Portfolio submission

[domenico Foschi]

What size images do you use for portfolio submission to galleries?

[Marco Frigerio]

Usually 11x14"...I submit "loose" prints (not mounted on passepartout) in a plastic sleeve, no problem with anyone, and I can say that in my experience maybe the gallery curators prefer examining loose prints, so that they can put them all together on the table, mexed them up, without having the fear to handle them.

Even if I have to say that sometimes it depends on the subjects too, maybe fine art b&w prints like yours are better with the passepartout...

Ciao

Marco

[George Losse]

Domenico,

Ask the gellery, most have some formal submission processes for the way they want to review new work.

I personally believe in the thought of submitting the work mounted and matted as it would hang, just not framed. Giving the reviewer the feel of what the prints will actually look like on the walls. I don't believe in the more casual approach of "loose" prints. I think it lessens the viewing expierience. YMMV

[domenico Foschi]

I am approaching to reprint my portfolio.
I have always liked 16 x 20 images in 22 x 28 matts, but it comes very expensive if you think of the matts (and silver paper) cost.
I have estimated the cost of this endeavour, if reprinted in the same size would be around $ 1000. : - (> .
I think sometime gallery curators don'tlike to have these huge portfolios on their tables if you think it doubles in length when the case is open.

[Steve Williams_812]

I've wrestled with this question myself for a long, long time. Being at a university I have had the opportunity to speak to many artists, critics, curators, gallery owners and art historians who have come to speak or attend events. I often question people about this and the responses, while varied, do have one consistent thread---- the images must be strong.

If I had to point to the most common suggestion is is definitely loose prints in sleeves in a storage box. Emmet Gowin visited and that is how he presented his work. And I must say each print was like a jewel. He is a meticulous and masterful printer....

One gallery owner said "why are you so concerned with the right way to present? show me good work."

I've simplified things myself---- everything is around an 8x10 image on 11x14 paper. I carry them in a clean Light Impressions storage box-black. No one has complained and the rejections I get I no longer attribute to my presentation style.

One last thing about preparing images in mattes---a good friend took his expensive matted portfolio to PhotoFest. Halfway through the reviews the mattes were marked and soiled from handling. He was shocked at the caviler handling of images. I have had that experience too--- I watched someone look through a dozen C prints and ding each one in a matter of minutes.

When Emmet Gowin visited he would not allow anyone to touch his prints. He handled each himself. He said he has put so much work in each that a careless moment would destroy it.

steve

[Ed Richards]

What sort of sleeves do you mean? Transparent ones you view the print through, or envelopes you remove the print from?

[domenico Foschi]

Steve, I do agree with you that the images must be strong, but the presentation also reflect the care and pride (in the positive sense of the word), you have for your work, and like someone already suggested also how it will look like once framed.

[Marco Frigerio]

I usually use transparent ones you view the prints through and this way it's ok with every gallery curators I showed my works to...sometimes somenone ask me if it's possible to remove the print and I usually agree, even if in this way the risk of having fingerprints or other stuff on your prints is higher...but I have to agree with Steve, all the gallery curators I met were only interested at looking at good works, nobody cared about presentation...

Ciao

Marco

[tim atherton]

"Steve, I do agree with you that the images must be strong, but the presentation also reflect the care and pride (in the positive sense of the word), you have for your work, and like someone already suggested also how it will look like once framed."

Which is the gallery owner/curators job.

95% of the ones I have dealt with really don't seem to want fussy (and/or expensive..) mounts and presentations getting in the way. They want to see the prints, hold them in their hand, flip through them (quickly - they are usually very busy), move them around on a table etc. If they are any good they can see in their minds eye how they will look mounted/framed/presented. They don't really want your single idea of mounting/presentation getting inthe way (after all there are dozens of different permutations of how to do that - you have just picked one - it may not actually be the best for your work). Also, if they are too big and clumsy to holdor take up too much space on a desk full of similar presntations - they won't bother going through them.

The images need to be good - the best. The presentation needs to be good and clean - but minimal at most. Anything else stands a good chance of getting in the way - which means your best images may not get beyond the top of the box being opened and the first one or two being looked at.