Why Building 'Provenance' Is More Important Than Ever

Provenance helps assign the work to a known artist, and a documented history can be of use in helping to prove ownership.

Provenance...What is it & do you have it?

I really want you to hear and understand this "gorgeous" word.

I love this word! I absolutely love it. Because that’s what marketing is.

People in business want to learn how they can better their relationships and better their marketing tactics. People in business want a better return on investment and better results in their business. In other words "get better value" from their marketing.

But this whole provenance thing is powerful because again, that’s what marketing is. Not to mention difficult to achieve. Marketing is about telling a story and it’s very reflective in the art world.

Take Picasso for instance; there is no value to the paint on the canvass until you know the story and I am summing it up and sharing it with you here;

Pablo Picasso's Story

In 1895, when Pablo Picasso was thirteen, he became intrigued by the mystery of death. Picasso's sister, Conchita, died of diphtheria at 7 years old. Picasso watched her fade from the little girl she was, to what he tenderly drew, to be a ghost of herself before death took her. During his sadness, Picasso made a promise to God. He offered Him if it would save his sister, to never paint again. By making this sacrifice he felt torn between wanting God to save her and wanting her dead so that he could save his gift of art. After her passing, Picasso thought that God was an evil enemy. He felt horrible and extremely guilty but simultaneously, he was convinced that he, himself had prompted God to kill Conchita. He believed that his sister's death meant that he was to be a painter and he was supposed to follow this outcome no matter the consequences.

If there’s a story, then there’s value.

Now you can understand why Picasso was so famous, it was not the paint or canvass that made him famous, it was the story (provenance) behind the art.

Brian Baity is also an Artist by trade. His passion is carving and designing jewelry plus photography. 85 or 90 percent of his marketing is done by leveraging a relationship marketing strategy to grow his new business and provenance. Happily, the results have been nothing short of incredible!

In a quick interview with Brian Baity, I asked how he has been able to create provenance in the art world, and this was his answer:

• Telling your story and passion for what you do and;
• Adding value to others by recognizing them for their contributions and collaborations...

Remember, this is where the true value is.

How to create provenance:

Brian says: "Provenance is the story behind the artist and the work that the artist creates. I'm able to do this with a relationship marketing tool, highlighting stories of other artists and their work, which in turn creates provenance for them and me.

There are several ways to create provenance in today's digital world. And here are a few...

• Tell your story on Social Media
• At Networking meetings take a sample and tell the story of how it came about
• Follow-ups with a story and heartfelt message and possibly photos of when and how you met someone interested in what you do
• Show gratitude to those who have helped you accomplish your success because they are part of your story

Brian chooses Greeting cards. When making announcements about new pieces of art and invites to his showcases he recognizes those who have contributed to his artistic success. Also, he certainly does not forget to express his profound gratitude to all who have made contributions and those who have bought his art.

Every piece of art has a story of why and how it came about, and that is where the value lies.

Listen, folks, we are all artists within our own industries, with a great story to tell, and telling yours will be powerful for you and your brand.

I appreciate you taking time out to read this. Be sure to share this if you found value or know someone who would benefit from this information. I'm sure they would be as grateful to you as I would.

Kody B.