The Gift
simpler version
The business of art today is locked in a bubble. Inside of this bubble is the artist, the gallery, the collector, the advisor and the critic. They all follow a system that has been established over a century ago, as if they were stuck by rules and/or laws, but of course these laws do not exist. This system says that the artist paints, then they need the gallery to display and sell the paintings. The gallery needs to make money so that it may pay rent and remain open for business, so they take a commission of the money made when a painting is sold. While all galleries hang the art on their walls, the better galleries advertise the art, and shows (also referred to as openings), send out invites, try to contact certain writers/critics to write about the art and try to sell the art. In a way the big/commercial gallery sort of acts as agent to the artists it represents. Many galleries take 50%, while I have heard other big galleries have started taking 60% commission of the money made when a painting is sold, (this is quite the jump from the time of the impressionists, in which 10% was the standard, inflation I guess). They like to convince people that they have more expenses than artists and that selling art is a full time job. But statements like this are false since art is a full time job as well, including sketching, reference photos and pieces, research, compositional planning, and of course the actual painting itself (which includes more than most people realize but I’ll save that for another time). The artist too, just like the gallery has plenty of expenses, ranging from materials, which in oil painting can cost quite a lot, to the rent of a studio, etc.
Both the artist and the gallery depend on three main sources (excluding for now other means of finances such as loans and grants). These three sources are the collector/customer, the writer/critic, and sometimes art advisors/consultants. Obviously the collector is the individual who buys the art, so theres a big part of the gallery and artist’s source of income. The critic plays a big role in an artist’s career, because quite often what they write is what people read and then see. In other words people see what they hear. If a writer writes a review of art stating the art is amazing and worth seeing, people will respond by wanting to see the art, and of course vice versa, if they write this art is terrible, people will assume the art is not worth the time. An advisor/consultant is someone who usually works for high end clients and/or businesses that are searching for art to buy and invest in. Typically art advisors look for emerging artists, who already have a little recognition by some galleries and critics but they can get better deals on their work.
Now because artists depend on galleries and galleries depend on money and collectors, collectors hold a great deal of control, and many collectors listen to critics and advisors for advise on what to buy. However for the most part critics and advisors only can write or talk about artists who they have the ability to see at a gallery, and today galleries are more and more trying to appease collectors, so that they can sell and stay open. This is a problem for art, since today many are new money collectors, who have no idea what art is, or is about and instead just want to showoff cool, designer and decor art in their new chic condos, lofts, offices and homes. They have no need and no want for art with truth, substance, depth and thought provoking ideas, because they have no plan on sitting around with their friends and discussing a painting thats hanging over them. They’re too busy drinking California wines, talking about how much money they made last year, and/or their vacation in the tropics last month. The painting hangs on the wall lonely and forgotten as just a filler of wall space, except for when the collector’s friend notices “what a nice painting” and the collector stands proud like the painting is a badge of honor and nothing more. The notable art critic Jerry Saltz wrote, ”This work is decorator-friendly, especially in a contemporary apartment or house. It feel’s “cerebral” and looks hip in ways that flatter collectors even as it offers no insight into anything at all.”
Most galleries have a particular mission or idea to the kind of art that they show and sell, and chose only the artists that fit this idea. This is understandable as a gallery can only represent and exhibit so many artists, and it is better to concentrate their time on a smaller number of artists, than try and spread themselves too thin. Its like a restaurant that specializes in a particular type of cuisine, like Italian, and produces delicious meals, as oppose to a restaurant that tries to cook as many types of dishes as possible, but all of them are tasteless and bland. Because of this and the fact that there are a ton more artists than there are galleries, it has left many artists desperate to find an opportunity to showcase their work. This combined with the fact that many artists are very humble people, and tend to look down at anyone with confidence in their work as arrogant, has given rise to new kinds of shows and galleries looking to take advantage of these desperate and unconfident artist.
One such show is the juried. This is usually held by a gallery that is a co-op or a part of a foundation of some sort. They usually put out an artist call in regard to a themed show. In order for an artist to submit (just submit) and have their work judged to possibly be in the show, they have to pay. This is a way for the gallery to make more money, as well as the commission of sales and the membership fees upon co-op members (again, not to mention grants). Then there is what is referred to as the vanity gallery. This gallery promises the world to an artist, everything covered from publicity to invitations, and many of them are located right in the center of the art hot spot of a city, such as Chelsea in New York or Wynwood in Miami. However theres one catch, the artist is asked to pay for their exhibition up front. Whereas typical galleries work to promote and sell art, being they survive off commission, these galleries have already made their money off the artist and do not need to put any effort into promoting and selling a particular artist. Another type of show is what I refer to as the one nighter. This show is typically held all year long, on different nights, in different cities, all across the country and sometimes internationally. They present it to the public as a great night of entertainment, liquor and supporting local artists. They also present it to the desperate and humble artist as an opportunity to show their work and get recognized. They often do not take commission of sales, but let’s be clear, the average attendee of these shows are not people looking to spend money for original artworks, and although they may be more likely to buy prints, many of these shows have no room for artists to setup a print display, since these shows tend to shove as many artists in as possible, leaving no extra space available. Why? They charge an artist per painting, and most times have an artwork minimum. They then charge guests at the door and per drink. In other words they are out to make as much money as possible and do little to nothing to help any artist in anyway.
It is common practice among many venues such as nightclubs, bars and even many of the one nighter art shows to pay or give some form of gratuity to performers and entertainers such as bands and standup comedians, but visual artists such as painters are not considered entertainers and therefore it is the standard practice for artists to have to pay rather than be paid. This is in part the artist’s fault. In the fine art community, artists tend to separate art and entertainment, and view entertainment as being below art. Art is seen as sophisticated and entertainment is viewed as thoughtless and for simpletons. But artists have only hurt themselves since this and the fear of displaying confidence, is a part of the reason galleries and shows are able to take advantage. If a painting is occupying a person’s ideas and thoughts, and taking them away from the stresses of everyday life for a period of a minute to 20 minutes, is that not a form of entertainment?
Which brings me to my decisions in regard to my painting. First, I do not feel I fit in with the art world. I did not go to art school or an art academy. I am from a working class upbringing, an upbringing that was not full of arts and culture. It was not common for my family and many families like mine to go to art galleries and openings, ballets and operas, symphonies and galas. I was raised to be a typical hard working ruffneck. In my experience, many in the art world look down at me and my type. They view us as dumb and ignorant because we do not comprehend very abstract and avant garde ideas of art. But as I came to understand these ideas over the years, it occurred to me that my type were not dumb, we just weren’t raised among these concepts, so it has to be explained to us. Once explained, we get it, because we are no dumber than anyone else. I do not enjoy being in a typical gallery art opening. It makes me very uncomfortable. People standing around with glasses of wine pretending to be sophisticated, when quite often they’re not even looking at the art, but rather use the event as a social gathering. So I decided to do my own shows, how I want to do them, my decision of music, my decision of food and drink, and my decision of fun to help get the stick outta people’s asses. Besides I feel 50% commission is a little overkill.
Second, I no longer want to sell my original paintings. This was not an easy choice, since at this point and time I am not a recognized and established artist. There are several reasons for this decision. I do not like the idea that a collector buys a painting and then he/she and only their select friends get to see the painting in person after that. I hope to share my art with as many people as possible, and from all walks of life. I have nothing against anybody for their economic class, but let’s face it, as of now the art game is setup only for the upperclass to truly enjoy, which is part of the reason my class often doesn’t know how to appreciate true art. Again we don’t get the chance to be exposed to it. My art is for everyone, all classes, all races, all religions, all nationalities…everyone. As I discussed earlier, I believe part of the problem with art today is the Need for money, especially for galleries, causing the diluting of art with what appears to be an extension of interior design. As an artist, my belief is when you take money out of the picture, one is able to truly and freely express and create the art you wish to. There is no longer any thought process or fear of what will sell or what people will like or dislike. This allows real art to be produced without pressure from the outside influences.
I do believe I was given, or better yet loaned a gift, that is my talent. I have worked hard and dedicated myself to my art and to better my skill in my art. I have no idea why this gift was placed in my hands, but I know that this gift is not mine to keep for myself or to sell to a selected few, but rather share with as many in this world as possible. And that is why I do what I do. And that is my mission, my goal, and my hope.
Both the artist and the gallery depend on three main sources (excluding for now other means of finances such as loans and grants). These three sources are the collector/customer, the writer/critic, and sometimes art advisors/consultants. Obviously the collector is the individual who buys the art, so theres a big part of the gallery and artist’s source of income. The critic plays a big role in an artist’s career, because quite often what they write is what people read and then see. In other words people see what they hear. If a writer writes a review of art stating the art is amazing and worth seeing, people will respond by wanting to see the art, and of course vice versa, if they write this art is terrible, people will assume the art is not worth the time. An advisor/consultant is someone who usually works for high end clients and/or businesses that are searching for art to buy and invest in. Typically art advisors look for emerging artists, who already have a little recognition by some galleries and critics but they can get better deals on their work.
Now because artists depend on galleries and galleries depend on money and collectors, collectors hold a great deal of control, and many collectors listen to critics and advisors for advise on what to buy. However for the most part critics and advisors only can write or talk about artists who they have the ability to see at a gallery, and today galleries are more and more trying to appease collectors, so that they can sell and stay open. This is a problem for art, since today many are new money collectors, who have no idea what art is, or is about and instead just want to showoff cool, designer and decor art in their new chic condos, lofts, offices and homes. They have no need and no want for art with truth, substance, depth and thought provoking ideas, because they have no plan on sitting around with their friends and discussing a painting thats hanging over them. They’re too busy drinking California wines, talking about how much money they made last year, and/or their vacation in the tropics last month. The painting hangs on the wall lonely and forgotten as just a filler of wall space, except for when the collector’s friend notices “what a nice painting” and the collector stands proud like the painting is a badge of honor and nothing more. The notable art critic Jerry Saltz wrote, ”This work is decorator-friendly, especially in a contemporary apartment or house. It feel’s “cerebral” and looks hip in ways that flatter collectors even as it offers no insight into anything at all.”
Most galleries have a particular mission or idea to the kind of art that they show and sell, and chose only the artists that fit this idea. This is understandable as a gallery can only represent and exhibit so many artists, and it is better to concentrate their time on a smaller number of artists, than try and spread themselves too thin. Its like a restaurant that specializes in a particular type of cuisine, like Italian, and produces delicious meals, as oppose to a restaurant that tries to cook as many types of dishes as possible, but all of them are tasteless and bland. Because of this and the fact that there are a ton more artists than there are galleries, it has left many artists desperate to find an opportunity to showcase their work. This combined with the fact that many artists are very humble people, and tend to look down at anyone with confidence in their work as arrogant, has given rise to new kinds of shows and galleries looking to take advantage of these desperate and unconfident artist.
One such show is the juried. This is usually held by a gallery that is a co-op or a part of a foundation of some sort. They usually put out an artist call in regard to a themed show. In order for an artist to submit (just submit) and have their work judged to possibly be in the show, they have to pay. This is a way for the gallery to make more money, as well as the commission of sales and the membership fees upon co-op members (again, not to mention grants). Then there is what is referred to as the vanity gallery. This gallery promises the world to an artist, everything covered from publicity to invitations, and many of them are located right in the center of the art hot spot of a city, such as Chelsea in New York or Wynwood in Miami. However theres one catch, the artist is asked to pay for their exhibition up front. Whereas typical galleries work to promote and sell art, being they survive off commission, these galleries have already made their money off the artist and do not need to put any effort into promoting and selling a particular artist. Another type of show is what I refer to as the one nighter. This show is typically held all year long, on different nights, in different cities, all across the country and sometimes internationally. They present it to the public as a great night of entertainment, liquor and supporting local artists. They also present it to the desperate and humble artist as an opportunity to show their work and get recognized. They often do not take commission of sales, but let’s be clear, the average attendee of these shows are not people looking to spend money for original artworks, and although they may be more likely to buy prints, many of these shows have no room for artists to setup a print display, since these shows tend to shove as many artists in as possible, leaving no extra space available. Why? They charge an artist per painting, and most times have an artwork minimum. They then charge guests at the door and per drink. In other words they are out to make as much money as possible and do little to nothing to help any artist in anyway.
It is common practice among many venues such as nightclubs, bars and even many of the one nighter art shows to pay or give some form of gratuity to performers and entertainers such as bands and standup comedians, but visual artists such as painters are not considered entertainers and therefore it is the standard practice for artists to have to pay rather than be paid. This is in part the artist’s fault. In the fine art community, artists tend to separate art and entertainment, and view entertainment as being below art. Art is seen as sophisticated and entertainment is viewed as thoughtless and for simpletons. But artists have only hurt themselves since this and the fear of displaying confidence, is a part of the reason galleries and shows are able to take advantage. If a painting is occupying a person’s ideas and thoughts, and taking them away from the stresses of everyday life for a period of a minute to 20 minutes, is that not a form of entertainment?
Which brings me to my decisions in regard to my painting. First, I do not feel I fit in with the art world. I did not go to art school or an art academy. I am from a working class upbringing, an upbringing that was not full of arts and culture. It was not common for my family and many families like mine to go to art galleries and openings, ballets and operas, symphonies and galas. I was raised to be a typical hard working ruffneck. In my experience, many in the art world look down at me and my type. They view us as dumb and ignorant because we do not comprehend very abstract and avant garde ideas of art. But as I came to understand these ideas over the years, it occurred to me that my type were not dumb, we just weren’t raised among these concepts, so it has to be explained to us. Once explained, we get it, because we are no dumber than anyone else. I do not enjoy being in a typical gallery art opening. It makes me very uncomfortable. People standing around with glasses of wine pretending to be sophisticated, when quite often they’re not even looking at the art, but rather use the event as a social gathering. So I decided to do my own shows, how I want to do them, my decision of music, my decision of food and drink, and my decision of fun to help get the stick outta people’s asses. Besides I feel 50% commission is a little overkill.
Second, I no longer want to sell my original paintings. This was not an easy choice, since at this point and time I am not a recognized and established artist. There are several reasons for this decision. I do not like the idea that a collector buys a painting and then he/she and only their select friends get to see the painting in person after that. I hope to share my art with as many people as possible, and from all walks of life. I have nothing against anybody for their economic class, but let’s face it, as of now the art game is setup only for the upperclass to truly enjoy, which is part of the reason my class often doesn’t know how to appreciate true art. Again we don’t get the chance to be exposed to it. My art is for everyone, all classes, all races, all religions, all nationalities…everyone. As I discussed earlier, I believe part of the problem with art today is the Need for money, especially for galleries, causing the diluting of art with what appears to be an extension of interior design. As an artist, my belief is when you take money out of the picture, one is able to truly and freely express and create the art you wish to. There is no longer any thought process or fear of what will sell or what people will like or dislike. This allows real art to be produced without pressure from the outside influences.
I do believe I was given, or better yet loaned a gift, that is my talent. I have worked hard and dedicated myself to my art and to better my skill in my art. I have no idea why this gift was placed in my hands, but I know that this gift is not mine to keep for myself or to sell to a selected few, but rather share with as many in this world as possible. And that is why I do what I do. And that is my mission, my goal, and my hope.