› Dealer loyalty
September 19, 2000
Dear Artist;
And now for something completely different. After
last weeks' walk in the mystery of morphic fields
and the remarkable letters that followed (see
clickbacks) I was left with the creepy feeling
that there is nothing new under the sun. What I
want to talk about today is a practical aspect of
professional success--dealer loyalty.
It's important to match the artist with his
market through the careful choice of a stable of
dealers. I say stable because I believe it's
important to have more than one dealer. Something
I've learned is that when one dealer is pulling
on the oars another will be laying back on them.
In these times when world athletes are trying for
their personal best--it's good to keep in mind
that we artists generally need more than one
partnership to share our unique magic with the
fans who make it all possible.
It has surprised me over the years how changeable
are the dealers themselves. An artist's middle
name is often "change," but one might
think dealers to be paragons of constancy. Not
so. Gallery priorities shift, fashions fluctuate
and dealers follow. Sometimes they lose interest,
get tired, jealous, even too rich. Often the
artist is the last to know because the dealer
wants to preserve a sense of continuity as well
as move into the trend he sees as lucrative.
After all, dealers have rent, overhead, and
staff. It's a fact of life that formerly
prestigious dealers fall by the wayside as hot
new dealers, often in modest premises, steal
their thunder. If you subscribe, as I do, to the
notion that you just want it all to continue so
that you can get on with your first love,
sometimes it's a good idea to take a good hard
look at your traditional relationships.
The best dealers build circles of friendship
among their clients. They keep their friends. A
new dealer gives the advantage of introducing an
artist's work to a new set of friends. And those
friends become your friends--not that you have
them over for tea--but they look at your personal
best every day--and get to know and love you
well.
Best regards,
Robert
PS "Yes'm, old friends is always best, 'less
you can catch a new one that's fit to make an old
one out of." (Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896)
Esoterica: Paul
Durand-Ruel,(1831-1922) the best known of a
family of French picture dealers was a loyal
champion of the early impressionists. His passion
was legendary. At times risking bankruptcy he
formed both personal and financial alliances with
Monet, Pissarro and others, talking them up to
anyone who would listen, eventually seeding love
for their work in the US.
The following are
selected correspondence relating to the above
letter. If you find value in any of this please
feel free to copy to a friend or fellow artist.
We have no other motivation than to give creative
people an opportunity to share ideas and possibly
broaden their capabilities Thankyou for writing rgenn@saraphina.com
› Free inventory
I have always had a problem with the big-city
high-powered galleries demanding exclusivity when
they represent me. They use that as a bargaining
chip when we talk about the possibility of a
one-man show. I have always refused to sign those
contracts. My argument is; if you want to be the
only agent who sells my work, you must guarantee
me a minimum annual income. So far, no one has
been willing to do that. But my work is popular,
so they end up representing me anyway. I try to
avoid using agents that are too close to one
another geographically. The agents who sincerely
like my work are the ones that sell it best. And
what other retail business gets inventory
supplied for free?
Eleanor Blair, Gainesville FL
› Load of rubbish
Most artists love to sell their work but also
need praise and encouragement. Even the good ones
need this but not so much that it leads to
arrogance. This does easily happen. I do not feel
that galleries or art shows should direct the
trends as this often leads to the breakdown of
sound teaching methods in schools and academy's
in their desire for monetry gain. We know they
are in the game for that, but should listen to
public response to art. Many, and I am not going
to call them uninformed buyers, are often
frightened away because of critics and galleries
who usually talk a load of rubbish while sipping
the sherry and eating savouries while posing,
hoping that some-one will think they are
knowledgeable and with it. I can go on in anger
about this and what I feel the effect is on the
honest artist be he brilliant or like the
majority, just enjoying his or her passion for
art.
William Gilhooley
› Nation of shopkeepers
The important thing for artists to remember is
not to be intimidated by galleries or their
owners. They are for the most part, shopkeepers,
who merely look to the bottom line, and hang the
stuff like meat on hooks. The passionate,
committed and loyal dealer exists, but is the
exception, rather than the rule.
P. S. Sharp, UK
› The food chain
We artists must realize that we are the bonito on
which the sharks feed. Without us, no shops or
sites would be fed a thing. Look sharp. Jump!
Pip, Los Angeles
› Treasured friendship
Most of the dealers
I work with I have been with for more than ten
years. Some gallery owners have become my good
friends. Relationships between small galleries
run by honest, decent dealers and quality artists
are sweet. As opposed to the big chains and
one-artist galleries which are promotion
oriented, the better informed clientele
intuitively and through experience know that
there are true treasures to be had in these
pressureless galleries.
James Hewton
› Dealer nuances
Of the 1453 paintings I have sold to date all but
a very few were sold through dealers. My 72 solo
shows have been at 24 different galleries and
when you add in an additional 250 or so group
shows you can see that I have had a lot of
dealings with dealers. First let me say that art
dealers are simply retailers whether they are the
elitists in NYC that think they run the art world
or the owners of the local frame shop. I do three
shows a year and refuse to let any dealer show me
more than once every 3 years. This is the way to
keep getting to new groups of dealers
"friends". A tip for new artists trying
to get dealers to show their work; remember going
in that they are retailers and have to make money
to survive. I always tell dealers that I don't
care if they like my work--the fact is that it
sells and they can make money! MONEY is the magic
word to an art dealer. I also recommend getting
your dealers in widely separated locations. The
publicity isn't redundant that way. In 1999 I did
my shows with galleries in Rome, South Beach and
NYC. This year I have already done Prague and am
preparing work for Chicago and Santa Barbara, CA.
The other important thing is to check with your
dealer regularly. The advantages are multiple,
first you can develop a friendship which will
make the dealer work harder to move your work,
second you can find out whether anything has sold
(dealers have a disturbing habit of not paying
the artist until they have to) and third you can
get feedback about your prices (always set your
own and keep them inline with the level of a
specific gallery) or which of your subjects are
getting the best reaction.
Peter Shulman, New York
› No place like home
During my days of great delusions I had my stuff
in four galleries. These galleries were all well
established and recognized with the exception of
one that was a co-operative effort.
(1) The Co-operative Community Galleries:
Two sculptures were exhibited and both sculptures
were stolen, however, the insurance covered half
of the value of the sculptures. Thus one might
describe this as positive experience.
Unfortunately one sculpture was not for sale and
belonged to my daughter, therefore it was a
little bit of a personal loss.
(2) Commercial Gallery
in a big city:
This gallery took all my sculptures that I could
produce and kept soaking them up. They were
always very friendly, They managed to sell one
piece and after that they did only show one piece
while keeping 6 – 7 others in the storeroom
collecting dust. After a year I was kicked out.
(3) Commercial Gallery
in a high Tourist area (skiing, snowboarding, Mt.
biking etc):
This gallery showed a number of my snowboarders
and mountain bikers, but each time I visited the
gallery (unannounced) I was greeted with a big
hung and kisses and I was asked why I did not
tell them that I was coming. I found not one of
my piece on display, this was especially galling
during the winter when the gallery showed ballet
dancer, while at the same time 20,000
skiers/snowboarders were slizzering down the
mountain site. Yes I was asked by the gallery to
donate a snowboard sculpture to a benefit auction
(it received a bid of $750.-) the gallery took
the credit for the donation but not even a 'thank
you' to me.
(4) Commercial Gallery
in a second high Tourist area (skiing,
snowboarding, Mt. biking etc):
This gallery had four of my sculptures. When I
visited this gallery six month later without
prior warning I found one of the sculpture
missing. When I asked for the owner, there was a
sudden flurry, I was told the sculpture had been
sold some month ago: Yes one could say my stuff
is not worth looking at it and therefore it did
not sell. Or, that I ask too much, however the
fact is that after paying for the stone, the
burrs, sanding material and other overhead I
should go to the labour relation board and
complain for not getting minimum wages inspite of
the fact that I work very fast once I get going (
I would not like to let any one know how little
time it actually takes to do a sculpture).
The Irony is, that once I removed all the
sculptures form the various galleries and showed
them in my annual "Art in the Garden"
show I sold most of them within two days (at
gallery prices).
Chris Rose, Vancouver Island
› Moment musicale
Treat your dealer like a violin, and when his
tune turns sour, remember you can find another
who will play your song, because YOU still hold
the bow, and YOU have the wax.
Linda Timbs, Coquitlam,
B.C.
› Readers questions
What do you think of a gallery where you state
what your price is and he jacks it up and sells
it for three times what you get in the end?
(Stacy Edmonds)
(RG note) The retail
price of a painting should be about the same
wherever you sell. Make it clear to your dealers
what this price is by giving them a price list.
Tell them these prices ought to be honoured or
approximated in order to protect your market
elsewhere and the investment of others
everywhere. If the dealer continues profiteering,
throw him out.
How many galleries do
you think an artist should have? (Brent Tyler)
(RG note) That depends
on your productivity. An active, prolific artist
may be able to supply ten or twenty. Slower
artists might only be able to supply two or
three. Keep them in different geographic areas,
protect their territory, and give them time to
build you up.
What’s the
commission rate these days? (Joan, etc.)
(RG note) It ranges from
25 percent to 50 percent. The average is
forty/sixty. Generally speaking, if you favor the
less expensive galleries with your finest work,
your cash flow will go up. With a modest little
nudge, quality work sells itself.
What do you do with
dealers who take from Peter to pay Paul? (Len L.
Francis, San Francisco)
(RG note) Get together
with Paul and all the other artists and either
get the gallery to fly right or close him down.
ý
If you would like to see selected correspondence
relating to the previous letter
"Morphic fields," please click here http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/morphic.htm
You may be interested to
know that artists from 70 countries have visited
these sites since March 30, 2000. That includes
Peter Shulman (letter above) who also wrote;
"When I met Picasso in the early 60’s I
noticed a sign (in French) over the table on
which he kept his materials. I asked for a
translation. It was "While others talk, I
work." I have the same sign (in English)
over my work table."
We are in the process of
putting together a "Resource of Art
Quotations." If you are interested in
volunteering to help with this project or would
like more information about it please drop me a
note at rgenn@saraphina.com