Loukia Richards

On the article “An extremely difficult year for Greek jewelry” Kathimerini, September 6th 2009 On the matter of the deplorable state of the Greek jewelry market, I would like to add that ignorance, as much from the state as from the retail dealers/ exhibition organizers, concerning what is jewelry and more precisely Greek jewelry, is one of the main causes. I will explain myself summarily. In the western world, jewelry is presently a thriving industry combining microsculpture with applied art, while in Greece artists of the branch are treated as tradesmen: private insurance, a VAT of 19%, and no state promotion or financial help through programs, aids, scholarships, etc. whatsoever, to mention only the practical and not the ethical/ psychological aspect of the subject. The so-called “branch expositions”- where copycats reign and get rewarded- are as depreciative and repulsive for an artist as they can be. In order for you to be able to compare, I will state some if the actions taken by the British organization for applied arts, the Crafts Coucil (Britain’s equivalent of our EOMMEX), of which I happen to be a Selected Maker in the field of jewelry. The Crafts Council possesses a data bank which brings creators in contact with the market, protects copyright since copycats are not allowed to be members, and supports the artists working in Britain with numerous actions (from scholarships, company creation funds and exposition of the highest level to marketing seminars and technique enhancement). Furthermore, the TVA in Britain is of 0% for artists for profits up to 20.000 pounds, while costs comprehend clothing, food, travels, education, and presentation. Vouchers can be obtained everywhere, and there is no need for perforation processes or numerous exhausting formalities at the tax offices, since the tax system of Britain is based on common sense. Private initiatives include tasteful and well organized exhibitions, where the selective process guarantees a very high level of quality. In Greece, the tax office cannot – for instance- find a category in which to include my artistic activities around jewelry, even though I am a member of the Arts Chamber of Greece. Britain considers art and culture a heavy industry, and often the state actions have an extroversive character. In comparison, my contact with the “Organization for the Promotion of Greek Civilization”, who issued a few years ago a proclamation searching for artists from the applied arts field to decorate the shops of Greek museums, was quite painful. I faced “technostructures”, with no information whatsoever concerning the importance, the history and the range of Greek jewelry (aesthetics, cultural, sociological, religious), who had but one concern: low prices (if possible lower than their “competitors”, meaning the shops of private museums). Payment for the work would be received a year or a year and a half later… From the individual’s side, Greek market is ruled by ignorant people concerning specific knowledge (e.g. art history, knowledge of international markets and fashion ect.) and notions of marketing needed when selling luxury items. There are some brilliant exceptions, but they are very few. Prior to the recession, one could easily and effortlessly obtain a triple gain on the wholesale price (an extremely high percentage if compared with the profit margin of the European jewelry market) without the smallest added value on the retail product. Now they are facing troubles – and just between you and me, they have no one to blame but themselves. I would rather not talk about the private “ fairs” that are organized, since they resemble more a children’s playground than an arts exhibition “off Broadway”. Governments come and go, while talking about the need for innovation in Greek economy etc. Innovation does not mean only advanced research in genetics and astronavigation. Innovation in economy can be an emphasis on arts and crafts, a field were our country has an impressive advantage with techniques and a culture of over 45 centuries. As a conclusion, I would like to mention that the Netherlands, a country extremely fond of high tech, had 7% of its 2008 GDP coming from design and applied arts.