Digital BW, The Print

Julian Thomas wrote:

> The dealer thing is tricky - dealers/ galleries can only take on a limited
> number of photographers. So there are always people - like me - spending a
> small fortune on portfolios, building up images. It would be really nice to
> be able to increase sales without relying on the whim of a third party.
> Maybe cooperatives, web sites, are a way forward?? BTW I'm crap at the
> commerce side, I have no interest in it. It feels like I've spent the last 2
> months doing nothing else.

In my limited experience, it seems that commercial success in an art career has as much to do with luck, as
anything else.  When I posted those 5 keys to success (in order of importance) 1, 2, and 3 were: who you know,
who knows you, and your ability to get along with people.  These hold true in this instance as well.

The way I found my dealer was a combination of those.  A friend got me at a show in a bookstore in San
Francisco, California ( I live in New York), another friend (in Miami, Florida) had a friend (in San
Francisco) who collected photography come to the opening.  That guy, brought a friend of his to the opening,
who was a dealer, and *he* asked to carry my work.  All, sort of, by chance.

That said, if had continued doing that type of work (they were nudes) I'd probably be doing better in the art
world today, but my situation changed, and I sort of got bored with them.  Another impediment to my success
was that I sort of missed the wave (fashion) of the late 80's when nudes were *the* thing.

Remember the collector friend who brought the dealer with him?  Well, he never purchased any of my work
(although he *had* collected nudes up until then.....early 1991) because.....are you ready for this...He
changed his collection subject matter to grain elevators and water towers.  Go figure.

So I don't have any advice expect to say that you should put most of your energies to making art (and loving
what you are doing), and talking to anyone who is interested in your work, and following up any leads that
these people might give you.  It has not been my experience that competitions, grants, contests, 'membership'
galleries, or websites he help, at all....but, you never know.

Nij 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 :)

<snip>
As in any business, there are hidden costs and expenses that are not comprehended by outsiders, but having a
gallery *is* a business, with expenses.

Nij wrote:

> <snip>
>
> 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? <snip>

I don't think what we (the generic 'us') do/did earlier in life would hurt a career.  In fact, a little dirt
<vgb> in our past might just help the bio of the 'former starving artist'.....Like Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Harvey Ferdschneider
partner, SKID Photography, NYC


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