Art Biz Blog

Deep Thought Thursday: The price of viewing a masterpiece

The Portland Art Museum plans to charge $17 for visitors to see a single painting this fall: La Velata by Raphael, which will be on loan from the Palatine Gallery in Florence.

That’s not $17 admission to the Museum. That’s $17 in addition to whatever else you choose to see while you’re there. Children under 17 and all school tours will be free. The Museum will also provide a free evening.

Is $17 a fair price to see this single painting by Raphael?

(I’ll try to follow up this post with the pros and cons of such a move, so talk to me . . . )

Deep Thought Thursday: By the master’s hand?

In reading de Kooning: An American Master, it’s pretty clear that there’s a dispute over how much control Willem de Kooning had over his late works, when he was suffering from dementia.

At different points in time . . .

Someone else chose and laid the colors out for de Kooning.
Someone else drew the initial drawing on the canvas.
Someone else mixed the colors.
Someone else decided when a painting was completed or went to the gallery.

Willem de Kooning, Gotham News, 1955. Oil on canvas, 69 x 79".
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Gift of Seymour H. Knox, 1955

This begs the question:

When is a master’s work not his or her own?

Deep Thought Thursday: Show it again, Sam

When is it okay (if at all) to exhibit previously-shown art?

Are there hard and fast rules?

Are there loose guidelines that you abide by?

Here's the message from Jeanne Guerin-Daley that prompted this:

I find myself wondering if it would be okay to exhibit work which has been shown before. I certainly understand that an artist shouldn't keep showing 3-year-old work over and over again. But if one shows a work in one venue, and it doesn't sell, then maybe a year later, that same artist gets a chance to show in another venue, maybe in another state or at least in another area, and that work isn't yet sold, would it be okay to show that same work?

Image ©Jeanne Guerin-Daley , Early Morning Backyard Sky       

Deep Thought Thursday: Technology: Friend or Foe?

As someone who teaches the benefits of using blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and more, I’m fully aware that the Internet is both friend and foe. Some people get it and really love it. Others are convinced that it’s a vast conspiracy against them.

Since I’m posting this on a blog, the results may be skewed, but I’d like to know what you think.

What are the benefits of technology?
What are the disadvantages?
Would you prefer returning to the good old days of pre-Internet?

Image ©Julie Gerleman, In the Shade

Deep Thought Thursday: Destroying Your Art

While reading de Kooning: An American Master, I was struck by the following quote from the author:

The downtown artists . . . saw how hard de Kooning was working “on the side,” and how ardently he struggled to find an independent style, constantly destroying his work rather than settling for mediocrity. (pg 122)

A chapter or two later, we find out that de Kooning ended up regretting the destruction of those early works.

Image ©Traci O'Very Covey, Flute Player with Violin

How about you?
What’s your criteria for destroying work?
And how do you destroy it? Do you paint over it? Take it apart and make it into something new?

Deep Thought Thursday: Secrets

Here's one I get a lot of questions about . . .

Let's say another artist asks you about your technique and secrets. And let's say that you don't really want to share that information.

How do you respond without sounding rude while keeping your secrets?

(Update 1:45 p.m. . . . Read this carefully. I'm not asking whether you would or wouldn't keep the secret or whether you choose to share or not. I'm asking you what would be a good response if you didn't want to share your secrets. We can't judge other artists whose shoes we haven't walked in. Some have very good reasons for not wanting to share. Just asking you to help with a gentle and kind response.)

©Eileen Downes, Secrets.

Deep Thought Thursday: Creative mailings

Continuing this week's theme of using good old-fashioned snail mail . . .

What is the most creative mailing you ever sent?

What is the most creative mailing you ever received?

Can you be too creative with a mailing? What are the priorities?

If you've posted a photo of your creative mailing on your blog, be sure to leave a link to the post here.

Deep Thought Thursday: Summertime goals

Summer is for fun, sun, road trips, and long, lazy days.

Or is it?

Some people might have day jobs that allow them to be more flexible and devote more time to their art in the summer.

Do you have art career goals for your summer (or winter if you're in the Southern Hemisphere)?

Share them here. Tell the world about them and hold yourself accountable!

Psssst . . . If you need even more accountability, think about joining us in the Blast Off class, which begins next week.

Deep Thought Thursday: The role of competition

How do you view competition? Is it healthy or helpful? Does it get in the way? Is it a sideshow?

[ Reading this in Internet Explorer? ]

Today’s DTT was inspired by this quote from Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton.

Competition between artists is almost taboo in the art world . . . Artists are meant to find their own path, make their own rules, and compete with themselves. If they develop a habit of looking over their shoulders, they risk being derivative. But if they are completely ignorant of the hierarchical world in which they operate, then they’re in danger of being outsider artists, caught in the bog of their own consciousness, too preciously idiosyncratic to be taken seriously. (page 118)

Image ©Katherine Kean, Winding Channel

Deep Thought Thursday: Grief

Dealing with grief is an area I don't consult in. Yet, all artists must deal with grief at one point in time. I just don't feel equipped to give advice in this area. (I will say, however, that acupuncture provided fast healing during the only time I experienced debilitating grief.) So, I’m turning it over to you, wise souls, in hopes that our collected wisdom can help someone.

Image ©Dianne Poinski, Reaching

Read this email that came to me.

I’ve learned a great deal from your books/blog/podcasts but this is a topic that I haven’t seen covered.

Recently I’ve taken on a big exciting art project which was really gaining momentum -- and then, well, life got in the way.

My mother suddenly got very ill and I had to drop everything to go be with her.

Within a week she passed away and I’ve just gotten back home after the wake, funeral etc.

My siblings have “regular” jobs which they are returning to but I’m feeling overwhelmed and at a loss as to how to pick up the pieces of my self-employed artist life.

Part of me thinks “getting back into the swing of things” would be a good distraction but it all feels like too much. I’m overdue for updating my blog, client newsletters, etc. The press is calling me for interviews, which is great, but I’m not sure I can face any of that right now.

Do you have any advice on how to handle this? Do I just pretend everything is fine and dandy? I know in time it probably will be. My big project is so deadline dependent that I can’t decide if I should just ditch it all — but that would make me feel even worse, I think.

I know grieving takes time but I feel like if I had a plan I would do better...

What advice would you give?