David Hines says art sales can distort artists’ work

David Hines said he does not sell his artwork to support himself financially because relying on studio sales can change the direction of an artist’s work.

“I do not sell my artwork to sustain my life financially,” Hines said in written responses to Urgent Matter’s artist questionnaire. “Doing so can have a lot of impact on the direction of an artist’s work and fragment unpredictably all through one’s life.”

Hines, who said he supports himself through work in the jewelry industry, described a practice built at a distance from the art market. He pointed to artist contracts, resale limits and institutional finance as forces artists must understand if they want to keep control of their work.

“The lenses of Art and Money are extremely important to understand, as difficult as they are to change,” Hines said. “Understanding the scope of how financial enmeshment can be dangerous for living life, as well for making art, is not for everyone.”

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