Re: First gallery ' experience'

[Apologies if you receive this twice; I also tried posting from my old
address.]

Kate, I think Dave Rose's advise is excellent, especially on the idea
that that you may have approached a gallery that was a bad fit for the
type of work you do.

A talented friend of mine has gotten some excellent guidance from his
mentors recently, and you might also benefit from it. I'll try to
summarize it concisely:

- Get a serious portfolio review from someone knowledgeable you respect
(who will be _honest_). They can help you identify your strongest work,
and edit it so that your portfolio is cohesive enough to merit being
shown as a unified body of work (which can plant the idea of a complete
show in the minds of those who see it).

- Win some juried competitions. Once a competition jury or two (or
twenty) has given a seal of approval to your work, galleries will take
you more seriously. Also, competitions often have a gallery show as a
reward, and once you've had one show, it's easier to get other shows.

-- Follow Dave's (and others') great advice about looking for local
opportunities to hang your work. Those count as shows, and can result
in sales.

- Work up an artist's statement and resume. This should explain why you
do what you do, and list all the competitions you've won and shows
you've had (including the local shows you've organized yourself). You
can find lots of artist statements on the web, so you can review those
to see what is expected.

- Seriously research a gallery before you visit. Gallery people can be
impressed if you've 'done your homework' and know what they're really
about, OR terribly resentful if you're unprepared and wasting their
time. If you're doing landscapes, find a landscape gallery; if you're
doing portraits, find a gallery that has done portrait shows, etc. My
friend put a lot of effort into approaching a gallery that doesn't
represent new artists (they had a limited book of certain, retired
artists), which means his effort was wasted.

- Remember that galleries are about making money and so want safe
"products" whose value has already been proven elsewhere. They don't
exist to make you succeed - they are there to sell your work when you're
already successful! So adjust your expectations accordingly.

My friend is far ahead of me in his (gelatin silver) portfolio
development, and is heeding the great advice he's gotten, so I expect
him to gradually accumulate small successes that add up to something
good. I've taken some of this advice and started entering contests: as
a result, three of my conventional, color images will be in a glossy
book that will be available in my local (San Francisco) museums and
bookshops this spring, which will look GREAT on my "artist resume."

I think many of us can benefit from the advice my friend received,
regardless of which processes we're using.

As an aside, I'm a relative alt process novice with a peer group that
has no interest in "alt." However, they tell me enthusiastically when
they like one of my images - they don't like them for being alt, because
they could care less how I make them, but rather they like THE IMAGE. I
do think it's possible to emphasize an image, rather than it's
"alt"-ness, and win some fans (for alt and for yourself). I'm trying to
work in that direction.

Elizabeth
aeg@aegraves.com
http://www.aegraves.com

---------------
Dave Rose wrote:

> I've been in NW Wyoming for the past 8 years and I'm not currently
> doing much with galleries and museums, other than being active in the
> local art league in Cody and hanging a few dozen alt prints for a
> solo show at the local college a couple of years ago.
>
> When I was in New Jersey from 1984-1998, I was more active and
> successfully pursued many opportunities to show.
>
> Before you approach a specific gallery, carefully consider what they
> show there. Does your subject matter and style match what they
> promote and show? If not, you may be wasting your time. My
> photographs are primarily nature and landscape. I had great success
> with galleries in nature centers and environmental education centers
> at county and state parks, etc.... One of my best shows was at the
> Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, hanging
> photographs taken in the refuge over a period of years. Huge
> positive response, great reviews in local papers, and good sales.
>
> There are lots of opportunities to show. Approach local restaurants.
> Many will gladly have you hang your work there. Free art/decor for
> them, great exposure and potential sales for you. Outdoor art shows
> can be a lot of fun and many offer very attractive cash awards for
> 'best of' in your category, not to mention the chance for sales. The
> local library, airport, town hall lobby, internet galleries, etc....
> The possibilities are endless. You'll need to be a relentless
> self-promoter with a big sales/marketing push to really make it a
> full time career. You'll need a thick skin and be able to brush off
> rejection.
>
> It sounds like the Bratislava gallery owner really doesn't understand
> or appreciate alt photography. That's not unusual. Most people
> really don't care how the print is made, it's the image that counts.
> If you love what you're doing, that will show in your work, and
> success will follow.
>
> Best regards, Dave Rose Powell, Wyoming
> http://www.alternativephotography.com/artists/dave_rose.html
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kate Mocak"
> <kate_mocak@zoznam.sk> To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca> Sent:
> Tuesday, February 07, 2006 1:53 PM Subject: First gallery '
> experience'
>
>
> Finally I picked up all my courage and showed my alternative prints
> (gums and gums over cyanotype) to the owner of the gallery
> specialized to photography ("Central European House of Photography"
> in Bratislava). The response I got was approximately as follows: he
> didn't see any added value in doing 19th century processes in the
> 21st century. They are obsolete. He didn't see any 'author's
> statement' in photographing industrial architecture because this
> topic was fully exhausted in the 70s and 80s. On top of that, what on
> earth is the reason to combine old processes with industrial
> architecture. Etc, etc...
>
> I can accept the fact that my photography lacks the 'author's
> statement'. (Even though until now nobody has been able to explain to
> me what exactly it is.) But saying that alternative processes and
> pictorialistic photographs have nothing to tell to the today's
> audience is a bit 'too strong coffee' as we say here.
>
> I'm frustrated and have to sleep on it. Just wanted to share this
> experience with you. Hopefully there are other parts of the world
> where we are not regarded as retarded.
>
> Kate
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Sun Feb 12 19:51:39 2006