(from personal experience)
Today the Soviet era, the work bought mine. culture with large exhibitions.
They sold more through the thin salon or through hudfond. (I'm not sold, and the lack of exhibitions)
In all cases, the buyer is guaranteed that the work of professional (work everywhere there was an exhibition in hud.salon also)
Must be said, were more professional than the work, so more of them than buy-it concerns exhibitions. There were of course, and friends who have become admirers and took a lot. The author's participation in exhibitions on them was of great importance. It was built a system in which artists engaged in creative activities, and sales were held with the participation of professionals from the art. (To a greater or lesser extent)
I talk with many artists, what they now do, would not have gone for a single exhibition or paint the image and likeness sold. They make for sale, needful. Therefore, the questions raised above gives rise to the current situation. Among contemporary artists, is becoming less artists.?
Added after 16 minutes
I suggest to read carefully.
http://forum.artinvestment.ru/showth...965#post178965
..... At the same time and artistic value, and commodity cost (price) works of art are directly dependent on the organization of "circular causation" - ie, the system of production and consumption of symbolic goods.
Thus, the market of art - not only for producers - the seller - the consumer. In the market economy is still set mandatory mediating links outside of direct commercial arrangements. And each of these links refers to the necessary presence of certain basic assumptions, without which the art market of contemporary art can not exist.
.... : Art Market is based on the willingness of society to clearly differentiate between: on the one hand, various modes of symbolic consumption in the system of art, embodied aesthetic structures and financial confirmation, on the other - parallel to the forms of commercial manipulation of the art, okolohudozhestvennoy or souvenir products to the public market of goods.