Games that art galleries and artists play.

[Ajit Vahadane]

Please put your experiences here.Good or Bad, so that everyone can learn from each other's mistakes

[Mona Malhotra]

Some Art Galleries promise to call buyers, curators and collectors but fail to do so (or have no contacts) they are only making promises to lure artists to pay the charges for booking the gallery. I have been told to work with galleries who will only take commission for what is sold, cos otherwise its easy money for them.

Also trade shows exploit poor artists -- grabbing their artwork for "free" for some space (this is experience in Delhi.. greedy greedy greedy city). Luckily i did not fall for the trap.

The more experienced artists should speak up and share their experiences.

[Ballabh Badaya]

mona , it is both way.
the artist spend/pay charges for space at a prime location.lights-a.c-music- and staff.
galleries have to pay for page 3 network , have to entertain customers according to their profile,which costs and artist cannot bear that.
commission on sold , some time attract loss(for artist) if more then the rent /if no sale then gallery owner has to bear the expenses.why?
accept the practical life and keep away yourself from blame game.this is all my personal opinion,forget but don't take otherwise.

[Frank Shifreen]

I only want to point out that in societies such as ours, the intrinsic commodity is really "need" .the need of artists to show work, the gallerists to have a product that is sellable or interestng. Members of the public, to own something beautiful, or chic, or something that will grow in value. A good gallerist has to be a good salesman/woman. Many gallerists are not good in sales. Many gallerists wind up getting artists, whose need is greater than others , to foot the bills and pay outrageous sums to show their work. In the beginning, it is often only the artists themselves that see the value and importance of their work.
What is the solution to these improprieties?
My doctoral research is based on investigating past instances of artist co-operation and promoting artist working co-operatively. I am finishing my doctorate at Teachers College Columbia University in New York.
Many of the developments in modern art along the historical timeline were generated by groups of artists working co-operatively
Artists joined together to mount exhibitions, create manifestos, galleries, clubs, opportunities, From the age of Courbet, to the Impressionists, Pre-Raphealites, American groups of many different stripes. The Whitney Museum was originally an artists club, funded by Grace Vanderbilt Whitney. It only became a museum as the original members aged and wanted their work to be seen in perpetuity.
Artists need to work together, organize together, find common cause.
In my early years, I with some others set the art world on edge with some grand exhibitions. One of my shows( the Monumental Show) was called by New York Magazine "The event of the season" comparing it favorably to New York/New Wave, an exhibition at P.S. 1 that same year (May 1981). That was a long time ago.I was just out of art school. But it is possible today to do such work.
many of the 40 exhibitions that I have curated or organized over the years were not funded, were artist generated and were viral, in that energy from participants, the public and press created a buzz that supported and helped create the climate for the exhibition.
I am working with these ning groups as well as a European based group, cultureinside.com to study and chart these developments.
Anyone interested can come to www.cultureinside,com and join. It is free. We are doing the first of several shows this June at two good galleries in Luxembourg , Galleries Clairefontaine

[Achari]

yes Frank, your response is right, but here the upcoming and emerging artists must understand one reality is that, art practice may not be a living support for all or till success. so they are not supposed to depend on the income that their art generates (this is especially for Asian artists). then they can wait for the turning point without frustration.

the reasons of hatred on the Gallerists among artists may be, almost all of the artists do not have the economical understanding of current Art scenario. for example the total art market was about 200 Crore rupees (around 40 million dollars) in India last year( sold few thousand paintings) , but the production of art may be hundred times more, I assume artists have several millions of paintings are lying artist studios. I guess artists might spend at least a 500 crore rupees( 100 million dollars) for only Colors and brushes. so we can assume that the success ratio of the Art practice is may be less than 1%.

so Artists, please try to come out of Utopian thinking. be practical, learn mathamatics, understand economics, if you bother about success in art market.
otherwise simply enjoy your creative practice with out any expectations. read and understand Bhagavadgita's Karma Yoga.


Hari