The new template

Very interesting about the framing side of the market and how that can affect dealers who also count on framing to support their business. No matter how good the website, I still beleive it is incredibly hard to sell original paintings on the Web. Nothing compares to experiencing the art in person with all it’s nuances. Prints or pieces by dead artists are much more easily sold on-line. Thanks for sharing Robert, always enjoy reading what you have to say.

Robert – this isn’t a new template. It’s just the natural progression of a business imperative (“staying in business”) which has been going on for the last few years. The recession which started back in 2007 just forced the hand of a number of dealers. Reputation relates to the calibre of the dealer not the ownership of gallery space. Why would dealers pay the fixed costs associated with a “bricks and mortar” galleries if they can deal from a website via a computer and run exhibitions in spaces they hire as and when they require them (such as at art fairs). I’ve been watching it happen in the UK for the last 5 years. Dealers have remained in business and profitable because they made the switch – and because people with money who buy art like going to the good quality art fairs. Why would artists exhibit with galleries – and give them 50% commission – unless they are completely switched on to the Internet and aware of the need to be internet savvy to retain customers? Having a gallery which doesn’t understand the Internet is very unlikely to promote sales to all potential buyers. The fact of the matter is buying everything has gone online. It’s a trend which has been around for a long time and it will only continue. There will be yet another surge this Christmas – as there has been every year for the last few years. What it means is that artists and galleries MUST learn new business processes and acquire new skills (if they haven’t already) to maintain communication and transactions online. What I’m hearing from reputable galleries in London which hire out some of their space from time to time is that they have more and more art dealers without B&M galleries who are interested in renting that space for exhibitions for their artists. It sounds like a good business model to me. I am however still waiting for it to become absolutely routine for an actual exhibition to have a virtual exhibition online at the same time. It will happen.

I agree with you, the way is thru the Internet although I also prefer galleries. But times change people change and so here we are?

Dear Robert, As an artist who DOESN’T believe in the gallery system, I have a completely different perspective. Ten years ago, I might have done anything to be signed by a gallery…ok, not ten years, but twenty years ago for sure. Back when the earth was cooling and there was NO INTERNET(Perish the thought), we would have done anything to be cloistered into a coral with other artists and signed by a gallery. When the internet imploded ten years ago, nobody was buying off the net. Back then it was 98% pornography. These days, with all the social media, sales go well beyond a well honed website. Twitter, facebook, pintrest, google plus, vimeo and a HOST of other places where we can interact and find similar interest is THE place to be these days. I am my own agent, chef cook and bottle washer, I not only have to turn out the lights after an opening, I am returning the bottles to the recycling and mopping the floor long after my guests have left. But make no mistake, my work is moving and selling off the net. Gone are the days of the gallery owner dictating what is and isn’t art. Buyers are more savvy these days and if they love a painting, they will buy it on their own. It is my experience that the artist does more for the gallery than the gallery does for the artist. People should be careful when they buy from a gallery. As low as 40% of the sale goes to the artist. In the last year, two of the big gun galleries in my city have closed their doors. I have all of my canvases custom made. I also have them all made with a three inch side with the canvas wrapped around and stapled on the back. I then paint my images right around the edge so that the whole painting becomes a three dimensional experience. Framing is such a personal thing and can often cost more than the painting did and takes several weeks. If a piece is already framed, a client will ask to have it reframed and has their fabric samples out playing matchy-match! My paintings go from my gallery space, right onto the wall of the client without having to go off to a framer. A painting that needs to be framed is holding back from potential sales. Art in a gallery, well that is becoming a pipe dream! John Ferrie

Maybe it would be useful to add a note for how a gallery sells online? Those selling expensive paintings do not of course ask their client to rely on small images @72 dpi on a website which is viewable by all and sundry. I was given an education in how sales are made about five years ago at one of the major art fairs in London. Galleries have private spaces on their website which are only accessible by a password. In those spaces it is possible to view very large image files @300 dpi. This is done routinely following the publication of exhibition catalogues in paper or online and permits buyers who are not in the country to purchase paintings in advance of an exhibition opening – or to bid at auction at one of the major auction houses. I am given access to such files by the major public galleries when I’m reviewing exhibitions. Believe me I get a much better sense of the quality of a painting than I would ever thought possible. I can confirm that I see more detail in the photographic images on my computer than I do in the gallery when stood in front of the exact same painting. Galleries also often have a “sale or return” approach to selling expensive artwork – with those dealing in very expensive fine art prints by the top artists having dealt in this way for years and years. The customer has the work in their home and “tries it out”. If it works they buy and if it doesn’t they send it back undamaged. Obviously there are costs involved but these are expensive artworks. These are all processes which can be adopted by any artist.

A very prominent gallery owner, told me 40 years ago his main income was from framing, about 20 years ago it started to switch to dead artists. Although he represents top notch live artists, it is the dead artists that are the base of his business.

I have now my second attempt at my own website with hopes of self-promoting my art work. I would love to exhibit more in gallery’s but have found the competition difficult and lack of exhibition spaces troubling. I don’t know where my art fits in when out there. So, with the Internet I post my pictures not knowing who’s looking or liking. I have yet to find out. On the great world of web browsing I have yet to discover the worthwhile time and effort I put in to self-promote meanwhile, I don’t know where else to turn to. A uncertain conundrum.

I paint in acrylics on stretched canvases. I once visited the studio of a splendid painter. She had about 30 completed works, each with expensive frames. My mental calculator set to work, and I realized that I would have to sell a lot of paintings for a lot of money to make up for that expense. Regretably – framers are not part of my equation. But then again, I’m just another pleasure painter with dreams.

An addend: I was at the home of an artist on Sunday. I have seen one of her paintings online, and I had the opportunity to see it, framed and hanging on her wall. It was a joy to look at. A painting seen online is a pale representation of what it really looks like before your eyes. The texture and subtle play of light, on a painting seen before your eyes turns changes an internet image into a work of art. Speaking personally – I wouldn’t buy online and my stuff is there.

Lots of variables here …. Art isn’t the only industry that is turning to the Internet. You can buy virtually anything online and I think consumers are simply more comfortable with the process. That wasn’t the case even ten years ago. As to brick and mortar galleries or even a book store, the buying experience has to be pleasant. We’ve already noted how turned off we can be (“Have you ever been in a gallery before?”). No business can be so condescending to a customer and expect a patron to buy anything or come back. Those galleries who treat visitors with respect, are helpful, informative … those qualities are as important as the paintings on the wall. We can avoid a negative buying experience by simply browsing online. Whether a patron actually buys then or uses a website as the first point of contact in the process we need to realize every time we buy something online we eliminate an intermediary (a business and/or job), and that is the new template. For the most part, I’m okay with that because I dislike shopping for anything except groceries. Having said that, there is no substitute for seeing something in person, especially art and I do enjoy browsing my favorite gallery even though I’m not represented there. We are increasingly a do-it-yourself culture now, whether you pump your own gas, do home improvement, or sell your art online. We have to find our comfort zone in an ever changing economy.

Hi Robert. I’m a big fan of your artwork and newsletter. I found this article to be very interesting. I think another, related subject is the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter by artists to promote their online presence. Perhaps the subject for another newsletter? – Mike

Most interesting, particularly the” Personalization” by the artist of a work of art in process. Reminds me of the very positive effect of having the “Right”, name for a piece can have on its audience – whether Visceral, or Cerebral – It’s a Hook!

The Internet is, of course, the current most-powerful and disruptive ongoing force in many of our lives. It was probably easy to think at one time “Selling art requires a human touch, the ability to see the actual artwork and get a sense of it’s proportions and one’s reactions to it.” Makes perfects sense. But it seems nothing can escape (and nothing will escape) the disruption and disintermediation the Internet, and especially the World Wide Web, causes in nearly all things. It seems as though we are more than willing to forgo the direct human experience for one of the convenience of having things brought into our dens, offices, or with us all the time on our mobile phones and tablets. Yet, although that might seem austere, behind the websites, especially ones that the artist has themselves, is a human being. Someone is attempting to communicate with us, to find us, to show us themselves in a way that is actually not possible in direct contact, and in many ways where direct contact would never be possible. Yes, it is different, but maybe it’s not so bad after all.

Wow! I hadn’t seen your website before and your body of work is outstanding! And as always, I love what you are saying in these twice weekly letters. Thank you!

Had a friend who was a painter and had her husband set up a website over 14 yrs. ago which he maintains for her, takes orders for commissions, and ships her big paintings to all parts of the globe. This has enabled them to buy a house with a studio

I recently met with my friend who is also my framer and he verified sales are nil. Many of his old artist customers are not buying frames anymore. At one time a few years ago he would travel to art shows and sell from his truck. That is how we met. I was doing a live paint out and needed frames to exhibit in the show later that afternoon. When we talked recently, he told me he no longer goes to these shows because it was no longer cost effective. Due to my good relationship with him, he now gives me whatever frames I may need on consignment until I sell the work. If after a show I still have the work, he takes back the frames. This is a great benefit to me because my sales are in the same situation. Nil! In the past year I’ve been in seven gallery shows, plus four out show shows and haven’t sold one piece. If I had to buy frames along with paying the entry fees plus my normal costs, I would not be able to afford to exhibit. The bad news is even my Internet sales are at a stand still. I push my website every chance I get and check to see how many “hits” I get, which are many, but they ultimately they don’t result anymore into sales. The economic situation as well as Internet is terrible. I keep on painting in the hopes that things will get better but making a living as an artist is very difficult today.

I found your slide presentation of your work in progress very helpful as I am self taught and struggling with my format.

Expecting artists to not have a website is like expecting them to not have been listed in the phone book 20 years ago. Having said that, I still find that individuals, unlike corporations, buy art as an impulse purchase. They don’t typically wake up in the morning thinking they’ll buy a painting that day. But if they happen to stumble on it, like it, and can afford it, they will. This means, individuals don’t go online searching for art like they might search for other products. Selling art to individuals is about creating opportunities for impulse buying, something the web is not very good at. In addition, it takes standing in front of a painting to actually fall in love with it. The internet provides a sense of what the art looks like but not the experience of seeing it. Of course this changes when people buy art for investment purposes. When it comes to corporations its a different story. I have written about the corporate art market and selling art to corporate buyers in: Getting Your Art into Corporate Collections: Why it pays, How to do it, Who to contact available for immediate download at: www.artistadvisory.com/ebook.html

Thank you so much for this last letter… every time I read them I get a solid platform as to what is happening in the art world…

The Internet has opened up an entire new world for both artists and art lovers. Going into a high end gallery for some people was just intimidating and the prices were way beyond what most people could afford to pay. It was a rich man’s playground. The first painting I ever sold on the Internet was from a small free classified ad. I didn’t even have a picture of the painting in the ad and I just described it. The buyer asked if I could send them a picture and I photographed it with a web cam which was not very good. The painting sold. That was when I decided the Internet was the way to go. I started right away learning to build websites. I found I loved that too. So between building websites, and painting, I make a small amount of money. I’m still open to the idea of gallery representation though, but in the mean time, I’ll take what I can get. <a target=_blank href=”http://gloria-jean.net/” title=”Gloria Jean’s website”>http://gloria-jean.net/</a>

Because there is such a wide range of experience on this site, it has become the most valuable to me. Thank you Robert for allowing this to happen.

Hill Strategies Reports is a Canadian organization that tracks cultural activities. A recent report included: “A person’s cultural exposure can affect their likelihood of attending arts activities. For example, someone with less than a secondary school diploma was not very likely to visit an art gallery–only 20% did so. However, someone with the same level of education who attended a classical concert in 2010 was much more likely to visit an art gallery: 44% did so in 2010. The strength of the cultural crossovers is similar for each of the arts activities examined in this report. Detailed statistical modeling, which attempts to isolate the effects of individual demographic factors and cultural crossovers, shows that many cultural activities are statistically significant predictors of attendance at other types of activities (keeping other factors constant, such as education, income, age, etc.). All of the cultural activities examined were positively correlated with each other, meaning that many cultural participants attend a range of different activities. The statistical modeling found that, among demographic factors, education was a very strong factor in attendance at art galleries, classical music performances, and cultural festivals. Household income was a key factor in theatre and pop music attendance.

I am working on a plan to become a dead artist.

After 9/11 our whole business changed. It was our customers changing it for us. Our clients began thinking in terms of disposable decorative products for their homes. No longer were they interested in buying something they would own for years but rather something that fit their immediate lifestyle and could inexpensively be altered as they matured. Hence disposable art. That didn’t even last long. Soon we began to see sales slip dramatically in poster and limited edition artwork. Posters went first. People would find their needs online. We had the largest poster collection for sale in all the state. At the end we couldn’t sell the end stock of posters for a buck. Two years later we evaluated the turns of sales in each department. Inventory that took the longest to turn over was limited edition art and framed art. We began bringing in mass merchandise products at lower price points than the one-of-a-kind, artisan made, we use to carry exclusively. Framing was still good up to about 3-4 years ago. It has slipped dramatically. Across America there were over 25 thousand frame shops. Now there are less than 1/2 that number and many of those are Micheal’s, Hobby Lobby and Joannes Fabrics. We are left with much fewer sales but the sales we do get are high end because those customers still aren’t comfortable with a ‘box store’ and they shouldn’t be. Our framer has been with us almost 20 years. She started 3 months after we opened. You won’t find that kind of experience at a box store. In fact 5 of the 9 of us who work the store regularly all have over 17 years with the business. Just one of the problems associated with mass merchandise products is the margin is less so you have to sell a lot more of it to make anywhere near the money of the ‘old days’. It also means competing with the same product in other stores in our down town or area. That leads to sale pricing mentality and reduces the margin further. When we find someone else with the same product we do everything we can to get out and bring in some other merchandise to replace it. That is not always possible or practical though. I always like to use the analogy of running a business to that of a quarterback running the football down the field. You have to zig and zag your way down the field and try not to get tackled. You are constantly strategizing your course.

Ten years ago I decided to leave academics and start taking art classes. At that point galleries were requiring slides with submissions, and while I was years away from approaching any gallery I kept my eye on the various submission guidelines. The popularity of the internet has been the vehicle behind so much change, and has essentially created a moving target for myself. Maybe this letter should be combined with your FOMO letter, I bet some of us are at times unsure as to where our efforts are best spent and therefore, spend a little here, a little there, and don’t forget over there! I’ve exhibited only a bit, but it has been in a variety of locations and I now have a shop on Etsy where I list some very small pieces (that don’t sell) and a blog that I use mostly as a website that I can update easily myself and write about my process if I choose. I wonder if it will be enough, but as it is the closest to social media that I am willing to go I guess it will have to be. Burnaby, B.C.

Mr Ferrie, (above) does it all himself and does not need a dealer. This also may be why dealers do not need him. UK

Gee, Mr. C.S Plante, that is just down right RUDE! You don’t know me, nor do you know my journey. I would also say it is a stretch for you, seeing you are from the UK, to completely understand the gallery system here in Vancouver. And are you, in fact, a dealer? You seem to know and ASSume a great deal of things, given your limited and narrow view of the world. Then again, you don’t pay my rent, so think whatever you want. Im just tired of hearing from you already! John Ferrie That would be John Ferrie, john@johnferrie.com, my website is www.johnferrie.com…see, I dont hide like some dime store punk behind initials!

There is no question that nearly all of us are finding the art world in transition. The reasons are many; the new paths only beginning to reveal themselves.

The trend towards a new, modern template is obvious, you are right. But there is still the fact that most artists hate selling and that won’t ever change. The new generation of galleries will not be artist owned, they will have a Starbucks mentality and be at the forefront of social media.

Dear anonymous “gallery owner” – “In our gallery we tend not to work too hard to sell artists who have their own websites..” seems to say it all, yes?

One of the main reasons for the decline in framing sales is due to the current trend of not framing. Wrap arounds and painting on the edges is the inexpensive alternate that appeals to a lot of painters and has worked its way into homes and offices as well. In a way, frames have become an old fashioned way of finishing off a painting. Very 19th Century.

Michael should stick to graphite.

Re “L” and Mr. Ferrie: Where else but this wonderful newsletter could a person witness a virtual boxing match between two men who don’t know each other?! A battle of projections by two people in cyberspace. There, there, calm down!

Back when dinosaurs roamed the land and Nash Ramblers were new, I had an art prof who’d periodically report to us that a prof in the Philosophy Department had asked him again to come and talk about his philosophy of art. His reply was the same each time: “I shall come right after you come and paint your philosophy if life for my students.” Art, by its nature, is non-verbal. Talking about art is for the lazy who won’t learn to connect their eyes to their brains. You can talk about your response, your intent, but nothing makes art clearer than looking at it.

Dear Susan Kellogg, I fail to see how standing up for myself is deemed a “boxing match”. This is supposed to be an exchange of ideas. We don’t always have to agree with each other, but it is good to listen and hear another perspective. If you actually read what Mr. L said to me, I believe it was worth standing up for myself. I fearlessly put my full name, email AND website on here. While I am a lover, not a fighter, I do think it is correct to stand up for ones self when we are being unfairly slandered. I do apologize if this offended you. But if you look at my work, and I invite you to do so, you will see my paintings are anything but absurd.