Cortina Butler, from the Estate of Reg Butler, talks to DACS about the challenges of managing an artists’ estate and how ARR supports their activities.
"If you don't reward artists for the work that they do, you won't get it"
Reg Butler was one of the best known sculptors during the 1950s and 1960s. His work largely centred on lifelike models of female figures, and as well as winning the 'Unknown Political Prisoner' art competition in 1953, Reg taught at the Slade School of Art.
Here, Reg’s daughter, Cortina Butler talks to DACS about the challenges facing the estate, from maintaining the archive to authenticating works. Cortina explains how ARR helps to financially support the estates activities and preserve Reg Butler’s legacy.
"Artists rely a great degree on that money. For many artists, it is a huge factor in their income, even small amounts can make a huge amount of difference. But if you don't reward artists for the work… they won't be able to make it. What ARR does is enable artists and estates to maintain their work and the records about their work and the country's cultural heritage in a sustainable way.
By creating what is a relatively small royalty system, you are creating support for what is the heritage that everybody benefits from and is important to our sense of who we are as country.”
ARR is critical to the UK’s creative economy
ARR entitles artists and their estates to a modest royalty whenever their work is resold by an auction house, dealer or gallery for €1,000 or more.
ARR is critical to the UK’s creative economy, enabling artists to create new work and supporting estates in managing the artist's legacy. Since the right was introduced in the UK in 2006, over 4,700 artists and artists' estates have benefited from over £65 million in ARR royalties via DACS.
Why the Artist’s Resale Right matters
This film is part of a series of interviews with artists and estates about Why Artist’s Resale Right matters.
Watch other films in the series here:
Gordon Cheung, artist
Jenny Hand, Director of Munnings Museum, the Estate of Alfred Munnings
#ArtistFutures
Find out more:
Read about DACS' ongoing ARR campaign
Join DACS: Learn more about our services for artists and artist estates
Find out more about Reg Butler
Videos filmed and edited by Sonny Vadgama for DACS © All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2018.