Replies: 27 Comments
on Monday, November 14th, Jason Sullivan said
i don't think anyone is doomed to failing as an artist because your success as an artist is not defined on if you become known in your time. that is just an example of limited views. your experience of the manner in which your art is received is only a small fraction when looking at the big picture of how your work as an artist can and will affect the world until the end of days. if you create art . . . you are an artist. if you challenge perception or otherwise paint with meaning, then you are a great artist.
on Monday, October 31st, john nolan said
lets move on eundus est mihi who cares anyways its upsetting reading nonsense especially in the light of hope is there anyone hearing me said the blind man to the pope take care said the bishop as he consecrated the host is there anyone there said the stranger as he knocked on the moonlit door, onions and shite said the traveller where will i go next door ? IS THERE anyone there said the neighbour as he reflected on the sacred rites, no ....no....... its rubbish , whatever I say is right, everyone should abide by what I say and that is right , no room to discuss or cidcuss, its me, me ,me and forget about the rust,and perhaps in other words forget about the rest of us
thanks roger
on Saturday, October 29th, jeez said
well jeff...i see you have a link to your website...
it's halloween...tonight im going as...
A SHAMEFUL/SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTING ARTIST.
did anyone even read my comments?
i quit
the horse...the water....
elementary education...."How to drink water".
on Saturday, October 29th, jeff said
It is important that artists take on the system one way or another. Whether to subvert it or to conquer it like a surfer does a wave one must get into it, become conscious of its workings, challenge oneself to courageously engage. That doesn’t mean it is right, only that it has power that must be dealt with. I do not believe that might makes right …but it does give it a tremendous edge. So I like to see alternatives offered regularly to the status quo…but realize that they are alternatives because there is a status quo. And often times it is better to simply take on Goliath straight on. Anyone who is doing art simply for the pure joy of it with no thought to societal (and therefore commercial) success could care less about this subject. We gripe and complain because we do want that higher success and certainly griping and complaining is a form of dialog...and dialog is a good thing.
on Friday, October 28th, jeez said
Has anyone here heard of the Van Allen belts? They are belts of magnetic particles encircling the Earth within a circle eight pattern that includes the moon. Some say, they are like giant hard drives containing all knowledge, past, present, and future. It was first rumoured that a state of higher consciousness was needed to tap this enormous data base. Others say this knowledge can "zapped" into a person's mind. And still others feel it is purety of soul that opens the flow.
3 minutes till news conferance....
on Friday, October 28th, jeez said
I realize the challenge of forward thinking can be baffling, especially in an age where realism is so prevalent and promoted so heavily. Plein air painting as beautiful as it is, is just not very creative. Realism in general is reflective. How can one reflect on what does not exist?
So in response, one is now at the consideration of abstraction. Only for one man was throwing paint truly forward thinking. For all others it is merly process. Abstraction can be as dim-witted as photo-realism. Upon deciphering and decoding those works in the fore-front of a particular type of abstraction, it then can be found the premise of the newly attained ground, hence called, forward thinking. It is always forward thinking that breaks new ground.
A grey area exists if one is to consider forward thinking as being the interpretation or the re-interpretation of what has come before. Lets face it, some how, some where, there was original, completely new thought. Or was there? Is the creativity of an artist solely registered, similar to a Darwinian transition? Or can there be the completely new?
tba (to be continued)
on Friday, October 28th, Andrew said
Let's change the mood a little...here's a poem by Czeslaw Milosz that in very few words says a lot about this current theme...
If Art will have for its subject
a broken jar
done by a small broken soul
with great self pity
What will remain when we are gone
will be like lovers weeping
in a small dirty hotel
as dawn strikes shabby wallpaper
on Friday, October 28th, jeez said
John......
Quit meddling in the present.
It only muddles your thoughts.
Use your creativity.
Go forth, go onward,
and bring us something new.
on Friday, October 28th, john nolan said
This is a rhetorical blog ? It doesnt matter if I have agents or galleries representing me on the moon. Most of you - please calm down, read it again - and hopefully this time you will consider the questions.
Thanks Roger
on Thursday, October 27th, jeez said
hey homage...get a brain
on Thursday, October 27th, homage said
Hey Jeez...quit complaining! ;-) Remember move forward: forward.
on Thursday, October 27th, Jeez said
When in the fricken heck is anyone ever going to write some forward thinking?
Put on your thinking caps and quit _itching.!!!
This website is providing a blog entry series that has a minuscule possibility of fostering new directions in art. SO USE IT !!!
Try working for humanity instead of your stupid little egos and your own promotion!!!!
Quit complaining!!
MOVE FORWARD !!!!!
THINK OF WHAT CAN BE....
NOT THE WAY IT ALL IS !!!!!
on Thursday, October 27th, gabriella said
Great response, Walt!
on Thursday, October 27th, walterking said
That art is hard is a forgone conclusion. Art has always been hard. In fact one Renaissance master even suggested that only the sons of the Aristocracy should venture into the arts because they and they alone could afford to pursue it with dispassion and objectivity rather than by selling out to the need to make a living from it. I don’t particularly agree with this notion but it does have a certain ring of truth. On the other hand without the moderately low born Michelangelos, Van Goghs, de Koonings and Warhols of the art world where would art be? It would remain vapid, effete and narcisistic with no conscience or soul.
In the end, we really celebrate when talent faces off with and gains the respect of the hard ball world of , power, finance and blue nose family trees. Myths are truly born of such.
Art is about life. Fame and/or success is about putting your art out there and dueling with the world view at large-- the one we often times do not like so well, the one that seems to challenge life at times. At the highest levels art and success do become one. Talent alone is not enough to get into those circles. Barring a few exceptions, we celebrate the brilliance and wiles of Michelangelo for confronting the Pope and having his own artistic way with him, Picasso for manipulating his dealers and clients, and Warhol for manipulating us all.
No one cheers for the quarterback who is afraid to take a risk and pass the ball, or the musician who only plays the easy songs. We celebrate the artist who risks it all to make ambitious works, grand statements, those who reach high and dig deep, those who take on the Church, State, the Rich, Corporate power... we celebrate the ones who came from obscurity and fashioned their world view and took on the art world and won... we(fellow artists especially) like artists who take on the Trickster or Coyote persona, the subverters and seducers who through sheer brilliance fool our superiors into embracing a view opposed to their own...Especially in these days when society seems so evenly divided between liberal and conservative and cultural warfare is the fare of the day. Culture is the very world we oftentimes do not like to deal with...and any artform is only a part of the culture if it does not shy away from participating and even challenging that culture. But it also means that we must manage to get into the race at the very least because no one can hear us crying in the wilderness.
It is important that artists take on the system one way or another. Whether to subvert it or to conquer it like a surfer does a wave one must get into it, become conscious of its workings, challenge oneself to courageously engage. That doesn’t mean it is right, only that it has power that must be dealt with. I do not believe that might makes right …but it does give it a tremendous edge. So I like to see alternatives offered regularly to the status quo…but realize that they are alternatives because there is a status quo. And often times it is better to simply take on Goliath straight on. Anyone who is doing art simply for the pure joy of it with no thought to societal (and therefore commercial) success could care less about this subject. We gripe and complain because we do want that higher success and certainly griping and complaining is a form of dialog...and dialog is a good thing.
The more ambitious, the more our bent is in that direction of action once they have gotten a sense of what is going on. Artists are by nature ambitious even if they skirt around their own ambitions and pretend not to care. Once we’ve admitted that to ourselves we can begin to truly see our course. But here’s the deal…just because we have talent, skill and ambition does not guarantee that great success will follow. Fate isn’t fare…it isn’t democratic, doesn't always pay attention to track records or credentials and it doesn’t give a hoot about great art in the short run. But anything that can be converted into financial liquidity will get it’s attention, like talent, savvy, brilliance, connections…in fact the more the merrier. And isn’t this arena where the artist could have the most influence or effect if he or she still has a heart and a conscience and a soul upon arrival?
on Thursday, October 27th, Matt said
John, who are you talking about? You? I took a look at your website and I can see that you are certainly known and, I would say, fairly well established! You have achieved more than most artists ( artist used loosely as many have pointed out talent,etc.)and this probably happened over time and even a few tears.
Many of the replies point to a theme: persistence. It's a long haul game for most tied to some good luck and, of course, some kind of talent (hopefully). Unknown? is right when he/she writes about the BS part as well BB. The BS is not professionalism. You can be extremely professional and still encounter BS i.e. the game that is played!
Nice to see such a lively Blog...
on Thursday, October 27th, wendy jean hyde said
fame and fortune. not just a goal for artists. please stop whining. i know a lot of gallery owners, athletes, and restaurant owners who could justify the same complaints here. if you don't like the game then go do something else. sorry for the harshness but couldn't the energy be best spent marketing your work?
on Thursday, October 27th, Paul said
As far as I know, although paul is an extremeley common name,there is not another paul apart from me on this site posting and responding,so the previous post by paul is not this paul,confused? Read on,sure has as been said open your own art gallery,as a sure fire way of getting to the thick of it,my guess,most would fold within say 6 months,or less, because of lack of sales obviously,although a rider to this is that as someone once said,anything that is publiscised and promoted well enough,will be popular,anything,and properly packaged advertized ect,I reckon thats true,anyone can be a famous artist,whatever work they do,because there is always divided opinion about anything,some think its crap,others like it,its about exposure,the more people that see your work the better chance of sales obviously,re Andrews point about the big bucks pushing someone,so we poor saps just have to work it out somehow,try all the angles,and keep trying.
on Thursday, October 27th, Vic Rolfe said
"The professional artist who devotes his or her life to art is doomed to the obilivion of anonymity, unless the dice is rolled in their favour, and they are packaged, promoted, manicured, airbrushed and presented to the esteemed arbiters of taste , the rich list."
I couldn't agree more!
There is far too much snobbery involved in art these days. And commercial art is subject to the whims of fashion (which in itself is largely dictated to by the dealers.) Very often, for a professional artist to succeed, he or she will have to fit in with their local art "scene" - cosisting of a clique of dealers, "in" artists and their sponsors and collectors. If the artists is not a part of the "scene," then it doesn't matter how good his or her work is, he / she will have great difficulty in selling it.
on Thursday, October 27th, Andrew said
Fact: it's easier to get rich and famous if your parents are rich and famous. My European buddy who just inherited 800 million dollars sent a piece to Massachusetts and the governor came to see it's unveiling. Not because the artist has a reputation...because his deceased father's company employs hundreds of people in Massachusetts ands spends LOTS of money there. If you want to play this game, then you must not only create your work, you must create the playing field. Don't expect to go out in the arena with a slingshot and slay an opponent who has the latest, most expensive weapons and armor. You must nullify the advantages your adversaries have, like money and power. How?
Another metaphor...don't fish in a pond with hundreds of other fishermen sitting around it. There, the rich will drain the pond if that's what it takes to get the fish. You can go find a pond where you're the only one. I chose Italy and it worked, because as a non Italian, I am respected in a way most Italians are not. You won't be accepted as a prophet in your home town, because people know you too well (or think they do). So...first step, go somewhere else. Then develop something there no one else has. Show in ways that other people don't. The rich cry, "No fair!" when you do this. As they have their parents show them the way into the Metropolitan Museum collection. Know that many of the heirs of most of the richest families in the world have chosen to become artists (because they can't do anything else? because anything can be called art?. Rockefeller. The biggest beer company in Italy. Zim lines of Israel. The heir to the Xerox fortune. The heir to the fortune made from building all the bridges in Iraq during the Shah's regime. If you check out the history of many of today's most famous artists, you will find most of them did not come from nowhere. Caio Fonseca? Do some studying. These are the people who you're up against. Hundreds of thousands of the world's wealthiest inhabitants. You'd better build a strategy based on this decades old mutation in the art world. And do whatever you have to, to level the playing field. Carve yourself a niche, and carve it deep.
on Thursday, October 27th, Roger Cummiskey said
Good to see you back on the airwaves John. The best and only three pieces of advice that I can offer are:
1. Patience and persistence,
2. Patience and persistence,
3. Patience and persistence.
Fame and good fortune follows.
Don´t be scared - happy Halloween!
on Thursday, October 27th, Barney Davey said
Artists are not capriciously elevated by chance from the ranks of “unknown” to “somebody,” or what have you. Sure, there are the oft-told stories of unknowns who are “discovered” that support myths. I believe that luck in the residue of hard work at the business side of art is far more likely the chief distinction, talent notwithstanding, than capricious chance in defining those who become well known.
In my book, How to Profit from the Art Print Market, I refer to a Los Angeles Times Magazine article wherein Howard Fox, curator of the Los Angeles County Art Museum, discusses the difficulty of artists gaining his attention. He annually attends hundreds of exhibitions and visits 50 to 60 galleries regularly. He also gets letters, emails, slides and invitations to shows and to view Websites. He finds the incredible velocity and volume of the offerings makes it very difficult for the unknown artist to stand out with him. He believes what it takes, besides talent, is the slow water drip of frequent exposure that makes an impression on him and others like him.
While we are admittedly comparing getting the attention of one curator to thousands of art dealers, the process still is the same. The steady, methodical, patient application of every means possible to put one’s message in front of a buying influence...drip, drip, drip away …will lead you to success. Water will carve stone if it drips enough in the same place...paint probably would as well.
on Thursday, October 27th, qt said
(yawn)....quantum physics is so much more interesting.....(yawn)
on Wednesday, October 26th, bb said
Art like life is a game about survival and it is survival of the fittest who wins.
Art is a business and like all businesses have its success stories and failures.
The ‘BS’ that goes with it is called professionalism. Most artists don’t even know about their own trade-the business of art. If an artist can’t be professional than the artist is a nothing but a hobbyist. Every artist is not meant to be famous nor do most even have the temperament to go the path.
“Why is the artist subjected to a capricious game of chance?" (JN). The artist is not subjected to anything he or she does not want to be-like talent it is the nature of the game. "Why is the artist given the title " unknown artist " until the whimsical hand of God , namely the art dealer / the gallerist, the omnipotent one, plucks them from so called obscurity and deems them to be an " established, collectable artist " ? How do you get known John? Unknown-Oh gee! John do you expect everyone to know everything! But for starters let’s try 'track record'. It sounds like you have been rejected by mean people-but with your attitude they probably see you coming. The professional attitude would be about overcoming objections and getting on with your life.
"This baptism of celebrity bestowed on whoever the lucky artist might be, is based on pure commercialism, the rich becoming richer ". Luck does have something to do with it-if you are around enough to get lucky. It is not based on commercialism alone but a good incentive to do a good job. Who doesn’t want to make money? If you think everyone who sells or deals art is rich you are naïve-most do it out of passion for art. As Warhol said, “It’s the art of the deal”. Most artists don’t even know where they fit because they don’t do their homework.
“The creative process, the quality, where the artist came from, where the artist is going, the evolution of the work, the struggle, the influences, the materials, etc., none of these are measured, none of these are important.” If you were other than jaded, John you would know this is inaccurate as can be! That is what the powers that be are looking for-keep up with your trade, John. It boils down to interpersonal communication skills and professionalism again, and then that little thing called talent and perseverance. There are representatives that can rock the artists’ world-look'em up.
"It is materialism at its finest". We thank our lucky stars for ‘materialism at its finest’ since art is luxury item for only those that can afford it, weather it be a dealer or a collector.
"The pricing, sorry let me qualify that, the unreal pricing of art work is never controlled by the artist, it is decreed by the hand of God , the art dealer / the gallerist, because money begets money". John,I am glad you put the dealer /gallerist on the same level as God, because in the artists’ world they are God, so you might try having some respect for those that rule your world. Who is going to deal in something they are not going to make money on? (An artist). My question about ‘unreal pricing, never controlled by the artist’ is what are you talking about, dead or alive? It sounds like you are promoting the artist as eternal victim. Have you ever heard the old saying, “life is a negotiation - negotiate it well?” Heads up - that is business! FYI if a gallery is a POP and client nurturing on a main drag in bigger cities, you are looking at
a 40 to 50K monthly or more for overhead with only nominal promotion and a small staff. Bigger advertising budgets are contingent on Bigger sales. Key word sales. Artist as victim or artist with shoulder damage is boring. John, you should start you own gallery and figure out what the money trail is, then and only then would we ever be able to talk.
Until then get therapy, although I don’t know if you can get therapy for simple ignorance.
on Wednesday, October 26th, John Powell said
I like these controversial views/dialogues.I am
going to listen and just PAINT.Because i dont have the energy to talk much about it cus its gonna happen any how.People is gonna talk and Art creates dialogue,so,i am gonna just PAINT and let them talk about it.I'll talk in my paintings.I agree Kate."This controversy creates ideas in me to PAINT on".
So long,see ya.
on Wednesday, October 26th, paul said
Talent and hard work goes a long, long ways. Yet, even untalented artists can make it. "Art is what you can get away with"-- attributed to Warhol. Right place, right time and/or the points Kate makes also contribute.
John, your work is nice and from what I can tell you are certainly not an unknown.
Cheers
on Wednesday, October 26th, Kate said
This is absolute rubbish and the whine of so many bad artists. There is no chance in the art world. If you work consistently and achieve a mastery of your tools and are capable of developing a unique way of looking at things you will succeed. On top of all this you must be professional, well organised, motivated, extremely energetic and a good communicator. Really, few people in this world can actually obtain this level of discipline and instead sit around procrastinating ridiculous fables about the art world and relying on chance. It is an incredibly challanging and rewarding career.
on Wednesday, October 26th, unknown? said
Interesting Blog. Wouldn't it be great IF all of us artists had world wide name recognition! I think that this begets money and money, like it or not, DOES make the world go round and round.
Artists (those that want to be known and would like to earn from their art) are at the whim and mercy of those that promote,sell,critique,etc. and, I dare say, to those long since famous dead artists.
Basically if one wants to play the game then we have to play it, more or less, the way it is played. Like it or not. If one chooses not to play and does art for the pure sake of it then that's ok too. It's a matter of choice as to how far an artist is willing to take it complete with the BS that goes along with it. Call it "paying your dues".
Afterall we don't live in an ideal world, do we(?). It is a world of commercialism in which many of us freely take part. And YES the rich get richer. Perhaps many of the rich, the galleries and dealers set the prices because they do business whereas many artists do art.
