“What Artists Should and Shouldn’t Do to Join a Gallery” — Asking 5 Art Professionals
The global art media outlet「art net」published a news article titled「What Should Artists Do If They Want Gallery Representation? 」(dated February 10, 2022).
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ask-experts-how-do-i-go-about-getting-gallery-representation-as-an-artist-2070661
What should an artist do if they want to be represented by a gallery?On this theme, five veteran art professionals offer practical advice in the article.
Below, I have briefly summarized each of the five people’s opinions.
Pilar Corrias (a gallerist in London)
“When I look for an artist, there are various kinds of hoops the artist has to jump through in order to succeed.” “What I’m looking for issomething I’ve never seen before. I have to feel possibility there and find the path along which the work will develop.” Her advice is to “think big.” “When you work with an artist, you have to support their practice, repeat it again and again, and talk to many people. That’s why you need to feel there is depth in the work,” she explains.
When it comes to discovering artists, she is always researching—reading interviews and talking to other artists.
Also,just as important as what to do is what not to do.
Don’t use another artist’s opening to approach a dealer about your own work. “I don’t like solicitation or being approached, especially at art fairs. I’m busy,” Corrias says.
François Ghebaly (a gallerist in NY and LA)
François Ghebaly, who runs galleries in Los Angeles and New York, agrees. “We have a network of people who give us information.I listen carefully to what artists say。I like to deepen relationships through connections among artists and introductions from people I trust. In this business, everything is built on trust.”
“It’s important to keep practicing continuously, make work, and put it out into the world in some form,” Ghebaly says. “SNS like Instagram was very useful for artists to gain exposure, especially during lockdown, and it also led to involving the community and fellow audiences and reaching as many people as possible.”
Victoria Cooke (a gallerist in Ghana)
“I’m always surprised because art schools seem to teach almost nothing about the realities of working with agencies and galleries. Try talking to experienced friends and mentors, or ask someone at a gallery to talk with you. Through going to events, meeting people, and applying for awards, you may get introduced to the right people.” As important tools for discovering new talent, she citesInstagramandgraduation exhibitions.
Ceri Hand（Artist Mentorfounder, former gallerist)
In her current work, Ceri Hand prepares a long list of proposals showing that an artist is a trustworthy person, in order to persuade gallerists. “Make lots of work; clarify the uniqueness of your work. Get into the habit of connecting with new people and inviting them into your studio. Be sociable. Build an online community. Share images of your work, ask questions, and seek feedback.”
“Exhibit as often as possible, in the best possible places.
It’s also important to be conscious of the times. How does your work engage with the present, and how will it contribute to the next era?” she says.
Like Corrias’s opinion mentioned earlier, Hand also says, “Stop the hard sell. If you get a chance to talk with a gallerist, get to know them, ask questions that spark curiosity, and find out what they are absorbed in and interested in right now.”
Stephen Dunne (a painter)
Stephen Dunne, a painter who has held exhibitions at the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Royal Academy, among others, says: “Not having a gallery doesn’t invalidate your work as an artist. I thinkautonomy is very important.Many artists belong to the wrong gallery, and that hinders their careers. They are expected not to experiment.” In other words, in this era there are cases where you can DIY it yourself without being represented by a gallery.
If I were to summarize this article forcibly, it might go like this.
If you seek gallery representation: as an artist who reflects the times, make many works, accumulate presentations in good spaces, be mindful of relationships with those around you, don’t miss opportunities like SNS and graduation exhibitions, avoid hard-selling, and build relationships with galleries. Also, if a gallery would undermine your autonomy, this is an era in which you can consider managing yourself without joining it.
What do you think?
For more details, please check the article below.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ask-experts-how-do-i-go-about-getting-gallery-representation-as-an-artist-2070661
