Thank you for your reply to my questions which comprehensively clarified the situation. I don’t think I’ll be applying to any galleries anytime soon, I’m not in those leagues...yet!
Thank you also for featuring one of my paintings.
Your points about pricing paintings are interesting and I wonder if I could have your ideas sometime on how to price paintings... it’s always been a confusion for me - where would one should start? Since changing my style to more abstract I’ve calculated it roughly on a linear basis.
Hi Hazel, Thanks for writing. There is actually a long article scheduled for release on Jan 24 on the topic of pricing art. I am trying to spread things out to avoid overwhelming everybody with too many posts too frequently. I guess I am posting at least one a day at this point. Is it too much?
Once you read that let me know what other questions that inspires. There is a massive amount of stuff buried in my head but I don't ever think about it until somebody asks a question. Then, when that question prys open the door to my answers to the question. It is amazing really. So keep asking and commenting.
You are welcome on featuring your painting, I was hoping you wouldn't mind. If someone has the interest to interact with me I would like to honor them like that and point other subscribers to their work. I think it helps build community and all of us isolated artists could use some community as long as it doesn't cut into our studio time. haha
I thought about your concise and illuminating essay this morning. I've been a committed artist for 3 decades, so know a bit about the gallery world- but never had it presented to be with so much emphasis on the galleries's financial and practical reality. It feels like I've been banging my head against a wall doing research, sending out e mails, & promoting myself. Once I really thought it through , I could see that given my out put ( takes me a good 6 weeks to create a sculpture ); the fact that I'm not in this for the money & that I am not a painter; I would be doing myself a favor if I continue on a path that is less ego-bashing and frustrating.
That being said- I will take you up on your brilliant idea of sending out Press Releases , it's a great way to just shake the leg of a given gallery , without wanting them to look at my site. For now, I'll continue to scout out mid - level galleries that are interested in unique sculptures, assemblages and works on paper and garner my occasional sales locally and online.
Thanks you for generously sharing your gallery experiences. I feel a bit more freed up now, and am not questioning the validity of my work because of the resounding silence from the galleries anymore. Best, Amelia
And by the way, you should go up on your prices every year 10%. Let's say in January then send out an announcement a month before (first of December or even mid November) announcing the last chance to get work before they go up in price. You could include you gallery list in that announcement. Might spur a few sales. (instead of a discount).
Also, when you send out the gallery press releases you could have a note that you would be happy to participate in any group exhibitions they might have coming up and to put you on their mailing list.
Thanks for responding, Yes, do not question the validity your own path. Maybe you'll hook up with more dealers that love and can place your work or maybe you won't but it has nothing to do with how good or relevant your work is or with anything to do with you personally. All of the dealers are overwhelmingly busy and get inundated with artist inquiries and just give up on answering back. The only thing you can do is make dealers aware of the opportunity to work with the single most important collector and preeminent expert authority on Amelia Currier, YOU! Their loss if they don't take you up on it. Meanwhile you have the hoard, your just offering to share. Thinking like that, no reason to be resentful about it. You can just pity the fools instead. haha.
I'm not an artist, but I found this very interesting. I've met a few well-established artists from the UK over the years and sometimes wondered what their business model was like. So I was fascinated to read this piece in the London Review of Books about the German artist Gerhard Richter which gave me insights into the international art world: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n16/malcolm-bull/squeegee-abstracts. There's a paywall, but I think they allow one or two free articles per month.
I am curious to know what relationship you are drawing between the Gerhard Richter article and what I wrote. Yeah those guys are at the top of the food chain. I am down in the middle some place in terms of attention and money - not in the major leagues. You know, like the film industry, made up of hundreds of thousands of film people doing their daily thing that they love but all everybody talks about are the A-List stars leaving the rest of the industry to quietly go about its business in obscurity. The top of the art market seems confused to me in terms of values but at the same time that is where all of the attention is. Which leaves the rest of the artworld below mostly in peaceful freedom to do what we please as long as we are pleased with that. It is a weird dichotomy when you think about it. Richter and all of those guys are the sacrificial lambs on the institutional altar of capitalist debauchery. The problem is, a lot of younger artists confuse that with being something they should follow, emulate or pay attention to when it means almost nothing outside the rarified air of the high priests of the art temples and auction houses. I think it is pretty funny and amusing but I would rather paint.
Indeed! (Referring to your last sentence)
Looking forward to that article on pricing!
Good morning Cecil
Thank you for your reply to my questions which comprehensively clarified the situation. I don’t think I’ll be applying to any galleries anytime soon, I’m not in those leagues...yet!
Thank you also for featuring one of my paintings.
Your points about pricing paintings are interesting and I wonder if I could have your ideas sometime on how to price paintings... it’s always been a confusion for me - where would one should start? Since changing my style to more abstract I’ve calculated it roughly on a linear basis.
Hi Hazel, Thanks for writing. There is actually a long article scheduled for release on Jan 24 on the topic of pricing art. I am trying to spread things out to avoid overwhelming everybody with too many posts too frequently. I guess I am posting at least one a day at this point. Is it too much?
Once you read that let me know what other questions that inspires. There is a massive amount of stuff buried in my head but I don't ever think about it until somebody asks a question. Then, when that question prys open the door to my answers to the question. It is amazing really. So keep asking and commenting.
You are welcome on featuring your painting, I was hoping you wouldn't mind. If someone has the interest to interact with me I would like to honor them like that and point other subscribers to their work. I think it helps build community and all of us isolated artists could use some community as long as it doesn't cut into our studio time. haha
Cecil,
I thought about your concise and illuminating essay this morning. I've been a committed artist for 3 decades, so know a bit about the gallery world- but never had it presented to be with so much emphasis on the galleries's financial and practical reality. It feels like I've been banging my head against a wall doing research, sending out e mails, & promoting myself. Once I really thought it through , I could see that given my out put ( takes me a good 6 weeks to create a sculpture ); the fact that I'm not in this for the money & that I am not a painter; I would be doing myself a favor if I continue on a path that is less ego-bashing and frustrating.
That being said- I will take you up on your brilliant idea of sending out Press Releases , it's a great way to just shake the leg of a given gallery , without wanting them to look at my site. For now, I'll continue to scout out mid - level galleries that are interested in unique sculptures, assemblages and works on paper and garner my occasional sales locally and online.
Thanks you for generously sharing your gallery experiences. I feel a bit more freed up now, and am not questioning the validity of my work because of the resounding silence from the galleries anymore. Best, Amelia
I always say, "If your work isn't selling it might as well not sell for a lot of money." haha
And by the way, you should go up on your prices every year 10%. Let's say in January then send out an announcement a month before (first of December or even mid November) announcing the last chance to get work before they go up in price. You could include you gallery list in that announcement. Might spur a few sales. (instead of a discount).
Also, when you send out the gallery press releases you could have a note that you would be happy to participate in any group exhibitions they might have coming up and to put you on their mailing list.
Thanks for responding, Yes, do not question the validity your own path. Maybe you'll hook up with more dealers that love and can place your work or maybe you won't but it has nothing to do with how good or relevant your work is or with anything to do with you personally. All of the dealers are overwhelmingly busy and get inundated with artist inquiries and just give up on answering back. The only thing you can do is make dealers aware of the opportunity to work with the single most important collector and preeminent expert authority on Amelia Currier, YOU! Their loss if they don't take you up on it. Meanwhile you have the hoard, your just offering to share. Thinking like that, no reason to be resentful about it. You can just pity the fools instead. haha.
I'm not an artist, but I found this very interesting. I've met a few well-established artists from the UK over the years and sometimes wondered what their business model was like. So I was fascinated to read this piece in the London Review of Books about the German artist Gerhard Richter which gave me insights into the international art world: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n16/malcolm-bull/squeegee-abstracts. There's a paywall, but I think they allow one or two free articles per month.
Thanks for writing Jeffrey,
I am curious to know what relationship you are drawing between the Gerhard Richter article and what I wrote. Yeah those guys are at the top of the food chain. I am down in the middle some place in terms of attention and money - not in the major leagues. You know, like the film industry, made up of hundreds of thousands of film people doing their daily thing that they love but all everybody talks about are the A-List stars leaving the rest of the industry to quietly go about its business in obscurity. The top of the art market seems confused to me in terms of values but at the same time that is where all of the attention is. Which leaves the rest of the artworld below mostly in peaceful freedom to do what we please as long as we are pleased with that. It is a weird dichotomy when you think about it. Richter and all of those guys are the sacrificial lambs on the institutional altar of capitalist debauchery. The problem is, a lot of younger artists confuse that with being something they should follow, emulate or pay attention to when it means almost nothing outside the rarified air of the high priests of the art temples and auction houses. I think it is pretty funny and amusing but I would rather paint.