Museums and galleries are a Western invention and largely began as a way for rich private collectors to showcase their acquisitions. These institutions have had a long standing relationship with collectors. They have their own collections that they have gained through donations and their own purchases but they still very much rely on private collectors loaning their pieces for show.
In the art world large collectors now have the influence to make-or-break the name of an artist and dictate this through their buying power. Charles Saatchi is a prime example of this. The annual Art Review Power 100 list is a good indication of the rapidly changing power and influence in the art market. In recent years the websites Flickr and Google have made an appearance on the list. The internet has given a platform for hobbyist collectors (and artists) to share their passion with a wider audience than they ever could have reached in that past. The number of hits and tags an artist, curator or even a dealer gets can legitimise them in the same way it can anyone else. What this means is that art and collections are being interacted with in a new way, collectors have a new outlet to cleanse their psychological wounds and find validation through visitor feedback.
In the art world large collectors now have the influence to make-or-break the name of an artist and dictate this through their buying power. Charles Saatchi is a prime example of this. The annual Art Review Power 100 list is a good indication of the rapidly changing power and influence in the art market. In recent years the websites Flickr and Google have made an appearance on the list. The internet has given a platform for hobbyist collectors (and artists) to share their passion with a wider audience than they ever could have reached in that past. The number of hits and tags an artist, curator or even a dealer gets can legitimise them in the same way it can anyone else. What this means is that art and collections are being interacted with in a new way, collectors have a new outlet to cleanse their psychological wounds and find validation through visitor feedback.
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