In the modern art industry, talent can only take you so far in the modern art world. Artists need to be professional, trustworthy and protect their artwork in order to build long-term relationships with collectors who will purchase your work. The best tool for achieving this is the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
A COA is an official document that confirms that an artwork is original and created by an artist. COAs fulfill this purpose for painters, sculptors, photographers and digital artists by providing evidence of the integrity of their work and providing an incentive for collectors to buy their work.
A Certificate of Authenticity Builds Trust and Protects Artists
A COA helps to create a relationship based on trust between the collector and the artist, in that it gives the collector peace of mind knowing they have purchased an original piece of artwork. It gives the collector facts about the artist, title of the work, type of media, size of the work, date the work was created, and the artist signed the certificate.
For the artist, the COA protects them from being copied or have their work duplicated. It serves as validation of the Author of the Artwork and provides proof of uniqueness to the original creator of the Artwork. As the artist’s work grows in popularity, the risk of others copying will increase; therefore having a COA is a means of legal and professional protection for the artist.
A COA further enhances an artist’s professional image. Galleries, curators, and art dealers generally prefer to work with artists who have provided proper documentation. Providing a COA will indicate that the artist understands used within the Art community and will cause the artist to be viewed as taking his/her career, it could lead to opportunities for Exhibiting, Collaborative efforts, and Higher Dollar Sales.
A certificate of authenticity provides an additional benefit to the value of an artwork. When there is verified documentation for an artwork piece, its value is likely to increase as time passes. When a buyer sells an artwork, having a COA makes it easier and more reliable for a buyer to locate an art piece with verified authenticity.
A certificate of authenticity gives trust between buyers and sellers when purchasing art online. Many buyers are uncertain of fraud when making these purchases. A signed certificate of authenticity will give buyers assurance that the artwork is authentic and is a tool that will likely increase the number of buyers who complete an online purchase.
Images can be so easily copied and shared in today’s digital environment, there can also be significant difficulties for collectors to know if they are buying an original piece of art versus a print or a digital copy. A certificate of authenticity helps distinguish between an original piece of artwork and protects an artist’s creative assets.
A COA also helps artists maintain accurate records of their work. It supports proper cataloging, tracking sales history, and managing editions. This becomes extremely useful as an artist’s portfolio grows and their work reaches international markets.
Ultimately, certificates of authenticity can be much more than just a piece of paper. They represent an immensely strong asset for artists in their ability to create trust around their work, provide assurance of originality, and increase future value. All professional and up-and-coming artists must include a certificate of authenticity.
