Article translated by Amritee Mahabir

Many of the most famous international artists count on the work of numerous collaborators who carry out the most diverse tasks from arranging research to actually participating in the creation of the artwork. An emblematic example of this situation is that of Warhol and his assistant Ronnie Cutrone, now an artist in his own right, who has constantly supported the work of the great artist. And according to Cutrone’s revelations, in the master’s experiments, ideas were often born thanks to the collaboration of his helper. It is always been known that the best way to accept any profession is by joining an expert; some of the assistants manage to achieve a personal acclaim in turn, others must be happy with remaining in the shadows. There is the undoubtable advantage of being able to take part in the creation of the artwork, but the disadvantages should also be considered. Whoever has the ambition to develop their own career as an artist could in fact remain too anchored by the master’s work and struggle to leave his shadow.

Assisting an accomplished artist however remains one of the favourite ways of accessing the art world, even if nowadays many young talents avoid this phase. They look to access the market right from the moment of study, given that collectors and talent scouts get involved in scholastic spheres too to find new interests. Those that manage to get themselves noticed can aspire to work independently at the end of their studies and they themselves can have their own assistants. One example could be Dan Colen who at the age of 28 entered the international art scene, and sticking to his agent’s declarations, his abstract works which Colen himself defines as “bird shit” come to be acquired for about 50,000 dollars a piece. According to one of his collaborators at his New York studio, the artist would have made the first two examples to then delegate to his assistants the development of the others with the responsibility of introducing their own personal style.

Even for Jeff Koons his own assistant’s collaboration is vital. Often six people arrive to work on the same piece. In this case however, the assistants must be able to perfectly interpret the artists’ ways, in which he becomes a sort of quality controller. Murakami actually had two studios, one in Asaka (Japan) and one in New York. In the Japanese workshop, he designs projects for works that are executed in the United States.

It is intriguing to establish the different ways in which the market treats works executed in teams at different times. The price of an Old Master valued for millions could incredibly fall if it was discovered that it was executed by someone else, a case that is not impossible to verify. Rembrandt for example, could count on a workshop able to crank out perfect imitations of masterpieces in record time. But the critics can spot an artists’ work and the imitations just the same in a relatively simple way.

In the field of contemporary art, certain authentications were not imposed for the work of Hirst, Koons or Takashi Murakami, which were definitely not realised alone. Just like in the productions of Sol LeWitt different people’s efforts were needed but no one would ever say that the work is not entirely his own. According to some, the reason for which contemporary art is less affected by physical bonds between the artist and work could date back to Duchamp’s ready-mades and the idea of liberating the artist from labour. The Duchampian idea of mechanical reproduction reached its full realisation in the 60s when artists like Warhol and Rauschenberg began to create works availing themselves of assistants. It was creation stamped by the individual act of spreading colour on a canvass and concentrating on the image. Thanks to the introduction of mechanical reproduction the artistic product was expanded; the studio system made it possible. How can one therefore interpret the act of creation when it is not only the artist taking part in it? Or when the artist marginally participates? That which the artist definitely does do is to give an identity to the work, imprinting their personality on it even when the finished material wasn’t down to them.