Continuing the tradition started by Steve,
I invite further comments to Mary Scriver’s comment #9.3 to yesterday’s post Local Art Blog
It is in the interests of the art galleries, museums, and other institutions to keep artists separated from patrons. Don’t ask them to be the go-betweens. Also, their goal is status, “society,” class, fashion, etc. all things that can corrupt and possibly destroy artists.
If an artist has artwork in a gallery, it is there for the two specific purposes of being seen and sold. If they are worried about being “destoryed” by the goals of a gallery, they wouldn’t bother trying to sell their work in them.
I doubt that most artists are so delicate that their moral compass will be destroyed if they catch even a whiff of status or class, anyway. If that’s what they want, they will acquire it. If not, they can more than likely avoid it.
And who knows? Maybe an artist wants to be separated from the patrons and the gallery is providing a service by protecting the artist’s privacy.
Anyway, this process of selling is very different from the process of making art.
I’ve worked in a gallery and a small museum and I’ve visited many others. I don’t recall a gallery ever separating an artist from the visitor. In fact, my experiences have been quite the opposite.
As far as museums go, well, most of the artists are dead anyway, so what’s to separate?
Kimberly,
I am happy about your comment. One less worry.
LOL Glad I could help!
Whew! Thanks, Kimberly. My experiences have been like yours.
However, I do have a certain sympathy for the sheer fatigue of the artist working her way around the art world, but it’s probably not a great deal worse than teaching second graders.
I will be off-line for the next few days, so don’t have too much fun.
I like these Halibut Days — they are good fun.
Wow.
If I were to sit down and try and concoct the biggest lie I could possibly dream up, it would be hard to match that quote.
I think of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, “I Have here a list of suspected communists…”
This is worse than than that.
There is NO higher imperative for artists than to be in intimate and constant contact with their public. Who is this fucking idiot to say such demented bullshit?
(Pardon my anglo deutsch but this bitch needs a slapping.)
Yes.
I read such things and I think, “No wonder art is dead in modern times.”
Perhaps “interests of the art galleries, museums, and other institutions” are not our interests any more. That’s what I get from such nonsense.
I have not been angrier in years.
Thank you for the catharsis, Birgit. The enemy has now words to match predicted behavior. I have been confirmed in my conviction to market directly, bypassing forever such blood sucking parasites.
Rex,
Either you’re confused about Mary’s position or I’m confused about yours (or both). If you do believe artists should be in close contact with their public, if you prefer to market directly yourself (as I’d expect from your previous comments), then you seem in agreement about the inimical effects galleries might have for some.
From my small personal experience, I think that there are big differences among galleries and among artists’ needs, and it’s hard to generalize.
Two things I love about Art & Perception are the sharing of ideas and the respect everyone has for one another. I hope that I never again see words like “fucking idiot” and “this bitch needs a slapping.” The world is hateful enough, I don’t want deal with that hatred here, too.
I may not have agreed with Mary’s comments, but I respect her views. I read her blog yesterday and I think she’s an incredibly intelligent and interesting person with important things to say. I hope she posts here again.
“It is in the interests of the art galleries, museums, and other institutions to keep artists separated from patrons.”
Seems pretty clear to me.
Folks:
Let’s not flame on this site.
Mary: It is in the interests of the art galleries, museums, and other institutions to keep artists separated from patrons.
Rex: Perhaps “interests of the art galleries, museums, and other institutions” are not our interests any more. That’s what I get from such nonsense.
Rex, I think that’s Mary’s point.
Okay. Some creds needed here. First, I don’t care if Rex says fucking or claims this bitch needs slapping, if indeed he meant me and not some metaphorical bitch idea. It’s rhetoric, not realism. Hey, I’ve taught 7th grade.
Second, for some of my writing about art the blog to read is scriverart.blogspot.com. My experience with art in Montana goes back to 1961 when I first fell in with Bob Scriver, who was 47, just beginning his career. No, he was NOT like Charlie Russell. He was like the major Beaux Arts educated American monumental sculptors like the Borglums, Fraser, French, Dallin, et al who have gotten sucked into the category of “Western Art” through dealers and administrators, not academics. He didn’t use a gallery until the end of his life and then it was only because he didn’t have the stamina to both make art and sell art. But when he (we) “sold” art it was a full-court press. By the time we got through with them, they’d been on a picnic, ridden the horse, seen “secret places,” maybe witnessed a bronze being pouring — they were practically a member of the family. This was quite different from a Cowboy Artists of America show with whine and cheese, Dolly Parton hairdoes and cowboy tuxes (jeans on the bottom), everyone being la-de-dah.
When artists and galleries are young and full of it, both can afford to share customers and works. When an artist begins to sell for big bucks, a whole new dynamic kicks in. It’s like a diesel engine — hard to start, then almost self-perpetuating. Stuff sells for big prices because it already did sell for big prices. Few customers or galleries or even institutional curators can tell you exactly why. Towards the end they are waiting for you to die, in the hope that your prices will spike.
Am I cynical? You bet. But that’s only part of the story. It’s about managing the synergy, keeping the proportions of juice and heat balanced, not letting the Dionysiasism overwhelm common sense.
Of course, if you do “pretty” art for “nice” people there’s not much need to worry.
Prairie Mary
Mary,
Thanks for telling us your experience. I’m sure you’re right about stage of career making a difference. I don’t recall exactly, but I believe I’ve read on Ed Winkleman’s blog that some young artists, “hot” for whatever reason, benefit artistically from a degree of insulation from the speculators in the market. Anecdotal, naturally. For someone like myself, I feel the more contact with anyone interested in my art, the better.
I appreciate Kimberly’s comments, though if there’s a thicker skin around than yours, I don’t know whose. Possibly Rex’s, but I believe he has taken himself out of this conversation.
Mary,
I like your attitude towards 7th graders.
It must have been exciting around 1961.
Birgit:
Yes it was.