside the Studio asks what really happens when the work leaves the studio. I’ve put near thirty years of practice into a clear, practical guide. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #professionalpractice #artcareer #contemporaryart #blackbirdrook #studiopractice

Private View tonight at 12 St George Street, Mayfair, London. 6 - 8pm #blackbirdrook #generalassembly #marilynhallam #elliemacgarry #contemporarypainting

Private view - Tuesday 18th, 6–8pm at General Assembly, 12 St George Street, Mayfair. What Remains of the Day - Marilyn Hallam and Ellie McGarry In Dialogue Email [email protected] to confirm attendance. #marilynhallam #elliemcgarry #generalassemblygallery

I’ve been thinking about how much of the art world now resembles luxury retail. Have a look and tell me if I’ve pushed it too far, or not far enough. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #artadvisory #blackbirdrook #diaryofanartadvisor #contemporaryart #artmarket #artcollecting #artcollector

What Remains of the Day is now open at General Assembly. I’m also showing artists at WCPF www.blackbirdrook.com #art #contemporaryart #painting #printmaking #artfair #wcpf #londonart #mayfair #generalassembly #blackbirdrook #artcollector #marilynhallam #newexhibition

The Collector’s Guide to Contemporary Art - Part Two If you’d like to read Part Two in full, subscribe to Blackbird Rook Substack. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #collectingart #artcollection

What Remains of the Day. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #BlackbirdRook #MarilynHallam #EllieMacGarry #InDialogue #GeneralAssembly #WoolwichContemporaryPrintFair #PatrickDaviesContemporaryArt #LiamFallon #JimCheatle #PeterLamb #JoelWerring #EdmondBrooksBeckman #JohnVirtue #GillianGarnica

I write longer pieces about what we see when we look at art — and what that says about us. Join me there: The Diary of an Art Advisor. #contemporaryart substack.com/@blackbirdro...

Interiors, Prints, and the Art of Buying Well. When collecting stops being a hobby. Read here: blackbirdrook.com/blog-contemp... #artcollecting #contemporaryart #contemporaryprintmaking #prints #artmarket #buyingart #BlackbirdRook

The Collector’s Guide to Contemporary Art - Part Two If you’d like to read Part Two in full, subscribe to Blackbird Rook Substack. open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #contemporaryart #collectingart #artcollection

The Long Life of a Painting - How to See a Century Ahead. What makes a painting last? open.substack.com/pub/blackbir... #BlackbirdRook #DiaryOfAnArtAdvisor #ArtAdvisory #ArtCollecting #ContemporaryArt #Painting #ArtMarket #ArtInvesting #ArtHistory #Caravaggio #Manet #CollectorsGuide

How the Art World Really Works A Professional Practice Course by Art Advisory Group.
artadvisorygroupltd.com/aag-course/?... #ArtWorld #ProfessionalPractice #ArtistCareer #ArtAdvisor #ArtAdvisory #ContemporaryArt #ArtEducation #ArtCourse #ArtistDevelopment #EmergingArtists #ArtCollecting #ArtMarket