#artist-independence

#artist-independence

In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter on Tuesday (20 January), 33-year-old "Broken" singer Kim Petras stated that she had officially asked to be dropped by her record label Republic Records, a brand owned by Universal Music. "I'm tired of having no control over my own life or career. I want to continue to self fund and self curate my own music. This is why I have formally requested to be dropped by @RepublicRecords," Petras wrote.

Before art dealers entered the scene in the 19th century, artists would mostly sell their work to patrons without the aid of a middleman. Michelangelo spoke to his small but powerful group of patrons directly, while Rembrandt organised his own commissions and sold his art from a "shop" next to his studio. Today, as the art market's power dynamics continue to evolve, an increasing number of artists are once again taking a more independent approach to the making, marketing and selling of their art.