To all readers, new and regular alike… Hi! Nice of you to join me as we discuss about the latest episode of Arte the arty Artisan. This time around, our ever-cheerful protagonist sharpens the kind of skills every artist, no matter how good, must develop in order to ensure their survival: marketing!
This week, we learn that Leo-san keeps a fast every Friday which makes Arte crave for that juicy steak even more. But she stays strong against her gluttonous desires and diligently goes about carrying out her errands. As she is returning back to Leo-san’s place, she catches a glimpse of a man heading out after having a heated argument with her teacher. Leo-san tells her that that man, Mr. Umbertino, comes around every so often to order paintings with very precise specifications but the money he pays for these orders doesn’t leave room for them to make any profits after all expenses are accounted for. Leo-san intends to negotiate with him regarding this but Arte offers to do it instead. After giving it some thought, Leo-san agrees to her proposal.
Arte goes over to Umbertino-san’s place and is surprised to see the sheer number of paintings which decorate the walls of the visitor’s room. The owner of the house soon arrives and shuts down any attempt at negotiations made by Arte. Dejected, she returns back to Leo-san but asks for another chance to get Umbertino-san to listen to her. This time around, she decides to go fully prepared for battle. And in order to get adequate training, she seeks the help of the one person who knows about sweet-talking men into loosening their wallets more than anyone else: Courtesan-san! Victoria is delighted to see that Arte has come to pay her a visit and is more than happy to help. She tells Arte that it’s admirable that she wants to earn a living solely off her art but also makes her realize that an artist is still in a way part of a system where they create a product and the consumer pays money to buy it. The more excited a consumer is about this product, the more money the artist gains to make. And for that, they need to be able to sell this product better. So, the one thing that’s of vital importance is presentation.
After being thoroughly prepped up by Victoria, Arte goes over to Umbertino-san’s place again, this time all dressed up and carrying a lovely smile on her face. She makes the argument that even if the money they have been provided for will be sufficient to buy raw materials, it will by no means cover the cost of labor. She presents the added USP of her being a noble and having sketched intricate embroidery patters all her life, which was the kid of expertise Umbertino-san could not get at any other art establishment in the city. This time, he agrees to Arte demands but he tells her that for him these paintings are nothing but a business and he doesn’t understand art and neither is moved by it. And I feel that this notion is something that’s not exclusive to the field of art and paintings. In fact, artists in all fields have always struggled in making organizations that pay for their product realize the value of what they are creating. Be it Disney buying the rights to Star Wars and wringing it through the dirt with the latest trilogy of movies or the many manga and books which never get the funding or needed advertisements as much as the same mainstream crap that we’ve been seeing for ages now. It’s a sad reality where making money has always been prioritized over creating something with genuine ambition. And for now, Arte has no choice but to become a part of this system if she is to make a living as an artist.
After winning over Umbertino-san and negotiating an agreeable amount for the painting, Arte heads back to Leo-san and the two proceed to work on the painting. Umbertino-san is happy with the desired result but he still reprimands Leo-san for the wearing shabby clothes and not eating properly in order to save money for equipment. Leo-san doesn’t say anything to him but later tells Arte how Umbertino-san doesn’t care of himself properly and is very stringent in spending his money for anything other than his business. Arte realizes that these two men are very much alike but they are too proud to let the other know that they worry about them so all they do is bicker and fight and that’s their way of telling each other that they care. And maybe, there’s a sense of comfort to be found in that.
With that said, I call a wrap on this week’s coverage. Join me next week to see what else lies ahead for Arte on her journey. As always, thank you for reading!
