Digital BW, The Print

I am placing five prints in a small show at our leading gallery 
here in town. This is my first go-round with actually dealing with 
galleries: submissions, resumes, artist statement, etc.

Does anyone know of a source for some kind of "rules for gallery 
submissions"? Or "how to be an art photographer"?

Since I come into this from a commercial photography 
background, I'm out of my area. I'm not even sure that I "have" a 
resume? And my guard is up for this whole Artist Statement thing 
-- my term for this kind of "art talk" is "ArtForumHorseS&%t". 

"Tell me, Mark, what was your motivation to do this piece... blah, 
blah, blah". I am so against all of this hype talk that I don't know 
what I'd say. I'd almost make up something false just to make 
fun of the whole game, but I know that would come back to get 
me in the end.

(Thoughts of Julian, and the brick, and the carpet. Oh God).

Seriously, any sources of info would be appreciated.

-Mark Tucker
Wearing Black TurtleNeck

as well as the black turtleneck - be as arrogant as you can be!!

Tim A


PS - reminds me of the story of Don McCullin being persuaded by his agent to
take some of his work round NY Galleries. He went to one, with a portfolio
of prints (which he painstakingly makes himself). The rather snooty, black
dressed art world type looked at it, really quite liked it as work they
could exhibit. Said to McCullin " well, leave it with us and we'll see" Don
focussed him with his steely "I've faced down more psycho Lebanese gunmen
than you've had hot dinners look" and flatly says "I don't leave my prints
with ANYONE". Art world type flusters - "but all our artists leave work for
us to look at..." McCullin just looks at him and bluntly says "well I don't"
and walks out. I believe the gallery did carry his work...!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Tucker [mailto:mark@...]
> Sent: November 22, 2001 6:47 PM
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Digital BW] Source for ArtGallery Submission Rules?
>
>
> I am placing five prints in a small show at our leading gallery
> here in town. This is my first go-round with actually dealing with
> galleries: submissions, resumes, artist statement, etc.
>
> Does anyone know of a source for some kind of "rules for gallery
> submissions"? Or "how to be an art photographer"?
>
> Since I come into this from a commercial photography
> background, I'm out of my area. I'm not even sure that I "have" a
> resume? And my guard is up for this whole Artist Statement thing
> -- my term for this kind of "art talk" is "ArtForumHorseS&%t".
>
> "Tell me, Mark, what was your motivation to do this piece... blah,
> blah, blah". I am so against all of this hype talk that I don't know
> what I'd say. I'd almost make up something false just to make
> fun of the whole game, but I know that would come back to get
> me in the end.
>
> (Thoughts of Julian, and the brick, and the carpet. Oh God).
>
> Seriously, any sources of info would be appreciated.
>
> -Mark Tucker
> Wearing Black TurtleNeck
>
>
>
>
> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks,
> Polls and other resources as they are often being updated. The page is at:
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
>
> Please follow these basic guidelines:
> - Include your full name with your message.
> - Include the address of your website, if you have one.
> - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier
> messages to keep them short.
> - As the topic of a thread changes remember to change the subject header.
> - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or "flames."
> - Complete your Yahoo profile.
> - Before posting a question, search the message archives and the
> various resources on the homepage.
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

> 
> Does anyone know of a source for some kind of "rules for gallery 
> submissions"? Or "how to be an art photographer"?
> 
> -Mark Tucker
> Wearing Black TurtleNeck

Mark,
Try this link - explore within it a little & I think you may find 
some useful stuff - let me know 'how to do it' :-)
http://art-support.com/
Frank

In a message dated 11/22/2001 6:38:09 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
timphoto@... writes:


> as well as the black turtleneck - be as arrogant as you can be!!
> 
> Tim A
> A beret would be a nice touch also. Say things like "I don't talk about my 
> work" :)
> In the Southwest I've seen them come in with the turtleneck, Beret and a 
> Poncho for the over coat. Looked like the Artist special forces where 
> arriving.

Steve M.






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tim,

I have a friend who was asked to do the same thing by a gallery only 
in her case it was a 15 by 25 weaving she had worked on for 18 
months. She also declinded to leave it for "evaluation" and hucked 
the heavy thing back down three flights to her car. A couple of weeks 
later she found out the gallery operaters skipped town with the work 
of about a dozen artists. True story. Never leave your work unless 
there is an agreement and signed documents. Even then in the last 
gallery show I did one print went "missing." I was never paid and 
never got the print back. I am afraid the gallery world can be a bit 
of a jungle.

Martin

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Tim Atherton" 
<timphoto@n...> wrote:
> as well as the black turtleneck - be as arrogant as you can be!!
> 
> Tim A
> 
> 
> PS - reminds me of the story of Don McCullin being persuaded by his 
agent to
> take some of his work round NY Galleries. He went to one, with a 
portfolio
> of prints (which he painstakingly makes himself). The rather 
snooty, black
> dressed art world type looked at it, really quite liked it as work 
they
> could exhibit. Said to McCullin " well, leave it with us and we'll 
see" Don
> focussed him with his steely "I've faced down more psycho Lebanese 
gunmen
> than you've had hot dinners look" and flatly says "I don't leave my 
prints
> with ANYONE". Art world type flusters - "but all our artists leave 
work for
> us to look at..." McCullin just looks at him and bluntly says "well 
I don't"
> and walks out. I believe the gallery did carry his work...!
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mark Tucker [mailto:mark@m...]
> > Sent: November 22, 2001 6:47 PM
> > To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...
> > Subject: [Digital BW] Source for ArtGallery Submission Rules?
> >
> >
> > I am placing five prints in a small show at our leading gallery
> > here in town. This is my first go-round with actually dealing with
> > galleries: submissions, resumes, artist statement, etc.
> >
> > Does anyone know of a source for some kind of "rules for gallery
> > submissions"? Or "how to be an art photographer"?
> >
> > Since I come into this from a commercial photography
> > background, I'm out of my area. I'm not even sure that I "have" a
> > resume? And my guard is up for this whole Artist Statement thing
> > -- my term for this kind of "art talk" is "ArtForumHorseS&%t".
> >
> > "Tell me, Mark, what was your motivation to do this piece... blah,
> > blah, blah". I am so against all of this hype talk that I don't 
know
> > what I'd say. I'd almost make up something false just to make
> > fun of the whole game, but I know that would come back to get
> > me in the end.
> >
> > (Thoughts of Julian, and the brick, and the carpet. Oh God).
> >
> > Seriously, any sources of info would be appreciated.
> >
> > -Mark Tucker
> > Wearing Black TurtleNeck
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks,
> > Polls and other resources as they are often being updated. The 
page is at:
> >
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
> >
> > Please follow these basic guidelines:
> > - Include your full name with your message.
> > - Include the address of your website, if you have one.
> > - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier
> > messages to keep them short.
> > - As the topic of a thread changes remember to change the subject 
header.
> > - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks 
or "flames."
> > - Complete your Yahoo profile.
> > - Before posting a question, search the message archives and the
> > various resources on the homepage.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to 
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >

Mark,
What about visiting other galleries in your area and looking at the 
catalogs, artist statements, price lists, etc of other artists? Also 
check out some web sites of photographers, painters, sculptors, 
what have you. I think you'll find a wide variety of artist 
statements--ranging from the "I explore the duality of memory 
and cognition through a postmodern sensibility..." to simple 
descriptions of technique.  It only has to be obtuse and 
self-absorbed if you want it to be.

Art, unlike investment banking, tends not to have a lot of rules.

Re: the horror stories of galleries making off with people's work; 
most places avoid this by  reviewing slides of one's 
work--dupes, of course. If your work sparks interest in this first 
round, they'll ask to see prints, and you, in person.

Amadou Diallo

Mark,

I agree with what Amadou is saying.  I find that a phone call to a 
gallery inquiring about their submission policy is always a good thing,  
generally it's a slide portfolio first.  The reputable and experienced 
ones screen out the inappropriate work this way, then request in-person 
showings.  Never just show up with your porfolio, it demonstrates a 
lack of respect for their need for this procedure, and they will regard 
you as inexperienced.  Sometimes the request to leave work behind is 
because the person you are speaking to is not the decision-maker for 
acceptance of work.  If you query and submit slides in advance, you 
will avoid this situation anyways.

I never have written a statement, but prefer a short description of the 
process.  I think its really that galleries just want something 
personally stated from the artist, and many artists take advantage of 
it to BS themselves into the rarified air of "artiste." And the 
instances of galleries taking off with work are rare amongst the better 
venues...

Phil
http://philbard.com

> What about visiting other galleries in your area and looking at the 
> catalogs, artist statements, price lists, etc of other artists? Also 
> check out some web sites of photographers, painters, sculptors, 
> what have you. I think you'll find a wide variety of artist 
> statements--ranging from the "I explore the duality of memory 
> and cognition through a postmodern sensibility..." to simple 
> descriptions of technique.  It only has to be obtuse and 
> self-absorbed if you want it to be.
> 
> Art, unlike investment banking, tends not to have a lot of rules.
> 
> Re: the horror stories of galleries making off with people's work; 
> most places avoid this by  reviewing slides of one's 
> work--dupes, of course. If your work sparks interest in this first 
> round, they'll ask to see prints, and you, in person.
> 
> Amadou Diallo

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., fh.gross@s... wrote:
> Mark,
> Try this link - explore within it a little & I think you may find 
> some useful stuff - let me know 'how to do it' :-)


Thanks to Frank Gross for this great link. It's jam-packed with 
good information. There's also a link to a small paperback, 
which I also ordered. 

If you click on that paperback icon from art-support.com, it'll take 
you to Amazon, where it'll also do a content-related search for 
you. 

Art-Support alone is great: links to PDF business forms, links to 
galleries, links to art photographers.

Thanks Frank -- ask and ye shall receive, (to borrow a phrase).

http://art-support.com/

-Mark Tucker (Agnostic)