How weird artists can get about marketing their art.
Artists have a lot of emotional load around marketing their art.
This is possibly one of the reasons, that some artists are not very successful at their attempts at selling their art.
I once had a pleasant conversation with an artist, who started sweating heavily, and became very agitated, when I spoke about ideas of selling and marketing art.
He looked like he was going to have a heart attack, and it was the simple fact that we talked about marketing art, that got him so worked out.
Yesterday, when I made some suggestions to a budding artist, about how to present a theme of work to a gallery, he too, became visibly agitated, got up and walked around, kept interrupting my sentences, not really allowing me to complete my thoughts, until I finally dropped the subject.
If I had an opportunity to pick the brain of a successful artist in close quarters, ( a marketing genius like Damien Hirst) I will bombard him with questions and listen to his every word.
If he’ll allow me, I would tape the conversation and listen to it a hundred times in my studio later, with the intention of not missing a word, or picking up on ideas I may not have picked up on yet.
So I am wondering: “What is it that makes a budding artist, or one who is not able to market yet their art in a successful way, not even want to listen to one who can offer them good, solid advice?”
I think that it stems from a paralysis of conflicting forces.
On one hand the artist recognizes that there is nothing more wonderful in the world, than to be able to paint / work in the studio all day, and to make a good living from it.
It is such a wonderful notion, such a dream come true, such a celebration, that it is almost too good to be true.
The flip side of this dream, is that the artist, does not really BELIEVE that it can happen. That life can be so good.
“That making a living”, can truly be a joy and an extension of his/ her natural talents and tendencies, and not a struggle.
And this contrasting “Push and Pull”, are the exact reason that artists stay stuck... stay at the same place.
When I started my career, I bought EVERY book about marketing art, understanding money, and every book that included ANY advice from ANY successful artist that I could find.
I drank them like a thirsty man in the desert.
I read biographies, and every newspaper article that talked about new trends in marketing art.
But I did MORE than this.
I also asked and went to lectures and gatherings, and spoke with as many artists as were willing to talk to me.
I remember now one particular event that was wonderful for my education.
It was a gathering of about five MAJOR gallery owners , two major contemporary MUSEUM art curators, and a major art collector with a large private collection.
The event took place at an art cooperative space on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.
It was open to practicing artists who wanted to ask questions and to listen to advice from these major industry giants.
It was one of the most illuminating conversations about art marketing I have ever attended.
The difference of opinions were heart warming.
They were definitely NOT in agreement about how an artist should approach a gallery.
One gallery owner, said with confidence that he would NEVER pick an artist from a “brown envelope” ( an artist who send unsolicited slides, resume, biography and photos of her art), while a major gallery owner who is much more successful than he was, with galleries in NYC, London and Miami, said that she definitely will, and that in fact, she got one of her most successful artist, from a “brown envelope”.
It was an important evening for me.
I learnt what annoys gallery owners most, what NOT to do, just as much as what I have to pay attention to.
My advice to my artist (and writers) friends who may be reading this?
Do the research !
Open your minds and LISTEN...
And ASK!
ASK!
ASK!
And... the hardest one of all... BELIEVE that it can be done... not to some obscure and talented artist... but that it can happen TO YOU !!!!!!
This is possibly one of the reasons, that some artists are not very successful at their attempts at selling their art.
I once had a pleasant conversation with an artist, who started sweating heavily, and became very agitated, when I spoke about ideas of selling and marketing art.
He looked like he was going to have a heart attack, and it was the simple fact that we talked about marketing art, that got him so worked out.
Yesterday, when I made some suggestions to a budding artist, about how to present a theme of work to a gallery, he too, became visibly agitated, got up and walked around, kept interrupting my sentences, not really allowing me to complete my thoughts, until I finally dropped the subject.
If I had an opportunity to pick the brain of a successful artist in close quarters, ( a marketing genius like Damien Hirst) I will bombard him with questions and listen to his every word.
If he’ll allow me, I would tape the conversation and listen to it a hundred times in my studio later, with the intention of not missing a word, or picking up on ideas I may not have picked up on yet.
So I am wondering: “What is it that makes a budding artist, or one who is not able to market yet their art in a successful way, not even want to listen to one who can offer them good, solid advice?”
I think that it stems from a paralysis of conflicting forces.
On one hand the artist recognizes that there is nothing more wonderful in the world, than to be able to paint / work in the studio all day, and to make a good living from it.
It is such a wonderful notion, such a dream come true, such a celebration, that it is almost too good to be true.
The flip side of this dream, is that the artist, does not really BELIEVE that it can happen. That life can be so good.
“That making a living”, can truly be a joy and an extension of his/ her natural talents and tendencies, and not a struggle.
And this contrasting “Push and Pull”, are the exact reason that artists stay stuck... stay at the same place.
When I started my career, I bought EVERY book about marketing art, understanding money, and every book that included ANY advice from ANY successful artist that I could find.
I drank them like a thirsty man in the desert.
I read biographies, and every newspaper article that talked about new trends in marketing art.
But I did MORE than this.
I also asked and went to lectures and gatherings, and spoke with as many artists as were willing to talk to me.
I remember now one particular event that was wonderful for my education.
It was a gathering of about five MAJOR gallery owners , two major contemporary MUSEUM art curators, and a major art collector with a large private collection.
The event took place at an art cooperative space on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.
It was open to practicing artists who wanted to ask questions and to listen to advice from these major industry giants.
It was one of the most illuminating conversations about art marketing I have ever attended.
The difference of opinions were heart warming.
They were definitely NOT in agreement about how an artist should approach a gallery.
One gallery owner, said with confidence that he would NEVER pick an artist from a “brown envelope” ( an artist who send unsolicited slides, resume, biography and photos of her art), while a major gallery owner who is much more successful than he was, with galleries in NYC, London and Miami, said that she definitely will, and that in fact, she got one of her most successful artist, from a “brown envelope”.
It was an important evening for me.
I learnt what annoys gallery owners most, what NOT to do, just as much as what I have to pay attention to.
My advice to my artist (and writers) friends who may be reading this?
Do the research !
Open your minds and LISTEN...
And ASK!
ASK!
ASK!
And... the hardest one of all... BELIEVE that it can be done... not to some obscure and talented artist... but that it can happen TO YOU !!!!!!
