Would you sell your work to decorators?

[Louie Powell]

Many years ago, I stayed at the Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel in Nashville. I was very pleased to see that the guest rooms were decorated with photographs of flowers by Robert Mapplethorpe.

The fact that his pictures were used for decoration didn't compromise his integrity, and didn't diminish the artistic merit of his work. It did pay the rent and helped moderate his somewhatly tarnished reputation among the rednecks of Tennessee.

That ain't a bad thing.

I also stayed at the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street in New Orleans where the guest rooms are decorated with photographs by Louis Suhac. Seeing his work in my room inspired me to make a special effort to visit his gallery.

That ain't bad either.

Publicists claim that the only issue with notoriety is that you're name must be spelled correctly.

[Daniel Grenier]

The difference between a decorator and a collector is that one of them cares more about the frame than the art work.

[Brian K]

The bread and butter of most artists and most galleries is not the hard core collector but rather art consultants representing commercial clients, interior designers, hotels,offices, etc. Sales to people coming in off the street are also a big part of sales. Now maybe the highest end, and most expensive galleries only sell to collectors, but that is a minority.

Personally I'd rather sell my work to someone who will hang it in their home, live with it, make it a part of their lives, than someone who is just going to put it in a box in a cabinet and look at it once a year. Selling to collectors is good for your ego, selling to people who truly love your work is good for your soul.

[paulr]

The bread and butter of most artists and most galleries...

I'd ammend that by saying most artists of a certain type, and most galleries of a certain type.

I rarely stumble into galleries that are representing the kinds of work and artists that get sold to decorators. They're out there, no doubt. But I don't think galleries in every class are doing this kind of business with any regularity.

The higher end galleries make virtually all of their money by selling to collectors. Their greatest asset is the client list that they've built up over years and years. For a lot of these galleries, the exhibition space is mostly for publicity, prestige, creating a buzz. Very few sales come from strangers walking in off the street. Those sales are certainly welcome ... they're just infrequent and unreliable.

[Gary Beasley]

I have and will continue to do so as long as anyone wants to buy a print.

[nathanm]

Very simple question -- would you sell your art to someone so they could decorate their home or office with your work?

Yes, but only under any circumstances.

All kidding aside, I only sell my prints for display in sheds. This can be any reasonably small structure used primarily for storage and not human dwelling. Outhouses do not count unless they have been converted for shed use. I like to think of my work being surrounded by rakes and shovels and the scent of cut grass and gasoline. A propane or tool shed is also acceptable in certain cases. Since people only enter their sheds for brief moments of time this ensures that my photo will not wear on the owner as it would if it were hanging over a couch or in a hallway. Some people have asked if they could buy a print for treehouse use, which I may consider allowing, but my gut feeling is that it's not quite sheddy enough.

[jb7]

Nathan, there aren't enough Conceptual Artists on this forum.

Thank you for redressing the balance.


Joseph

[paulr]

Nathan, isn't your work actually on the wall of this shed? (not visible in the picture).

Your post made me laugh ... but deliberately or not there's a seed of truth in there. People make art (or wicker baskets, or toaster cozies, or whatever they do) for all kinds of reasons. Some sell as a priority, and some don't like to sell it at all. So it follows that some will like to sell under some circumstances but not others. given this, I don't feel justified ridiculing people just for having preferences about who they'll sell to.

Granted, some may be motivated by high principles, while others are motivated by self-agrandizement, snottiness, or preciousness. There are many cringeworthy motivations in life. But If I don't actually know why an artist choses to sell only to collectors, or only to outhouse administrators, I'm not going to pretend i do.

[Jim collum]

I rarely stumble into galleries that are representing the kinds of work and artists that get sold to decorators. They're out there, no doubt. But I don't think galleries in every class are doing this kind of business with any regularity.

Although i suspect there's been a downturn in the current economy, a gallery that has represented me has made a very large number of sales to corporate clients... and not in collections, but decorations (law offices, corporate headquarters, hospitals, etc). I've had my prints sold in lots that contained prints by Roman Loranc, George Tice, Charles Cramer.. all for decoration.

[Mark Sawyer]

I have some of my own work hanging in my living room. Guess I'll have to either take it down or get a couch it doesn't go with...