Digital BW, The Print

Tyler - I certainly won't argue with you on the cost the galleries must
face. I suppose I just think that 50% seems like quite a lot.

Many, many businesses work on percentages less than that (yes, I know I can
sell Piezography more than 10 times ;) - but also... can I just check? This
is 50% of selling price, yes? So in other words, 100% of artist's price.
That is where I think there is the kick in the pants!

To this extent in particular, I feel the web-gallery and the framing shop
and the pub and (anywhere else we might look to get our work hung as
'advertising'?) are valuable entry-points to the market, to get some money
into the system without having necessarily high costs.

There is only one question after that... does such an approach limit your
future possibilities into the art market? In other words, as a 'print
artist' - should I skip the framing shop and be trying to blag my way into
the National Portrait Gallery (in London) or something like that???

Best regards,
Nij


> From: Tyler Boley [mailto:tyler@...]
>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Nij" <nigel@m...> wrote:
> > Yes. This is all new to me too. But, it does seem like they
> (the galleries
> > and dealers) perform a valid service for a percentage. It just
> _sounds_ a
> > little steep to me to be charging 50% + money for snacks and drinks :)
>
> Rent on a commercial retail space, business insurance, licenses
> and taxes, utilities, employees and their benifits, business
> machines and supplies, advertizing... on and on. Some bigger
> artists insist on some percentage of the show being
> purchased outright up front, rather than being on commission.
> After all that hopefully enough left over to make a living on,
> all out of a few red dots on the wall. Sorry, had to say it, I realize
> many of these people are less than stellar.
> But it's not an easy way to make a living, maybe for the few at the top.
> Tyler