Art Galleries; their take on photography

[Peter McCullough]

Thought I'd share this with youse;

Happened to call into an art Gallery in Stirling (Scotland) today, stuffed full of lovely arty stuff per usual, noticed only a few 'digital prints' displayed in the shop, buy mainly paintings of course...

Got chatting to the art gallery owner for a good fifteen/twenty minutes or so, I mentioned my keen photographic skills regards my personal floral photographic images etc, owner kind of squirmed and informed me that photography was not a big thing in his gallery, "not much demand for it", I then said some of my personal photo's can be quite abstract to which he replied "Oh, that's even worse", a smaller catchment area for that style/theme etc.... And no he wouldn't be keen on showing any of my work it seems.

I told him photography is an art just like painting, but didn't take me on. Strange behavoir from an art gallery owner I thought, a very blinkered approach to a fantastic documenting vast medium.

A few months ago I rang an art gallery in Bridge Of Allen stating I was a keen semi-pro photographer mainly shooting floral photography and the art gallery owner said "they never sell photography only paintings", wOw couldn't believe their such blinkered response to photography also.
What's going on I wonder........??


Sorry, this attitude really cracks me up....!!!!

 

[Lesley Jones]

I think I have been here, done that and got the T shirt. Only very tentative mind, but exactly the same reaction. If it helps Peter, I think people regard photography as the "norm" these days. Everyone has a camera and they are constantly exposed to images. They don't need pet portraits, or family portraits because they do it themselves. I really think most people can't recognise a good photograph even if it slaps them in the face. I never felt comfortable offering my photographs for sale on the web site, but the truth is I never got a single sale. A lot of people liked to look because I could tell from the stats.

 

[Beth Carter]

a high school art teacher once told me that art took effort to make. photography wasn't art because it involved pointing and camera and pressing a button. i'm not sure he knew what he was talking about.

 

[Glenn Clabo]

There are a few galleries here in Boston that specialize in photography. I frequent them and engage the owner/operators to see what is happening. There is one single common thread...the larger and more dynamic...AND more expensive the better. It seems that people with money don't mind spending on excellent work. The people who don't... feel it's just a lucky shot with an expensive camera...and can't understand why they are so expensive. I'm thinking that the more cameras the less people will respect how hard it is to take and process a good shot. When I see a good shot...my first thought is how hard it was to get it...and then how much I'd have to charge to sell it to someone who didn't appreciate it. It's always more than the price.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

The problem you all describe is definitely a common theme. However in my local the local artist community appreciates good photographers and local galleries will display my work. We also have a large art auction fundraiser each year. There are are fair number of photographs accepted into the auction. Depending on the subject, excellent photographs often command a higher price than art than some paintings. It seems to relate on subject and quality. A good thing IMHO.

 

[Davie Hudson]

Hmmm an argument I have had on many occasions, mainly with artists I have to say and not many of them believe there is any skill in what we do at all. The truth is we aren't rated highly at all it appears and not only by galleries, hell I was even told that if you throw enough money at it anyone can take a good photo

 

[Brian Moore]

I was in an art gallery a week or two ago that opened up near where I work. I strolled over at lunchtime and had a chat with gallery owner. Most of the stuff that was hanging on the walls was by local artists. I wouldn't pay a dime for any of it. I think the woman--the gallery owner--had very poor taste. I think that's what it comes down to.

 

[Ralph Thornton]

I was in an art gallery a week or two ago that opened up near where I work. I strolled over at lunchtime and had a chat with gallery owner. Most of the stuff that was hanging on the walls was by local artists. I wouldn't pay a dime for any of it. I think the woman--the gallery owner--had very poor taste. I think that's what it comes down to.

I agree. Photos can be junk and many are. Paintings, just by being paintings, are not necessarily art. They can be junk too.

 

[Darren Bradley]

My experience is that you can't just solicit art galleries. You really need to focus on those that specialize in photography - and the type of photography that you're doing, at that.

Of course, the sort of thing that I do isn't terribly artsy and isn't likely to appear on a gallery wall any time soon. But I still have people who buy my work all the time, because I'm marketing it to the people most likely to be interested (architects, building owners, construction companies, etc.). For your folks on here doing the artsy thing, as I said, your best bet is to find the galleries that already display that sort of thing. They will be the ones who have the established and knowledgeable customer base.

 

[Peter McCullough]

Thanks for the response and replies, appreciated!


I visited 'Ikea' today in Edinburgh, spent a bit of time in their wall-art department, noticed quite a few floral images there ok, the kind of stuff I shoot, kind of abstract and close up's and standard floral photo's, very sell'able obviously. A big selection of floral art displayed - great to see!!!

Very inspiring.

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs.
Ansel Adams

 

[Lesley Jones]

The magic of photography is metaphysical. What you see in the photograph isn't what you saw at the time. The real skill of photography is organized visual lying.
Terence Donovan

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Interestingly, this morning I posted the following at the Art Photography forum in Linkedin for someone who claimed and argued rudely that the photography is dead and art is alive.

"The art of photography is no different than any other art medium.
Imagination, pre-visualization, mastering the medium, composition,
techniques, story-telling, interpretation, style, arduous work involved...
All are alive and are wonderful artistic variations of human expression."

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Well said Nihat!

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Thank you, Ralph.

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

No one would buy Van Gough's paintings when he was alive.
Damien Hurst, Tracey Emin have been laughed off in some "art circles".
Pollock & Rothko it has been said could be painted by any DIY painter & decorator.


Saatchi Gallery (Kings Road Chelsea) : Out of Focus Photography.
Southbank OXO : Shifting Perspectives : Downs Syndrome.
William Morris Art Gallery (Walthmastowe) : David Bailey East End Faces.
Natural History Museum (London) : Sebastiao Salgado Genesis.
National Media Museum (Bradford) : Don McCullin This is England.
Somerset House (London) : Methodical Imaginings : photographs of London churches built by the English architect Nicholas Hawksmoor (1661–1736); Blumenfeld Studio: New York, 1941–1960.
Museum of London : Michael Caine.
Victoria & Albert Museum (London) : David Bowie.
Peter Kennard : G8 summit.


The common theme seems to me experimental, cultural, humanitarian, political, social.




Wimbledone Fine Art Gallery (Church Road on the way to Wimbledon Lawn Tennis), last year had landscape photographic prints.
The proprietor had time to talk to me, whereupon she agreed it took certain sensitivity & skill to capture those ladscapes, whereas a person uninformed would say oh anyone could have taken them.
Well anyone could have taken one lucky shot or maybe five, yet when there is a number of "lucky" shots ...


An appreciative gallerist goes a long way.




Fergus Noone Fergus Noone Photography - Home Page in Blackheath village has his own shop selling his prints, postcards along with turorials, weddings. Fergus said he has built up his business over decades. He even offered me free tutorials for inner city kids to get them interested in photogrpahy.

A.D.E. Photorpgahic Photographer inside Peckhame Rye Lane indoor market London does all sorts of photogrpahic printing (tshisrts, crockery, signs, pamphlets, business), along with weddings, portrature in a small studio within his stall which he allowed me to photogrpah on my mobile.


Then there is Peter Lik who is selling a lifestyle.

 

[David Mitchell]

I watched an 'art of photography' video a few days ago which was going through the different styles etc and the first photos were basically mimicing still life paintings as it was an issue at the time for photography to be accepted. I think its due to the fact that there was no actual skill involved with taking a photo....apart from creating the print, dodging and burning, filters, contrast correction, exposure etc etc etc lol I think its because the image wasn't created by hand but created with the use of equipment.

I feel that its their loss as the image still needs to be shot with the correct composition and colours/effects etc I guess there might also be the fact that you can fit up to 36 works of art inside a camera lol