Apologies and Photo Blog Plugs
Sorry for the extended silence. Bambino and I were upstate with our dear friends from SchroRo for the weekend, and there were no cell phone signals, and our laptops didn't fit in our bags...darn it. Of course, whenever we get away, we have tons to catch up with when we get back, so I'll keep this short.
First though, in addition to some wonderful barbecues and very leisurely mornings, Bambino and I spent some time looking around for a potential second home. This is all very new to me (septic tanks and surveys, "setting"s vs. "views") but we made good progress. Here's the first place we looked at:
Just kidding. That's obviously the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, which
Before we dashed out of town, though, I had the pleasure of stopping in to see a group show at Jen Bekman's gallery co-curated by Jen and the mastermind behind the encyclopedic photography blog Conscientious, Joerg Colberg. It's a wonderful survey of contemporary portraiture in photography, but the opening was so packed, I'll definitely have to go back. You'll find photos of the opening on AFC and this well-written photography blog by Shane Lavalette. Among the artists in the exhibition I saw were the truly amazing Alec Soth, who has perhaps the most beautiful blog on art of anyone blogging and Brian Ulrich who also has a very fine photo blog of his own. Congrats to all the artists in this excellent exhibition, as well as to the charming curators, Jen and Joerg. Don't miss this one.
First though, in addition to some wonderful barbecues and very leisurely mornings, Bambino and I spent some time looking around for a potential second home. This is all very new to me (septic tanks and surveys, "setting"s vs. "views") but we made good progress. Here's the first place we looked at:
Just kidding. That's obviously the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, which
[A]fter a $16 million makeover, the full spectacle finally resumed, with the hall looking, as closely as possible, the way it first appeared to Louis XIV in 1684. With its 357 mirrors, 17 glass doors, marble walls, chandeliers and ceiling paintings, it remains — as was the Sun King’s intent — a sight breathtaking in its majesty.We have our sights on something with a few more chandeliers.
Before we dashed out of town, though, I had the pleasure of stopping in to see a group show at Jen Bekman's gallery co-curated by Jen and the mastermind behind the encyclopedic photography blog Conscientious, Joerg Colberg. It's a wonderful survey of contemporary portraiture in photography, but the opening was so packed, I'll definitely have to go back. You'll find photos of the opening on AFC and this well-written photography blog by Shane Lavalette. Among the artists in the exhibition I saw were the truly amazing Alec Soth, who has perhaps the most beautiful blog on art of anyone blogging and Brian Ulrich who also has a very fine photo blog of his own. Congrats to all the artists in this excellent exhibition, as well as to the charming curators, Jen and Joerg. Don't miss this one.
Labels: art exhibitions.
posted by Edward_ at
8:00 AM
12 Comments:
Ed,
Here's another photo blog you might want to check out: http://timconnor.blogspot.com/
Good luck wtih the house-hunting. It's going to be one of those weeks in NYC when you'll remember why you need a summer home (90+ degrees and high humidity)
Thanks JEC,
Keep 'em coming folks. Other photo blogs you like...that is.
Ed, it's kind of you to link me. Thanks! Though, my last name is spelled wrong in the post.
Again, a pleasure to meet you. Your blog is great.
You're shopping for a country house...another example of why 50% dealer commission is too much. How many artists do you know with a country house?
why dont you open an art gallery than anonymous???
and I'll submit my work to you, you will be responsible of paying 1 month rent, utilities, insurance, mailing expenses, staff, m & e for the opening, shipping, security and other countless expenses, and no sales at the end of it. And image you'll have 3 to 4 openings where sale is really hard to make and sometime doesnt happen at all. The point is here, is the dealer believes an artist's work and will work with the artist, no matter what. But the dealers personal life is non of his/her business, as long the dealer does the work. Than tell me if 50% dealer commision is too much.
FYI I know so many artists who has country, beach houses for so long before even we just started to thinking about.
thanks for the support Bambino, but I understand how frustrated many artists are.
Anonymous, if you think 50% is too much, you shouldn't work in the gallery system. There are plenty of other options for you. I blogged about them here.
Also, and for the record, Bambino and I know all too well how frustrating running a gallery can be, but we don't go around telling the artists we know the split should be less to them.
If the deal doesn't suit you, don't take it.
Finally, not that (as Bambino points out) it's really any of your business, we're looking in a region where most of the people we know who own property there already ARE artists, so that kind of blows your premise to smithereens.
sorry about the typo Shane. Fixed now.
nice to meet you too!
e_
Finally, not that (as Bambino points out) it's really any of your business,
It would seem to me that once you self publish it in a public space you are making it everyone's business.
I don't entirely agree, Expat.
The fact that we went house hunting sure, that's open for discussion. I brought it up. But I intentionally left the details (like where exactly, price ranges, true feasability of buying something, the source of the money needed for doing so etc. )unstated. None of that is Anonymous' business, despite his/her assumptions that he/she understands the details well enough to pass judgement.
Further, Anonymous' comment went beyond the bounds of polite blogging discussion by insinuating I was taking advantage of our artists and that our hopes of buying a place upstate was proof of that assertion. Using my shared anecdote as fodder against me in some misguided desire to strike out at the gallery system is bad enough. I don't mind saying though, that asserting that such passive aggressive bullshit is something I left myself open to because I noted we looked at some houses is, well, ludicrous.
All in all, I'm really sorry I brought it up. I merely meant it to serve as the base for a (hopefully) humorous transition into the Versailles article. Clearly there's a good deal more bitterness out there than I realize.
It seems there is a lot of bitterness towards art dealers. I am a dealer and I own a house upstate. Most of the people I know that live and own there are artists.
My artists and I work extremely hard together to make things happen. I think Anon may have responded negatively because he/she does not understand the gallery system or the economic realities of this business. I need my artists and they tell me that they need me. It is a symbiotic relationship and not dealer vs. artist situation. I bet my monthly mortgage for my modest house would be about what an artist might pay for a studio. Plenty of people I know were able to do it by sacrifice and saving. Not by taking advantage of my artists.
If the gallery does their job, 50% is reasonable. A good artist/gallery relationship is a happy collaboration. I had a gallery that wasn't doing their job (as I saw it) so I left them. Now I'm with a gallery that does it wonderfully. There should be commitment, loyalty, professionalism, and hard work on both sides of the equation. If you have a sense of that with your gallery, why worry about who lives where and how. If you're not feeling the love, look for another gallery.
So, those were your nose prints on the window of Manhattan Motor Cars, can we spell, Lamber.. Lamborghini?
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