Digital BW, The Print

As a digital printmaker and artist directly interested in and surviving in, the art world, I'm extremely depressed by the current economic state of affairs. 

That said, I think we can all adapt. Well, we'll have to. Lowering ones overhead is key. I survived on $12,000 last year--personal rent and food included in that number. That was so I could rebuild Black Point Editions into a different organization more in-tune with what is going on in the community.

I print for a lot of big names. Many of them are struggling more than I because they have lifestyles to live and health insurance to pay and families to feed. They also have international shows to support and galleries are not funding shipping and framing like they used to. Now you can be in the top 200 of artists and have 5 huge shows a year and not be able to afford a studio or health insurance while you can be a relatively unknown artist selling to the budget market and making a handsome
profit. It's all kinda crazy.

In the end, I believe the people who buckle down and do the real work will be fine when the dust settles. But we are also the people who will define the landscape once that dust is settled. Either us or the wider financial market that seems hell-bent on downward costs and lower profits for working artists to the benefit of well-known galleries and art investors. There's a perceptual fight to be had.

Best,
Walker