[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: The 10 Most Common Art World Contradictions

Doesn't the art world drive you nuts?

There are all these rules of conduct you're supposed to follow, but then you're also supposed to know all the times when those rules don't apply. It's like you need the equivalent of a degree in engineering, just to get your foot in the door. (In reality, that degree is probably more like an MFA from Yale.)

Well, today I break down the 10 most common contradictions and give you an advanced guide on how to navigate them.

You'll recognize that the art world's secrets aren't secrets, so much as confusion due to a lack of clear definitions.

And you'll be able to navigate the world more easily towards greater success.

Which is exactly what we want.

Listen to the latest episode of Art Problems Podcast Here

READ THE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Episode 55: 

 You're listening to the Art Problems Podcast, Episode 55. I'm your host, Paddy Johnson. This is a podcast where we talk about how to get more shows, grants, and residencies. And today on the podcast, we're talking about art world contradictions. This podcast is inspired by an Instagram post I produced earlier this week about art world norms and the contradictions that accompany those norms.  

And a large number Of the comments below that post identifying, you know, the hundreds more contradictions that there actually are because there are so many and there were also a number of frustrated comments over the fact that there didn't seem to be anything to be done to make it easier for artists.  

So I thought, here's what I can do. I'm going to take the 10 most common answers and offer some guidance on each. so much. So let's get into it. Contradiction number one, be humble. Don't approach gallerists versus be self promoting and get gallery representation. So be humble and don't approach gallerists that that first bit of advice is likely the result of galleries being bombarded by blind solicitations by artists who have done no research.  

And they would like those solicitations to stop. Another version of this is no blind DMs. But the average person listening to this podcast, at least, doesn't need to hear that. In fact, more likely, you're struggling with how to send that DM in the first place. And the answer to that is simple. Send DMS when you have something to say, this is how you build enough trust to get a response.  

So I'm going to give you an example of something that happened to me. So last year, I sent a blind DM to a pair of collectors who I knew were a perfect fit for the network membership. We had people in common, they had the right focus. I'd done the research. I'd never met them. They didn't know me. And, you know, I sent them a DM or two and the DM went unanswered and I didn't really think that much of it because it's Instagram.  

So people can lose track of their DMS and, you know, it's possible they weren't interested anyway. Cut to yesterday and they curated a work of art into a show that I just loved and I saw it on Instagram so I sent them a DM to say that. And what this did was it resurfaced the original ask and the timing was good for them now.  

Because they happen to be promoting a show so they can promote that show to the membership and we're going to make something happen. So the lesson here is threefold. One, do the research because if you don't do that, then the DM will never work. Two, don't be afraid to reach out once you are certain of a fit.  

And three, this is probably the most important one. Don't assume that just because you haven't heard back from a gallery, That that is an indication of a lack of interest. Just because something isn't the right time right now, doesn't mean that it will never be the right time. If you have something to say about the work that somebody else is doing, let them know.  

You never know what'll happen. All right, so contradiction number two. Here's your brand versus just do your thing and it'll look like you. So this contradiction and many that follow are the result of not understanding what part of the industry you are in. So Louise Mayhew has identified four different parts of the art world, experimental, traditional, community, and retail.  

So if you're in the experimental section, you're making work that Critically engages with your field. If you are in the traditional world, you're making work for exhibiting and selling to art collectors. If you're in the community world, you're facilitating art making for participants. And if you're in the retail world, you're making art for selling to everyday buyers and you are looking to grow your audience for the purpose of selling, right?  

If you're a retail artist, you are not conflicted by commerce, or at least you're less conflicted by it. Let's compare that to traditional artists. Traditional artists have been making work for a while. Commercial galleries Often talk about concepts of quote unquote newness and seek out perspectives that seem very unique to the artist. So your brand isn't built off appealing to hundreds of thousands of people. You only need to connect with a handful. But they do need to be rich.  

So your marketing is going to look completely different. You don't need to reach the same mass audience that an influencer or retail artist does. So that is what feels like a contradiction between just doing your thing and here's your brand. Because just do your thing and it'll look like you are really more appropriate for the traditional art world.  

And here's your brand and let's build that is more appropriate for the retail world.  

The third contradiction, money shouldn't impact your work. Just make What sells? This contradiction reveals the same market split that I was talking about in the previous contradiction. Money shouldn't impact your work, which is at the lower end of the traditional or contemporary art market, versus just making what sells, which is more appropriate for the retail market.  

It's worth noting though, that at the higher end of the market, there's a higher cost to making work that doesn't sell. So you think about it more. Cicely Brown, for example, has talked about how difficult it is to destroy paintings that aren't working because she knows she's destroying something that's worth six or seven figures.  

Ellsworth Kelly flower drawing prints are pretty and they sell. So he Several series of these, some in the 60s, some in the 80s. I mean, why not, right? They sell. Theaster Gates used firehose paintings and sculptures to fund his community projects. So there are a lot of reasons that people will make things just to sell or will be more conscious of it than others.  

And a lot of that has to do with goals and class behaviors. Another version of this, is marketing your work to customers the same way you would any other commodity versus maintaining the impression that you're only in this for the intellectual and spiritual purpose of art. Or don't sell your work on your website if you want to attract galleries versus sell your work on the website and cut out the middleman.  

Each of these connects knowing where your audience is and your place in the market. They're not true contradictions. In other words, they're just differences of how you identify your audience and what you need to do to meet that audience. So the fourth contradiction is technical mastery versus technique doesn't matter.  

Again, this is one of those things that falls into a category of where you're situated in the art industry. Though this time, the distinction is more between the experimental world, which looks more like nonprofits, artist spaces, and some museums, and the traditional art world, where you're showing at commercial galleries, and more often than not, technical mastery does matter.  

Now, does it always matter? No. Mauricio Catalan's Banana is a good example of that. That was an edition piece that was taped, a banana taped to the wall, which debuted at Art Basel, Miami that cost 150, 000 each. It was an edition, it was an edition of five. This conflict has no resolution except to say that context matters.  

If the same piece, the same banana and duct tape appeared in a secondhand store, it would sell for a dollar if you were lucky, right? It's at Art Basel Miami and it's a piece by Mauricio Catalan and it costs something different. All right. So number five, you don't need An MFA versus we only look at you if you have an MFA.  

Again, if you're in the world of retail, your MFA is not going to mean that much. So you don't need to worry about it. In the traditional world, it does. It's literally the first line on your CV. That said, a long show history makes an MFA less relevant. So it's possible to get that. And I want to mention it here.  

This leads into a second contradiction, which is that we support diversity and inclusivity in this program versus 50 percent of the recipients who went to one of these three programs. In the art world, diversity does not include class. Now, I think we can shift some of this through the strength of our networks that we build, but that's going to take a while.  

And so as far as I can tell, this contradiction is going to be with us for more time than I would like. Contradiction number six, galleries want to see strong sales records before showing you. You need to show to build up sales. This is generally a contradiction felt most acutely by artists who don't feel a great sense of agency over what happens to their work outside of the studio.  

And it does have a chicken and egg feel to it, but there is a path to follow here. And it's actually something that we're introducing inside Network for the next cohort, um, who's joining us. And, uh, if you're already a member, of course you get the upgrade automatically. So just know that that's coming, but that often involves.  

Self organizing shows and not working until you know enough people for inclusion in a group show. Now, obviously, there's a lot of steps in between that we don't really have time to get into in this podcast, but those are the broad strokes. The number 7. The seventh contradiction, just use an iPhone to photograph your work versus you need to use a good expensive camera and equipment and know how to use it.  

I think this one is a legitimate contradiction but I do have a rule of thumb for you that I wanted to share and it is specifically good for painters and people who are making wall mounted work. If you are shooting wall mounted work in a studio and you have good lighting and a decent phone, you can shoot individual works with an iPhone.  

It doesn't take that much effort or skill. All of that said, I would never recommend shooting an installation without a professional. Your documentation matters a lot. Way more than most of us think. So if you have an installation, if you have a show, make sure no matter what you do, that you get professional photos of that, because it's really going to make a difference to your career, contradiction number eight, don't list prices on social posts, list prices on social posts only.  

Again, here, context matters. If you're trying to make room in a flat file so that you can fit more in, you might run a fire sale on Instagram to get rid of that stuff, right? And that's fine. If you're doing that, you've got to list the prices. It's not going to be invisible. By contrast, if you're looking for a commercial gallery to represent your work, you're not going to list the sale price on Instagram because your goal is to get somebody else to sell it, right?  

And this is one of the reasons that we spend so much time with artists helping them identify their goals, because what it does is it helps you make sound decisions. And we can see that in this contradiction. Contradiction number nine. Make sure your work fits into the program of the gallery before you approach them, meaning there is a shared aesthetic language versus this is too much like what we already show.  

So we can't show you. I love this one as a contradiction because the truth is sometimes there's an outsider to the program. We can't tell what will represent too much of a similarity to a dealer. And the only way to know is to have more conversations. I'm not sure that eliminates the original contradiction, but it does give you a path forward to eliminate it.  

Finally, contradiction number 10, it takes time to develop a mature practice and body of work versus we love the young, sexy ones. This is, this is a very, very good contradiction in the sense that, uh, it exists. This contradiction reveals the disconnect between the quality of our work and The market demands, which are often shaped by networks and a desire to get some sort of return on investment.  

And the fact is the chances of a return on your investment are greater with younger artists. Here's the thing though, if you're looking to buy the artist's best work, I almost always advise purchasing that as they get older, because experience matters. As you make more work, your art will get better.  

All right, that's all the contradictions for today.  

I'm sure there's a lot more of them, but those were the core ones.  

I'll see you next week when I interview the author of the artwork, Heather Darcy Bundary.  

Paddy