Selling at craft markets - hard lessons learned.

[kjsphotography]

How's $2.48 million?
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/newswir..._id=1003466018

But that's beside the point. I was curious about your statement that "no one considers photography art." How on earth did being able to sell pieces for $150K get equated with art?

Etching, lithography, and woodcut are traditions that have been considered "art" for hundreds of years. They are all means for making multiples, and are in fact where the practice of editioning began.

Do the top photographs command the prices of the top paintings? No. Do they command a whole friggin' lot of money? I think so. Does any of this suggest that "no one considerers photography art?"

You tell me.

Go back and read my post. The answer is in there.

Thanks...

[kjsphotography]

I am curios from all the art experts here, how many of you sell art for a living? This means that you do not have a day job besides art or a background in geology or another background that is not related to art? I want to hear working artist trying to make it in this field. How many of you are actually in the trenches on a daily basis trying to make a living at selling and promoting your art?

I am posting my comments from real world work in the art field on a daily basis. I am reporting my finding from the myriad of collectors, gallery owners, curators that give me their opinions and share facts with me who is making what in the art industry and it is not photographers that make it on a consistent basis.

Why is this?

Only working artist or collectors need to reply...

[kjsphotography]

How's $2.48 million?
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/newswir..._id=1003466018

Paul not very good, back at you;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070830...t_070830203229

How does a 100 million sound?

Damien Hirst skull sells for 100 million dollars

Yes he is young and living as well. I think he is in his 40's or 50's...


By the way you link does not work it says problem loading page...

[tim atherton]

well, at least we can follow part of the experiment and see how it goes:

http://stores.ebay.com/silvervistast...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

http://cgi.ebay.com/School-House-sil...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nude-platinum-pa...QQcmdZViewItem

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Art in all of it's forms is a craft, that's why there is good art and bad art, mostly due to the execution of the craft.

[QT Luong]

I don't call myself an artist or an expert, but I do derive all my income from the sale and licensing of photographs. I do not sell anything else, teach nor take commercial assignments.

[kjsphotography]

I have always valued your opinion QT Loung and respected your work.

Thank you for your opinions...

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

I don't call myself an artist or an expert, but I do derive all my income from the sale and licensing of photographs. I do not sell anything else, teach nor take commercial assignments.

You never had called yourself an artist or an expert and you certainly do not try to force your knowledge on anybody here. Funny, you are one of the few in this forum whose words and expereince about selling photography is actually worth listening to and consider, even if one does not agree with you. Your quietness and unassuming way says more about you and your knowledge than those who invariably have to argue with those they don't agree with. If you are writing this because of the post I made it was not a dig at you and if it offended you I apologize.

[paulr]

Go back and read my post. The answer is in there.

Thanks...

I have gone back and read your post (which was no small feat!) and can say that if the answer is there, it's the answer to a different question.

You have demonstrated that paintings, in general, sell for more than photographs (which I heartily agree with).

You have postulated that printing editions of one would help to change this (which I'm skeptical of, but for reasons that are pretty off-topic here).

You complained that modern methods are cheapening photography (in spite of the fact that at the high end of the market, photographs are selling for record amounts; prices that would have seemed impossible even a decade ago).

But none of this even addresses the question I posed to you, which is, what makes you say that "no one considers photography art?"

I suspect it's just a bit of hyperbole on your part, and not what you mean to say at all. Needless to say, when you attacked someone else's knowledge as you attacked Tim's, and finish with a signature that says something like that, you create a climate of irony that borders on self-abuse.

[Ben R]

Why not conduct a survey? Should be simple enough to ask people at an art show or gallery exactly how they would class photography. Whether their opinions are considered right or not, those are the people with money in their wallets for art and should be listened to, the opinion of the market is really all that counts when trying to make a sale is it not?

My own personal musings on the subject are that chasing the 'art' tag is trying too hard, the work should be sold to the part of the market that is looking to buy the work (whatever the name). Trying to pursuade a section of the market that doesn't believe that photography is true art (every single person I've ever met) is not good business sense. Sell it as photographic works, a totally seperate medium with it's own seperate appeal, sell it parallel to art rather than in competition with it.

At least that is the way I'm thinking at present.