March 2012

Dear pictures... the cost of looking

It would seem that 2012 is the year for this editor to be angry at some aspects of the art world!

Last month we complained at the exorbitant cost of exhibition catalogues that are not pitched at the art loving public but at a few academics. Do send us your views about that. We think most visitors would welcome a simpler, slimmer, less costly souvenir of their visit.

Yet this is not the only problem. We are angry at the charges that some museums make for the use of their images. This is a big problem for most of those who want to publish books about art and arguments and controversy rage on this topic continuously.

Cassone reviews many art books and catalogues and usually we are given images available for press use to illustrate each review. This month, however, a large national museum wanted to charge us for an image to illustrate a review of one of their books. We have never ever been...

Read more