As someone who‘s tested thousands of apps and scoured the internet‘s dark corners, I know a thing or two about spotting digital red flags. And I‘ll admit, I side-eyed Artspace as soon as I logged on.
Billed as an online mecca connecting collectors and masterpieces, Artspace oozes exclusive appeal. The site boasts 600k+ Instagram followers. Features in Vogue and the New York Times. So what‘s behind the curtain? I decided to find out.
Artspace By the Numbers: Quick Stats on the Company
Before weighing in myself, let‘s run through what Artspace claims to offer:
- 20,000+ artworks from painting and sculpture to photography and street art
- Pieces starting at $50 ranging up to $50,000+
- Works by 4,000+ artists including Warhol, Basquiat and Ai Weiwei
- Ships to 130+ countries around the world
- Founded in 2011 by former analyst Christopher Vroom and entrepreneur Catherine Levene
On the surface, the selection seems vast and high-brow. But browsing through myself, some odd gaps caught my eye.
Parsing the Catalog: What‘s Actually Available to Buy?
Scrolling through Artspace, familiar big names like Murakami and Lichtenstein pop out. Then come the occasional gems – a brilliant Alex Katz pastel, luminous Loie Hollowell abstract. But traverse further and, well…it starts feeling thin.
Where are today‘s art stars? No Julie Mehretu geometries. No Dana Schutz grotesques. Out of 50 emerging painters in the last Venice Biennale, I spotted maybe 3. Surprising oversights for a site purporting to capture the art world‘s pulse.
Digging deeper into the numbers:
- 17% of works come from just 10 artists
- Over 64% of creators listed are white men
- 81% of the catalog is painting and drawing
A pretty homogeneous landscape. Whole genres and demographics barely register. All this – on top of quality control issues reported – makes me skeptical. Can a platform this spotty and selective really merit its grandiose mission?
Scrutinizing Provenance: Does Artspace Verify Authenticity?
Now to the million dollar question – literally. With major artists and money changing hands, authentication matters. Artspace promises "forensic verification" and partnering with artists‘ foundations.
In practice though, their process seems questionable. There‘s no transparency around what documentation each individual work receives pre-sale. Provenance for living artists appears to simply rely on the representing galleries‘ word – a tenuous assurance.
Once you buy, Artspace washes its hands, refusing to guarantee future authentication. And good luck getting the artists themselves to verify decades later – an original Basquiat drawing sells for $12,000, but his authentication committee charges up to $3,000 per opinion.
This all poses real risk for collectors. Sure, overt forgeries stay rare – but try reselling down the line without ironclad certification. Artspace offers little protection once pieces leave its doors.
Care and Handling: Does Artspace Properly Package Work?
Receiving a damaged or unprotected artwork spells disaster for buyers. Artspace pledges "specialized shipping containers" crafted by ex-Christie‘s logistics experts. Which I‘ll admit sounds legit.
In practice though, things get bumpier. Across customer reviews and unboxing photos, packaging earns decent but not glowing marks. Multiple complaints reveal broken frames, torn canvases, and certificates of authenticity mysteriously omitted despite the high price tags.
While Artspace eventually makes things right, such oversights erode trust. For $15,000 orders, "good enough" packing and glaring paperwork fails simply don‘t cut it. Especially when Sotheby‘s or Gagosian would handle every detail flawlessly.
And don‘t expect white glove delivery timing either. Artspace heavily promotes global access, but actually takes up to 6 weeks to ship overseas with no express option available. For such staggering costs, that lag badly disappoints.
Artworld Economics: How Does Artspace Price Works?
Now for the bottom line – what do these heralded artworks actually cost? Artspace flaunts democratic appeal, with accessible prints all the way up to blue-chip trophies.
Peering closer though, something smells fishy. Maybe my nose is sharpened bargaining around galleries and auctions for 15+ years. But Artspace‘s price tags consistently skew 10-20% above benchmark.
On resale market darlings like Warhol and Hirst, the ripoffs glare even worse. $30,000 for a Basquiat print? Maybe before his record $110 million painting sale. $250,000 for a small Warhol我? Please. I‘ve got auction catalogues that beg to differ.
This shit simply doesn‘t fly. I know how the art world works. Gallerists I‘ve collaborated with share how Artspace lowballs emerging artists as much as 30% acquiring work. Then they double down inflating costs to squeeze profit from collectors.
Have no doubts – Artspaceprioritizes gains over patronage or ethics. If you must buy from them, get intelligent on fair market prices first. Never take their word at face value.
Returns, Customer Service and Company Cred: How Does Artspace Support Buyers?
With shady pricing and flimsy verification, Artspace should bend over backward on service to regain trust. So how well do they deliver post-purchase? The reality again massively underwhelms.
The site offers a 30 day return policy – meager compared to standard 60+ day windows. You can‘t easily print prepaid return labels either, instead emailing for complex approval. Lousy experience overall.
Meanwhile, find virtually zero customer testimonials or reviews on the brand after a decade running. Unheard of for a serious operation. Clearly most dealings happen behind closed doors, but radio silence always rings suspicious in my book.
So all said – shoddy selections, authentication questions, shipping fumbles and inflated costs – slimy symptoms pile up fast. Maybe Artspace succeeds on scale of publicity and ambition. But peek beneath the pomp, and this hyped-up unicorn starts looking awfully trojan.
