Professional Practice

 Art and the Law

In the next few years and when I complete my degree, I do not see myself starting up my own business. However, I would like to sell my work if the opportunity arises. Therefore, I need to be aware of the Tax regulations regarding selling and this applies to avenues such as Ebay and Etsy as well as being self employed and selling through galleries and markets. 

One of the ways I would like to progress with my career is to run workshops or community ventures with other artists. For this I need to check that I have Public Liability Insurance so that I am covered for any accidents or damage.

Following on from this, Health and Safety regulations are vital to keep up with. A risk assessment should be carried out for any venue I am working in. The Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994, means that I would need to ascertain whose responsibility it is for the upkeep of any work that is publicly displayed if I decided to accept commissions for this type of venture.

If I am going to be involved in working with children and vulnerable adults I would need a DBS check.

The 1998 Copyright, Design and Patents Act states that copyright for Art in Films is for 70 years but for recordings it is for 50years. An example of the need to be aware of this is the of 1928 Mickey Mouse Steamboat Willy animation which came out of copyright and has subsequently been used in the horror film Micky's Mouse Trap  ( 2024).

It is important also to understand what an artist can use of another persons work without breaking the copyright law. This is called Fair dealing and covers such things as private research and educational purposes.