Our blog is obviously following the trend of the season (gallery folks tend to hibernate kind of like bears) - a slowdown in openings, events, and general creative juices. I would like to attend more events in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. And I'd love to have Sara talk about her recent work (nudge, nudge :)).
I've also been a bit preoccupied with school stuff lately. I'm working on a research project for my Visual Culture seminar (the hidden semiotics of Pueblo worldview in the Matachines Dance) that's sucking up most of my time and putting my friends and coworkers to sleep when I talk about it. My sales director asked me to give a presentation on it here at the gallery (ideally without causing eyeballs to glaze over), so I am looking for ways to tie it into broader ideas about southwest material culture. The idea is still, after all, to sell more art. I also think we should all take a fieldtrip out to Jemez to watch the dance in December, but I don't know if I can talk the powers that be into it.
This project has totally sucked me in. I keep finding new ways to integrate the information, which is such an intellectual rush. It has me thinking more seriously about formally entering the MA program at UNM...so I started the application process in earnest this week. I've lined up two letters of recommendation and drafted my statement of purpose. Wish me luck!
P.S. Check out the cool image at the bottom of the screen! Sara rocks.
~Heather
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Canyon Avenue
As part of a spate of rather vapid and self-congratulatory 400th anniversary articles about the City Different, the Summer 2009 issue of Art & Antiques called Canyon Road “Santa Fe’s equivalent of Madison Avenue.” In the context of the article, this means Canyon Road is still THE destination for art.
The other point this article makes is that Santa Fe is a unique art destination because of its ability to blend periods and cultures, the old and the new, the traditional and the exploratory. Different cultures bounce off each other and spread in unexpected directions. According to art dealer William Siegal, “the whole premise [of Santa Fe’s success as an art market] is that great art, whether new or old, informs the other.” I read in this a broader idea, that artistic influence in Santa Fe is atemporal as well as cross-cultural. Contemporary painters are still influenced by the motifs on early Pueblo pottery. Pottery and jewelry design takes cues from the land and ancient architecture. That, to me, more than the quaint allure, is what makes this a unique art destination. That is why certain artists (and those of us who work with and collect the art) are drawn here over New York or L.A.
~Heather
The other point this article makes is that Santa Fe is a unique art destination because of its ability to blend periods and cultures, the old and the new, the traditional and the exploratory. Different cultures bounce off each other and spread in unexpected directions. According to art dealer William Siegal, “the whole premise [of Santa Fe’s success as an art market] is that great art, whether new or old, informs the other.” I read in this a broader idea, that artistic influence in Santa Fe is atemporal as well as cross-cultural. Contemporary painters are still influenced by the motifs on early Pueblo pottery. Pottery and jewelry design takes cues from the land and ancient architecture. That, to me, more than the quaint allure, is what makes this a unique art destination. That is why certain artists (and those of us who work with and collect the art) are drawn here over New York or L.A.
~Heather
if you could bottle success, what would it smell like?
my apologies for not posting this sooner. this time of year wreeks havoc on my sinuses and i have been sick for over two weeks. i'm still a little foggy...but i think i might finally make sense.
i always thought that being a successful artist meant that you showed in museums in big cities. these gods of art actually make money from their work and travel the world! they are in magazines like Art in America and ArtNews. they have elaborate websites and if are too busy to show up to their own openings. galleries come crawling to them hoping to show even the smallest morsel of their work...all for the name, all because they are so great! but are they really that great? or did they tell us they were?
now i realize....it's all self-made. it's the image you project and it takes a lot of work. YOU make your own website. YOU seek out your own galleries. YOU pay for advertising in magazines. YOU figure out what will be popular and marketable and how you will fill a void in the art world. it's all about marketing and being a good business person. yes, some people do it the 'natural' way and are 'discovered'...but they are usually discovered by someone who is a good marketer or business person. georgio o'keefe being a great example. would she have been THE georgia o'keefe had alfred stieglitz not pimped her out. (i believe 'pimpin' is now a verb)
in short, being a successful artist takes work. you have to make yourself be seen, advertise your own work, enter into competitions, research where you have the best chance to be accepted and considered. i look at the other successful artists my age and am jealous, they started early and they made smart decisions. but after talking to a majority of the artists in santa fe, it takes time, patience and determination.
~sara
i always thought that being a successful artist meant that you showed in museums in big cities. these gods of art actually make money from their work and travel the world! they are in magazines like Art in America and ArtNews. they have elaborate websites and if are too busy to show up to their own openings. galleries come crawling to them hoping to show even the smallest morsel of their work...all for the name, all because they are so great! but are they really that great? or did they tell us they were?
now i realize....it's all self-made. it's the image you project and it takes a lot of work. YOU make your own website. YOU seek out your own galleries. YOU pay for advertising in magazines. YOU figure out what will be popular and marketable and how you will fill a void in the art world. it's all about marketing and being a good business person. yes, some people do it the 'natural' way and are 'discovered'...but they are usually discovered by someone who is a good marketer or business person. georgio o'keefe being a great example. would she have been THE georgia o'keefe had alfred stieglitz not pimped her out. (i believe 'pimpin' is now a verb)
in short, being a successful artist takes work. you have to make yourself be seen, advertise your own work, enter into competitions, research where you have the best chance to be accepted and considered. i look at the other successful artists my age and am jealous, they started early and they made smart decisions. but after talking to a majority of the artists in santa fe, it takes time, patience and determination.
~sara
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Other Side of the Tracks
After reading an article in the July/August issue of art ltd. magazine, I started thinking more about the locus of artistic influence right now in Santa Fe. The article, titled “Santa Fe: The Good, the Bad, and the Undefined” brings up a lot of the same issues we’ve been thinking about in starting this blog. Along with cutting-edge local projects such as SITE Santa Fe and ART Santa Fe, the author talks about the Railyard District itself as a prime location for emerging artistic trends and galleries with refreshing new approaches and an inviting atmosphere for emerging artists. She points out that “Santa Fe is flourishing as Mecca for the arts, and—despite the ups and downs—is coming into its own as an internationally recognized destination for contemporary art.”
So with these hot new galleries across town has Canyon Road been relegated to a provincial backwater? There was not a single mention of Canyon Road in the entire 5-page article. That’s interesting.
~Heather
So with these hot new galleries across town has Canyon Road been relegated to a provincial backwater? There was not a single mention of Canyon Road in the entire 5-page article. That’s interesting.
~Heather
Friday, October 2, 2009
Cult of Personality
I recently wrote a couple of book reviews for Moonshine Arts that got me thinking about this topic – one a look at the bizarre character of Salvador Dali called Dali and I: The Surreal Story by Stan Lauryssens and the other a modern take on the Vasari biographical standby The Lives of the Artists by Calvin Tompkins.
So much of the success one finds in any field is the ability to exude a gestalt persona that radiates beyond actual characteristics. This is perhaps more true in the commodified and fetishized arena of art. Tompkins spent a good deal of time with several of the artists that most squarely fall within this category (i.e. more rock star than artist) – Julian Schnabel, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, etc. I must admit that Jeff Koons is one of my least favorite artists, and he has built his career on the cult of personality. His work strikes me as derivative, mechanically-produced, and fetishized to a ridiculous degree. The value of his creative vision is in no way reflected in the inflated monetary value of his work. And he comes off as a total jerk, seemingly on purpose, as a way to enhance his holier-than-thou kitsch value.
My thoughts on this subject meandered over to “success” in general (in this sense defined as oneself as societally valued commodity), professionally, academically, and socially. Schmoozing seems more effective than the genuine expression of abilities. The golden attributes of humility and sincerity are devalued in a media/Hollywood-engorged society that inflates the worth of commodities – including the commodity of personality – to an unnatural degree based on how they momentarily sparkle in the light.
Nowhere is this more apparent than at a private (i.e. invitations only sent out to our clients who buy thousands of dollars of inventory) gallery opening. This phenomenon plays out again and again in the conversations that are thinly veiled exhibitions of wealth and power, in the symbolic jewels and baubles. I’m not a great schmoozer, and I’m not convinced that it’s a skill I wish to develop. There are only so many cheeks I can kiss (face cheeks and otherwise…) and hands I can shake before my mind shuts down. I prefer meaningful and thoughtful conversations to vapid gloating and ego-stroking. And when they all drink the Kool-Aid in the cult of personality, I’ll still be around to tell the tale.
~ Heather
So much of the success one finds in any field is the ability to exude a gestalt persona that radiates beyond actual characteristics. This is perhaps more true in the commodified and fetishized arena of art. Tompkins spent a good deal of time with several of the artists that most squarely fall within this category (i.e. more rock star than artist) – Julian Schnabel, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, etc. I must admit that Jeff Koons is one of my least favorite artists, and he has built his career on the cult of personality. His work strikes me as derivative, mechanically-produced, and fetishized to a ridiculous degree. The value of his creative vision is in no way reflected in the inflated monetary value of his work. And he comes off as a total jerk, seemingly on purpose, as a way to enhance his holier-than-thou kitsch value.
My thoughts on this subject meandered over to “success” in general (in this sense defined as oneself as societally valued commodity), professionally, academically, and socially. Schmoozing seems more effective than the genuine expression of abilities. The golden attributes of humility and sincerity are devalued in a media/Hollywood-engorged society that inflates the worth of commodities – including the commodity of personality – to an unnatural degree based on how they momentarily sparkle in the light.
Nowhere is this more apparent than at a private (i.e. invitations only sent out to our clients who buy thousands of dollars of inventory) gallery opening. This phenomenon plays out again and again in the conversations that are thinly veiled exhibitions of wealth and power, in the symbolic jewels and baubles. I’m not a great schmoozer, and I’m not convinced that it’s a skill I wish to develop. There are only so many cheeks I can kiss (face cheeks and otherwise…) and hands I can shake before my mind shuts down. I prefer meaningful and thoughtful conversations to vapid gloating and ego-stroking. And when they all drink the Kool-Aid in the cult of personality, I’ll still be around to tell the tale.
~ Heather
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Long and Winding Road
Thinking lately about the distinctions between working in galleries vs. working in museums, my future career path has been very much on my mind. I like the work I do, but something keeps me scanning the job announcements. Partly it’s the frightening economy, but I guess I also have this instinct to keep moving, onward and upward. Is that just another one of my hopelessly romantic notions? From the job descriptions for museum registrar positions, it often seems like I have a more satisfying and varied workload. It’s relatively flexible. I have a lot of freedom and personal discretion, time that I can designate for my own research. That’s so important to me. I may not get that as a museum registrar. Entry level registrars seem to do a lot of condition reports and shipping arrangements and not a whole lot of collection management.
I’m doing everything I can possibly do in terms of career development – publishing, blogging, education, research, trying to network (something I can admittedly improve upon…I’m working on it). The idea of going back to grad school is to develop the academic credentials to be a professional who does more in-depth collection work, ideally curatorship, although now I’m also feeling a little ambivalent about that option. The discussion in my class this week brought up some issues related to professional museum work. My classmates who have worked in museums had rather cynical perspectives on the politics, bureaucracy, and corporatization involved in the larger institutions. The name recognition and résumé prestige also makes these positions extremely competitive. Supply and demand being what it is (and museum studies/art history programs continuing to churn out a glut of overeducated and under-experienced graduates for a dwindling number of jobs), they can afford to be demanding.
The irony is that the jobs that want all this experience and expertise often pay less than what I’m making now. That’s true of both libraries and museums. Even adjunct professors make peanuts. Honestly, that’s another reason why I’m pretty happy where I am right now. I’m paid to catalog art and do research. Three years ago, stuck in the quagmire that was Nebraska, I would have sold all my possessions to be in such a position and living in New Mexico (which I basically ended up doing anyway, but more because I decided to simplify my life…and UHauls are such a pain). I’m not going to retire rich, but I’m well-compensated for the work that I do. Unfortunately, that’s more than many of my friends in the art world can say.
~Heather
I’m doing everything I can possibly do in terms of career development – publishing, blogging, education, research, trying to network (something I can admittedly improve upon…I’m working on it). The idea of going back to grad school is to develop the academic credentials to be a professional who does more in-depth collection work, ideally curatorship, although now I’m also feeling a little ambivalent about that option. The discussion in my class this week brought up some issues related to professional museum work. My classmates who have worked in museums had rather cynical perspectives on the politics, bureaucracy, and corporatization involved in the larger institutions. The name recognition and résumé prestige also makes these positions extremely competitive. Supply and demand being what it is (and museum studies/art history programs continuing to churn out a glut of overeducated and under-experienced graduates for a dwindling number of jobs), they can afford to be demanding.
The irony is that the jobs that want all this experience and expertise often pay less than what I’m making now. That’s true of both libraries and museums. Even adjunct professors make peanuts. Honestly, that’s another reason why I’m pretty happy where I am right now. I’m paid to catalog art and do research. Three years ago, stuck in the quagmire that was Nebraska, I would have sold all my possessions to be in such a position and living in New Mexico (which I basically ended up doing anyway, but more because I decided to simplify my life…and UHauls are such a pain). I’m not going to retire rich, but I’m well-compensated for the work that I do. Unfortunately, that’s more than many of my friends in the art world can say.
~Heather
who's on canyon?
i'm not an expert by any means, i've only worked at a gallery for a year and a half, but i've seen my fair share of people. upon entering the gallery, and sometimes even before that, i can usually guess at the nature of the visit. canyon road walkers are usually one of four types of people: a buyer, a looky-loo, an artist, and on rare occassions, an art student.
the looky-loo is the most common. they are here because their kids are in college or maybe they're retired. this is their big vacation and they were told to look at art in Santa Fe because that's what it's known for. a big clue would be the massive camera around their necks. they fancy themselves arists and will probably never buy, because they can take pictures. the buyers are no nonsense. they came with a plan. they know where, what, how, and when. i like the buyers.
then there are the artists. they don't spend a lot of time looking at the art, they appear to be casing the joint the minute they walk in. with leather bound portfolio in hand, they always ask for the owner, who is rarely there in my case. some are polite but some are rather high and mighty. i'm a lowly sales associate, why would they want to talk to me?! (note to aspiring artists trying to get your work into a gallery, be nice to the person at the desk. they have the ability to drop that pretty portfolio in the trash the minute you walk out the door!) being an artist myself, i always feel bad saying thanks but no thanks, we're full.
finally, and this is very rare, we get art students or people really intersted in learning about the art and artists because it is their passion. these are the people that usually end up spending 30-40 minutes with me chatting about the nature of art, art theory, business, etc. they know art, but they want to know more. eventually they'll be the artists sizing me up from behind their portfolio, but at this point they are still wide-eyed and awe struck and very interesting to learn from.
~sara
the looky-loo is the most common. they are here because their kids are in college or maybe they're retired. this is their big vacation and they were told to look at art in Santa Fe because that's what it's known for. a big clue would be the massive camera around their necks. they fancy themselves arists and will probably never buy, because they can take pictures. the buyers are no nonsense. they came with a plan. they know where, what, how, and when. i like the buyers.
then there are the artists. they don't spend a lot of time looking at the art, they appear to be casing the joint the minute they walk in. with leather bound portfolio in hand, they always ask for the owner, who is rarely there in my case. some are polite but some are rather high and mighty. i'm a lowly sales associate, why would they want to talk to me?! (note to aspiring artists trying to get your work into a gallery, be nice to the person at the desk. they have the ability to drop that pretty portfolio in the trash the minute you walk out the door!) being an artist myself, i always feel bad saying thanks but no thanks, we're full.
finally, and this is very rare, we get art students or people really intersted in learning about the art and artists because it is their passion. these are the people that usually end up spending 30-40 minutes with me chatting about the nature of art, art theory, business, etc. they know art, but they want to know more. eventually they'll be the artists sizing me up from behind their portfolio, but at this point they are still wide-eyed and awe struck and very interesting to learn from.
~sara
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