In conversation with Mary Ahearn
Mary is an Art Business Analyst specialised in Gender and Tech in the Art Market.
“If you don’t like an artist that is being exhibited at a major museum or gallery, identify why, and grapple with it. Better yet, think about an artist’s work you would rather see in its place. Have your own opinion, and better yet, have an explanation for your opinion!” — Mary Ahearn
To start off, tell us a little bit about yourself! Where do you come from, and what is your academic background? Where does your interest in art come from?
I grew up in Southern California, in a city called Newport Beach. It’s an incredible place to grow up — it’s always sunny, and I spent most of my free time swimming, both in pools for competitions and in the ocean for fun. I became interested in art history when I traveled to Italy at the age of 14. I was performing in various cities around Italy with my choir, and I fell in love with the culture and the art. I remember marveling at Michelangelo’s David — it’s incredible the impression a great work of art can leave on you. The most significant pieces of art are the ones that can change the way you look at the world. Masterpieces like David serve to remind people everywhere of the beauty that we’re capable of.
Since then, learning about art has been endlessly fascinating for me. Four years later I moved across the US to start my degree at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where I double majored in Art History and Italian language. I studied at the University of Bologna for a semester and lived in Milan briefly to work for the US Consulate. Ultimately my time studying and working in Italy inspired my final dissertation on the often-forgotten female artists of the Italian Futurist movement: L’Altra metà del Futurismo: come il dialogo fra F.T. Marinetti e le donne del Futurismo ha trasformato il movimento.
What is the article/paper that you enjoyed the most writing and working on so far and why?
I really enjoyed writing my Master’s dissertation because I felt very passionately about the subject I was writing about. I received my Master’s degree in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art here in London, and I spent the summer researching my dissertation: Why Female Artists Have Less Commercial Success: Comparing Gender Inequality in Institutions and the Art Market. I identified two major areas of success for an artist: institutional success, which was defined by how frequently an artist’s work was exhibited in museums and galleries, and commercial success, which was calculated by measuring how much an artist’s work was selling for at auction. Unfortunately, I was unable to use primary gallery sales in my latter calculations, due to the scarcity of data available.
Using this methodology, I found that even the most successful female artists only have a fraction of the success of their male contemporaries. In the 2016 Artprice ranking, which measures an artist’s total auction turnover for that year, there were only 5 women in the Top 100 ranking. Even the most commercially successful female artist, Yayoi Kusama, ranked 25th and only had a third of the turnover of that of her living male contemporary, Gerhard Richter! Despite the fact that auction houses sold about twice as many works by Kusama than by Richter in 2016, her turnover was only a third of his, and her annual record prices were less than one tenth of his. Richter’s record prices were 60 times higher than his average price in 2016, and Kusama’s record was only 20 times higher than her average price. While there are many elements that factor into auction prices, such a monumental discrepancy in price based on gender cannot be ignored. Do not let anyone tell you that female artists are equal to their male counterparts in the art market — it simply isn’t true. Contemporary female artists have more success in institutions than at auction, but equal representation at museums and galleries is still a long way off.
Why do you focus on tech and gender equality?
Technology is quickly becoming a major part of every aspect of our lives — it shapes our world and defines our reality. Yet, the tech industry is notoriously dominated by men. Women have been excluded from shaping the narrative of our society for too long, and by embracing technology I think that women can play a huge role in shaping our future. Many say that women are the future; I think that technology is a necessary tool to make this a reality, especially in the arts.
Not to say that I think all women should become software developers or coders, nothing that extreme. But I do think that women in the arts should think about how technology could help them in their personal or professional lives, whether it’s finding a new solution for their business, finding female communities online, or using social media to gain more visibility for their art. Knowing how to utilize technology is pretty powerful in our society, and women in the art world shouldn’t shy away from it! Just like art, technology is a process of continual learning because there will always be a new artist or a new tech skill to discover and learn from.
What do you think we should talk more about in the art world?
Women artists, of course! Specifically, emerging women artists. Being an artist is an extremely risky profession, especially for women, who are already more likely to experience some sort of poverty in their lives. Harvard sociologist Mariko Lin Chang conducted important research on the gender wealth gap in her book, Shortchanged, identifying that while women make 78% of what men make, they only have 36% as much accumulated wealth as men. Income doesn’t give you the full picture of inequality — wealth does! It is harder for women to take the financial risk of becoming an artist, much less become a major art collector! The art world needs to realize that women artists need more support — especially financial support. I want more time, resources, energy, and money dedicated to female artists. I want more female art prizes!
What would be your best advice for a young aspiring art business analyst?
Have your own opinion about art — don’t let individuals or institutions tell you what type of art is and isn’t good. If you don’t like an artist that is being exhibited at a major museum or gallery, identify why, and grapple with it. Better yet, think about an artist’s work you would rather see in its place. Have your own opinion, and better yet, have an explanation for your opinion! I see many individuals posting pictures on social media in praise of every show and exhibition they have ever attended — this is not a reflection of the real world. The art you see should challenge you, and you should challenge it back.
For those focusing on art business specifically, I would advise immersing oneself in the art world ecosystem. Research new art businesses and startups, understand their different business models, and identify areas of improvement. The art world is much smaller than you think.
Don’t forget to check Mary’s ArtTactic Editorial and LinkedIn profile.
