There are different levels at play here. Personally I'd much prefer to
do shows that have standards and do enforce them. Do you treat your
work on the level as your mini art gallery on the road, or compete
with greeting cards, posters and offset reproductions of your work,
and others mass produced. I've had publishers come in and want my best
images for example, and want them for free, pay me a royalty on sales
that usually amount to $1 per poster for a $20 wholesale item. They
put your name on the poster, down low, large enough to make you happy,
then frame shops cut that off, frame the piece and sell it for
$150-200+. I had two posters out with McGaw Graphics (they are a huge
publisher) several years ago. They sold over 5000 posters, you can
still see them online, here and the UK. I did get most of my
royalties, but they went bankrupt, or at least sold the business, and
the new publisher has not paid the remaining royalties. They did send
out a letter stating how much they owed me, last I heard from them a
year ago. I cannot sell that work at Art Shows for my price, when they
can buy a nice offset printed piece for virtually 10% of my price. Ok,
over three years or so I collected $5000, for 5000 pieces? My best
work will eclipse that easily in a few months.
Editions limit the use of your work, but make it more valuable. How
would you like to purchase a piece of art from an artist, and then see
that piece at IKEA for much less than you paid. The work is not
special, you see it gracing the faded hallways and corporate water
cooler walls. IKEA did see my work at a show in London, and contacted
me, actually sent me large canvas' reproduction to see what they
wanted me to do. I declined.
I do have art buyers that ask me what my editions are. It does make a
difference for my work. I limit my edition to 25 in each size, and
will make 3 or 4 sizes. so it's really an edition of 75-100.
I do agree that editions of 10 or less, as most galleries demand, is a
trick to limit you to only selling work through them. what ever
marketing "gimmick" is used, it is all still a business. If you went
to Art Basel or any of the auxiliary shows in Miami last December, you
would see that everything is limited. And as the edition sells out the
prices rise. For example, I talked with Yosi Milo, (gallery owner);
one of his photographers' has work that is nearly selling out.
Editions of 10 smaller, and 6 or larger pieces. A ten year project by
a New York Photographer. The work is selling for $20,000+ in later
editions. Another example, Julian Lennon (yes Lennon's son) is a new
artist/photographer. His work is limited to 10. The first couple start
at $1800. By the time it gets to 10 it's somewhere around 10,000. It
makes it exclusive, and they were selling very well. You can say what
you want, (he is already famous) but I do believe as an artist you
have to look at both sides of issues, try to understand how it may or
may not fit your position or marketing interests.
I would hope that anyone doing art shows feels they are in this to
prosper, and grow to another level, whether it's top ranked shows,
(that may have more stringent rules), or to land in galleries that DO
sell limited editions only. The KICKER is if you look at signed work
at all the top galleries and art shows by galleries, nothing is signed
on the front. At best it's signed on the back, and since it may be
framed, what you get is a certificate stating the edition number.
guess art shows, need to see it signed on the front to validate the
process. Furthermore, I find buyers want it signed on the front, when
given the choice. Thats' a hands down all my buyers like the piece
signed, and they do like to see an edition number. (even if you make
it a high edition number, it just makes sense and shows you are
keeping track of things.) That's a whole other discussion, how to
manage that : -)
Okay, you say you need to sell open editions to people that can only
afford them, and whatever that takes is your model, if that works
that's your market, but look objectively at what is going on, it's not
a shows fault for enforcing those rules. I only wish they would
enforce them more, and make them more stringent, to attract buyers
that could expect a certain level. It's not just photography. I had a
sculptor talk about a guy bringing in work from China, and claiming he
made it. A glass artist complaining about the same thing, Chinese
glass, embellished, and claiming it was blown here. Somehow it's
really about ensuring integrity of art in any medium.
my .02 : -)
Mark MacKinnon
http://artshowphoto.com/support.htm
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