The artist and the brand

This paper is going to analyse the connections between the visual art, the image of consumption and the branding of these art pieces to beter understand the strategic significance of these practices.

To study these connections they use several successful artists. Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger and Cindy Sherman are the Three artists used in this studie.

Andy Warhol:
Warhol is a Stunning example of an artist that serves as a brand. He has many contributions to branding and still 20 years after his death he remains a huge brand.

Barbara Kruger:
Kruger is a contemporary artist who focuses on the production and consumption of images. She is probably best known for her photomontage "I shop therefore I am". Her images have a critical interaction between consumption and indentity.

Cindy Sherman:
Sherman like kruger criticizes consumption and branding. Sherman utilizes the tools of branding, but her pictures show the dark side of branding and also she makes us more aware of the power the images have to construct or deconstruct our lives.

Marketing, branding and the consumer culture is often criticized by the artists. However research points out that they willingly or unwillingly make use of it to sell their products. They often are beter at branding their products then actual brand managers. These could still learn a lot from the artists.

Raphael Truyens