tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post244620173131842171..comments2024-03-03T15:01:00.402-05:00Comments on Joanne Mattera Art Blog: Marketing Mondays: Open Mouth, Insert Foot, Lose OutUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-68935717155343309112010-05-13T18:39:25.053-04:002010-05-13T18:39:25.053-04:00Yes Joanne, to add to my story about art handling ...Yes Joanne, to add to my story about art handling and your comment about collectors, sometimes what they say can be cluelessly harsh. When I was installing two Hung Lui paintings for a client, she was so impressed that I knew who the Hung Lui was because it validated her 40K purchase. She kept saying, "I mean, she is a REAL artist because she makes her money from her art. She doesn't Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-80413429934484569272010-05-12T19:03:31.399-04:002010-05-12T19:03:31.399-04:00Right you are, Anon 6:40. It's not just what a...Right you are, Anon 6:40. It's not just what artists say but what dealers say, too--and, let me add, collectors.<br /><br />In a gallery where I was having a solo, I overheard one collector say to her friend about my work, "So big deal. It's color." <br /><br />Indeed, you never know who's<br />overhearing what's being said.Joanne Matterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564594823192456546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-4624128325814380252010-05-12T18:40:10.137-04:002010-05-12T18:40:10.137-04:00To support my painting practice, I work as an art ...To support my painting practice, I work as an art handler and get an inside look at how artists, curators and dealers address others and often talk down to "service" workers. Rarely do I advertise that I am an accomplished artist because that is not my role when on the company clock. One example of many....<br /><br />While installing a large, commissioned painting in a private Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-53226823605963652582010-05-12T10:29:24.168-04:002010-05-12T10:29:24.168-04:00It's one thing to slam strangers and folks of ...It's one thing to slam strangers and folks of some power in public situations, but I've noticed artists easily trashing friends who receive a show, grant or some other good break. On an almost related note, a few years ago I went to an opening of a distant aquaintance hoping to run into mutual friends. Surprisingly, (or predictably) buddies I assumed would be around for congrats and Otisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-27603216102058178702010-05-11T21:05:45.628-04:002010-05-11T21:05:45.628-04:00About a year ago, in an online discussion, a known...About a year ago, in an online discussion, a known art critic joined in and tore everyone's comments to shreds. The topic was gender inequality in the art world. This critic said if women were not shown as much it was because their art was not good enough.<br />The critic disagreed w/a comment that women artists receive less money for their work. Everyone scattered and comments were deleted. Marie Kazaliahttp://MarieKazalia.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-80797233793379833422010-05-11T20:04:53.705-04:002010-05-11T20:04:53.705-04:00@Debra: I would have gone ballistic, too. I've...@Debra: I would have gone ballistic, too. I've learned to discuss the content of the postcard and to ask to see the it before it goes to the printer. I left a gallery because of the typos and upside-down images in a brochure. My feeling was, if the dealer would do that to a simple brochure, imagine what she would do to my work. (I have since learned not to burn bridges, even if I do cross Joanne Matterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564594823192456546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-8901799773888741052010-05-11T19:03:11.241-04:002010-05-11T19:03:11.241-04:00Bernard commented:
"Picasso, Pollack, DeKoon...Bernard commented:<br /><br />"Picasso, Pollack, DeKooning, Rauschenberg and outsiders like Darger are renown for their personalities being monstrous.."<br /><br />That may be so, though it might be those negative traits only emerged in most cases only AFTER they had become established (and less vulnerable) artists.<br /><br /> I remember seeing a valentine drawn by Picasso on display Philip Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05191070779177407750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-55138543586776505402010-05-11T15:05:44.511-04:002010-05-11T15:05:44.511-04:00This post had me remembering and cringing at my ba...This post had me remembering and cringing at my bad behavior several years ago. Invited to participate in a 3 woman show at a small gallery in my neighborhood...I was aghast when I received the postcard for the show with the opening line something like, "We open our season with the work of 3 beautiful ladies" I went ballistic at what I read to be sexism, while the gallerist explained heDebra Ramsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587608778962906622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-44699641697614974762010-05-11T11:30:54.031-04:002010-05-11T11:30:54.031-04:00Bernard,
The artists you mentioned came up in a d...Bernard, <br />The artists you mentioned came up in a different "day," as you note. The art world was much smaller. The players were mostly men. I think it's a mistake to use those artists as models for 21st century. <br /><br />Darger, I have no explanation for, except that he fits conveniently at the edge of the envelope.Joanne Matterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564594823192456546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-35227976765655537952010-05-11T11:18:10.532-04:002010-05-11T11:18:10.532-04:00@Joanne,
Picasso, Pollack, DeKooning, Rauschenberg...@Joanne,<br />Picasso, Pollack, DeKooning, Rauschenberg and outsiders like Darger are renown for their personalities being monstrous or odd at times yet they got through the "system" of their day. (Darger, a different case though). Subtle difference though it may seem refusing to deal with someone unpleasant is denying that artists' talent to be seen by others. In the most extreme Bernard Klevickashttp://www.bernardklevickas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-48314562810960371412010-05-11T10:56:22.068-04:002010-05-11T10:56:22.068-04:00@ Bernard: My last statement about the curator: Yo...@ Bernard: My last statement about the curator: You work too hard to get yourself in the enviable position of being on a curator’s radar, of getting into a gallery. Why let a stray remark drag you off course?<br /><br />I am not for a moment suggesting that artists kowtow. I'm merely pointing out that rudeness usually works against an artist, especially since there are many other smart, Joanne Matterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564594823192456546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-40747621787560647372010-05-11T10:30:33.026-04:002010-05-11T10:30:33.026-04:00Diplomacy is almost always a good thing. But your ...Diplomacy is almost always a good thing. But your last statement about the curator shows where the power currently exists and it is a rather hopeless predicament for the little to unknown artist out there wanting to reach a larger audience that they must kowtow to this selective process. Powerlessness is left with no voice and art suffers for it. If an artist sees fault with the "system"Bernard Klevickashttp://www.bernardklevickas.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-85547490521475269352010-05-11T01:08:51.023-04:002010-05-11T01:08:51.023-04:00Every time I have problems similar to those you...Every time I have problems similar to those you've described, I usually talk to the gallery people directly. I figure that they're equipped to deal with the problem, so they should know about it. Sometimes, if you complain to your friends, you forget to tell the gallery, and you don't move up in the world. I'm always careful though, when I deal with this stuff. You have to let Mead McLeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10138488806634315191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-57798036420875448422010-05-10T17:48:22.937-04:002010-05-10T17:48:22.937-04:00This post dovetails nicely with your 4/12 post on ...This post dovetails nicely with your 4/12 post on ethical dilemmas. <br /><br />I do think most of us, from time to time, need reminders about discretion, how to approach people, and about listening.<br /><br />The art journal Paper Monument has a zine out called "I like your work: art and etiquette". It's a rather interesting read. Unfortunately, I imagine that most people who Pamela Farrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14892384331947566237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-66850488289928079152010-05-10T16:01:14.679-04:002010-05-10T16:01:14.679-04:00I remember when I worked in the corporate world (a...I remember when I worked in the corporate world (aka Evil!Medical!Empire). I quickly learned that the walls have ears and it seems that the same thing applies to the art world as well. Still, here in SF, we have situation where a very well-known gallery was co-opted by a slick operator when the original owner was quite elderly. The situation between Mr. Slick and family/friends of the original Nancy Ewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12116290968007398337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-73200944306732797272010-05-10T11:39:10.709-04:002010-05-10T11:39:10.709-04:00All of you responding get this topic. You;ve all b...All of you responding get this topic. You;ve all been there one way or another. <br /><br />@ Nancy: You raise an interestng point. Sometimes it's not just the dissing and bad behavior, but the inopportune approaches. A long time ago, I edited a textile arts magazine, and when I attended events, I was not seen as a person but at this entity to be pitvhed to. I'd be at a conference and Joanne Matterahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02564594823192456546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-36513829718183790582010-05-10T10:30:12.984-04:002010-05-10T10:30:12.984-04:00It doesn't always have to be rude or dissing t...It doesn't always have to be rude or dissing talk. Gallerist Miles Conrad talks about bad manners from artists in his workshops for artists at the encaustic conference. He describes the "artist fatigue" that he gets from artists who are so intent on talking about or promoting their work that they become pests to be avoided.Nancy Natalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03325421420384484035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-76736792705074080702010-05-10T10:01:30.142-04:002010-05-10T10:01:30.142-04:00Any business person needs to understand that there...Any business person needs to understand that there are times and places for everything. You have to know when to speak up (and to whom and how) and when to shut up. It goes both ways however.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716984314646883238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-21951660590816603702010-05-10T09:25:44.230-04:002010-05-10T09:25:44.230-04:00Great stories, Joanne! I think a lot of artists ar...Great stories, Joanne! I think a lot of artists are so insular and isolated and feel put upon by the enormous struggle of trying to make themselves seen & understood, that they often have the manners of complete troglodytes. I have been guilty of this sort of thing myself. Ever since I managed to get representation though, I have developed a sort of warning instinct not to mouth off at the LXVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18396149640519096992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30832682.post-39094407698707740772010-05-10T08:27:31.556-04:002010-05-10T08:27:31.556-04:00I remember once remarking to a Boston gallerist ho...I remember once remarking to a Boston gallerist how much I particularly enjoyed the work of an artist she had shown recently. (We were walking down a street not near her gallery at the time of this conversation, BTW.) She responded that yes, she too loved his paintings, but that he had been so unpleasant to work with that she would never show his art again. She said that a good part of what Catherine Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00436800214622635920noreply@blogger.com