June 13, 2009

Random, my a**

The art market and its inhabitants are a mystery to me.

Unless the skies part and a scroll unfurls out of the sky dictating otherwise, I swear on a 000 brush I will not work large other than commissioned work.

Up to now however, I have worked in just about every standard and non-standard dimension there is, on paper, canvas and linen. If someone pretends to know a science for the nuances of pricing works that range in scale, media, ideas, effort, kick-ass factor and street cred, I dare you to come to my studio and work that science out methodically.

Therefore, I have a couple of main parameters which I abide by:
1a. Paintings on canvas are priced higher than works on paper.
1b. Paintings on linen may be slightly higher than paintings on canvas.
1c. Crappy store-bought canvases are what they are, and thus I readily admit to having a slightly belligerent so-what attitude about using inferior surfaces. I also admit that paying attention to the craft of my surface does make the painting appear more important and since everybody, even a canvas likes to feel important, I'm back to focusing on this detail.
2. I have a reasonable upper limit for what I price the larger works and I have a reasonable base for what I price the smaller works. Everything in-between is spaced out evenly. Because of the multiple sizes, some sizes get grouped together. There's not lot of drama and I have a price sheet with most of the current dimensions that I can refer to, and update accordingly.

It's a little late in the game to be making a fuss about this, but [deleted]

Pause.

Good news. I did not slap anyone, but wow. the nerve. Random, my ass.

This coming Saturday is the big one. LOTS of prep work to do for that. LOTS.

6 comments:

M.A.H. said...

Perhaps I was a little testy when I wrote this post. Such is life. I'm better now.

Carla said...

A while back, a regional urban-planning blog (Urbanophile) posted about buying art, and practically accused artists of hucksterism over pricing. This blog normally posts intelligently about complex and nuanced ideas, but they were convinced artists' pricing was arbitrary and opportunistic. Commenters jumped all over it (again, people who normally posts pretty astute ideas). I was a bit shocked at all the pent-up suspicion and anger over possibly being "taken" by artists.

M.A.H. said...

I wonder what the artworld would look like if art was regulated. Blows my mind to think about this.

...oh shit, I just checked the post on the urbanophile where he seriously proposed that. I am stunned. http://theurbanophile.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-dont-people-buy-art.html

I had some SERIOUS ISSUES with 90% of what he said. I'm not even sure if i can discern, Most Offensive, but I almost posted something about art vs. decoration and how decoration promotes disposability, which I do not think is a good thing for art. Damn, I feel another rant coming on.

Carla said...

I had the same reaction. Where do you start? This post greatly reduced my reverence for that blog.

Carla said...

Their post that is.

M.A.H. said...

Yes, of course. I know your reverence for my blog is sanctified. ; )

It's over.

Nov 7, 2020. Tears of joy and relief. It's been unreal and I'm ready to get back to a sense of normalcy. The desert has been tough.