Analysis and Study of Effective Factors in the Sale of Works by Contemporary Iranian Painters

Today, artistic activities are one of the goals of governments to achieve economic growth in the field of art, especially in developing and advanced countries. Iranian art can also make a significant contribution to the growth of the country’s economy. so that with economic growth; Jobs will be created. Therefore, the art and cultural goods industry can be of special importance in the country’s economy. Many of the goals that governments seek to achieve are increasing production, reducing the unemployment rate in society, stabilizing prices, reducing the inflation rate, etc., and also the art and cultural goods industry can be particularly important in the country’s economy. One of the bases that is effective in the field of growth and job creation in the country’s economy is the economy of art. In recent years, galleries and auctions have become more active in the field of buying and selling works of art, especially paintings, and Iranian artists have achieved great success in domestic and foreign markets regardless of the difficulties that exist. In today’s societies, the auction of works of art has become a very important thing in terms of cultural activities and introduces the works of artists to art lovers. In addition to the impact they have on the economy, auctions expand the scope of the artist’s art and knowledge and introduce people to art. Due to their uniqueness and because they are different and distinct from each other externally and internally, paintings are placed in the group of heterogeneous goods. In the supply and sale of paintings, there are many factors, such as having an aesthetic understanding of style, technique, content, dimensions, creation time, and physical and visual characteristics. In addition to being different in terms of features and appearance, these works are very different from each other in terms of theme and in terms of form, concept, color and characteristics of the painter himself. Works of art also have significant differences from other goods in terms of sales and presentation, even in terms of the type of consumer. One of the most important centers where art works are bought and sold, especially paintings, is Tehran Auction, which has been operating for about a decade. But the important point is the impact of social conditions and economic crises on the sale of paintings, which must be analyzed. With the formation of Tehran Auction in 2012, the buying and selling of art works especially paintings by contemporary Iranian artists took on a new form and these works were valued and priced with special features at different prices. Tehran Auction, as one of the most important centers that introduces classical, modern, and contemporary art works by contemporary Iranian artists to the audiences and buys and sells visual works of Iranian artists, especially paintings, has created a new perspective on valuing works of art. On the other hand, economic crises such as inflation and the rising dollar in recent years have affected the valuation, pricing, and sale of artworks. This article aims to investigate the factors affecting the sale of paintings by contemporary Iranian artists and the effect of free dollar price fluctuations on the sale of paintings in the Tehran auction. However, in this study we seek to answer the following questions: 1. What are the factors affecting the sale of works by contemporary Iranian painters? 2. How do economic conditions and crises affect the sale of contemporary Iranian paintings? In this descriptive-analytical research, data libraries are collected. The statistical population includes all artists who participated in the Tehran auction from 2016 to 2020. The sample size consists of five contemporary artists including Bahman Mohasses, Sohrab Sepehri, Muhammad Ahsaei, Aydin Aghdashloo, and Farhad Moshiri whose works (37 works in total) were sold during the mentioned period. Two factors were considered in selecting the sample size: the highest amount of sales of works in the Tehran auction and the popularity of the mentioned artists in international auctions. The results showed that the physical characteristics of the paintings have a direct effect on its evaluation and sale such as technique, dimensions, material, creation time, whether the artist is alive or not. In addition, the dollar rate and inflation have also affected the sales and pricing of works. However, the total works selling price at the Tehran auction increased in terms of Tomans (Iranian currency), but considering the inflation rate, the value of the Rial and the free dollar price at the time of each auction, the sales of each period decreased with increasing inflation and the dollar rate.