Any custom, practice, or usage of the trade notwithstanding:
(1) Whenever an artist delivers or causes to be delivered a work of fine art of the artist's own creation to an art dealer in this State for the purpose of sale, exhibition, or both, on a commission, the delivery to and acceptance of the work of fine art by the art dealer is deemed to place the work of fine art on consignment, unless the delivery is pursuant to an outright sale for which the artist receives or has received full compensation for the work of fine art upon delivery.(2) Such art dealer shall thereafter, with respect to the work of fine art, be deemed the agent of the artist.(3) Such work of fine art is trust property and the art dealer is trustee for the benefit of the artist until the work of fine art is sold to a bona fide purchaser or returned to the artist.(4) The proceeds of the sale of a work of fine art are trust property and the art dealer is trustee for the benefit of the artist until the amount due the artist from the sale is paid in full. Except for customer deposits, these trust funds shall be paid to the artist within 30 days of receipt by the art dealer unless the parties expressly agree otherwise in writing. If the sale of the work of fine art is on installment, the funds from the installment shall first be applied to pay any balance due to the artist on the sale, unless the parties expressly agree in writing that the proceeds on each installment shall be paid according to a percentage established by the consignment agreement. Customer deposits shall be used to pay the amounts due the artist within 30 days after such deposits become part of the payment for the work. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection (4) must be clear and conspicuous.(5) The art dealer shall be strictly liable for the loss of or damage to the work of fine art while it is in the art dealer's possession. The value of the work of fine art is, for purposes of this subsection, the value established in a written agreement between the artist and art dealer prior to the loss or damage or, if no written agreement regarding the value of the work of fine art exists, the fair market value of the work of fine art. Any reimbursement due the artist from the dealer as a result of the loss of or damage to a work of fine art shall not exceed the amount which would have been due to the artist if the work had been sold at the stated purchase price in the agreement.(6) The art dealer shall not be held liable for loss or damage to the work of fine art if the artist fails to remove the work of fine art within a period of 30 days following the date agreed upon for removal of the work of fine art in a written contract between the artist and art dealer or, if no written agreement regarding a removal date exists, 30 days after notice to remove the work of fine art is sent by registered mail to the artist's last known address.