BARTER PLAN FOR ARTISTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26117, 20 May 1950, Page 3

BARTER PLAN FOR ARTISTS

SUCCESS OF DANISH SYSTEM A PAINTING EXCHANGED FOR COAL [By CHARLES CROOT, a Reuter’s Correspondent] COPn.NrixkGEN. May 14. “Art for gooas” is Denmark’s solution to the problem of needy Danish artists. All the artist has to do is telephone Mrs Clara Oest. Director u f the “Art for Goods” Association, and tell her of his needs. If he is short, tor example, of coal, she rings up a coal merchant who collects pictures —as most people do in this art-living country—and sends the artist and his picture ro£md. If the merchant likes the picture the artist gets his coal. The “Art for Goods” Association has its exhibition rooms in the best part of Copenhagen. It’was founded 25 years ago and disposes mainly by barter of pictures and sculptures for 250 artists, who must have exhibited for at least five years in recognised Danish art galleries before they can become members. The story of Mis Oest and her organisation is told in the latest issue ot the Danish Foreign Office Journal. Once a picture finds a home, the journal says, their owners start going to exhibitions, thus, men and women from all trades and professions become aware of art. Many become “fans” of particular artists. Professional men gladly exchange their services for a work of art. On? example of this was an artist who prorriised a new picture to the doctor who was to deliver his new baby. Afterwards, the doctor protested: “I should have two paintings. I delivered twins.”

In one recent month, pictures were exchanged for dresses, canned goods, laundry work, shampoos or “perms.”, windows, upholstery, plywood, a silver fox fur, house painting, cleaning and dyeing, bricklaying, handbags lessons in riding, lesson in languages, boarding school, tailoring, legal advice, electric work, a fur coat, dental attention, bread and cake, teeth, plants, landscape gardening photographs. massage, paints, books, tiles, a perambulator, a motor trip to Stockholm, picture frames, printing, and a confinement. The captain of a Danish schooner gathered a particularly fine collection by offering holiday trips in return. Pictures and sculptures can also be paid for in cash. The artist always put his price in terms of money, the average price being fairly highPictures acquired by barter are rarely sold again. The case is reported of a tailor who W was forced to self some of his possessions because of financial difficulties. Before he would sell his pictures he asked permission from the artist. During the war. when there were few wares and much money, »cash sales were more plentiful. Now that the opposite has become the case, most of the trade is in goods or services. The fee charged the artist by the association is 15 per cent, if the sale is for cash, 10 per cent, if it is for goods or services. Mrs Oest is glad that “goods” sales are now on the increase. In this way, she says, artists and workers, suppliers and professional men learn to know each other. “I can only remember one complaint." she said. “Artists may be slow sometimes, but they live up to their bargains. They are good people and the people who want art in their homes, they are good too.”