Roman Loranc - exhibit opening - San Anselmo Dec 13

[QT Luong]

Roman Loranc will exhibit images from a recent European trip at the Aperture f64 gallery in San Anselmo. Reception Sat December 13th, 6-8 PM.

Aperture F64 Gallery
635 San Anselmo Avenue
San Anselmo, CA 94960
415-482-0480
http://www.aperturef64gallery.com/

[Drew Wiley]

Sounds like a great excuse to go photograph in Marin Sat afternoon. Maybe I can bring
a change of shoes so I don't get the gallery full of mud or beach sand!

[vinny]

Cool. For those of you who haven't seen his work in person, you're missin' out. I highly recommend it.

[Mike Lewis]

Ditto. Go see Loranc's work if you can. Wish I were able to attend this.

Mike Lewis

[Bill_1856]

http://www.kqed.org/arts/programs/spark/profile.jsp?essid=7081

If you haven't seen this, don't miss it!

[Merg Ross]

This gallery is an excellent exhibition space. Roman exhibited here in a three person show in August, an enticement to see more work. His images are stunning.

[Tony Karnezis]

I'll be there. Are you going, Merg?

[Tracy Storer]

I will probably be there as well. See you all there.

[Merg Ross]

I'll be there. Are you going, Merg?

Hi Tony. No, family takes precedence at the moment. I'll have to wait until January for the show, take a good look for me! I bet it will be stunning.

Best for the Holidays!

[Tracy Storer]

Beautiful work, no surprise, check it out if you can.

[Tony Karnezis]

Agreed wholeheartedly. Sorry I missed you Tracy. I came and left early.

[David Karp]

My wife and I saw his work many years ago at the old "The F Stops Here" in Santa Barbara. It was just lying in a rack, each matted photo covered in plastic. The photos, of course, were beautiful. We decided not to buy. Huge mistake. Not only would we have something beautiful, it would have been a far better investment than anything we purchased for our IRAs!

[Merg Ross]

My wife and I saw his work many years ago at the old "The F Stops Here" in Santa Barbara. It was just lying in a rack, each matted photo covered in plastic. The photos, of course, were beautiful. We decided not to buy. Huge mistake. Not only would we have something beautiful, it would have been a far better investment than anything we purchased for our IRAs!

Dave, I recall similar racks at the Focus Gallery on Union Street in San Francisco. It was during the Summer of Love, and the racks had plastic covered prints ranging in price from $25 to $40. Among them were prints by: Brett Weston, Wynn Bullock, Imogen Cunningham, and the usual suspects. They were all beyond our means, but every time I see Brett's photograph of Garrapata Beach, I think, "what if". It was $35, a beautiful 8x10 contact print.

[David Karp]

Thanks Merg. I feel better. Sort of. At least I have a copy of "Two Hearted Oak" to look at!

I love Brett Weston's photos. It would have been nice to be able to scrape together $35!

As an aside: My neighbor's mom was a Weston family friend. He has copies of some of Brett's X-Mas cards (original prints), and Cole's as well (also originals - family photos). Very cool.

[Bill_1856]

I bought a discounted copy of "Two-Hearted Oak" when it was first published (MSRP=$39.95). I really loved the book, and when I was looking around some years later for a suitable Christmas present for my Family Doctor, who is Polish, I gave her my copy and immediately set about to replace it with one for myself.
I figured that it had probably been remaindered by then, and expected to find another copy for ten or twenty bucks. Oh Boy, was I flabbergasted to find that not only was it out of print, but the few copies on the market were selling for $200-$400!
Eventually I ran across a still-wrapped copy for $75 and snapped it up , but it was quite an eye-opener!
It's probably my 2nd favorite photography book, next to Paul Strand's "Time in New England."

[Merg Ross]

I have just received word that this little gem of a gallery will be closing its doors at the end of January. The present state of the economy was given as the reason. Unfortunately, this may be the beginning of a trend for many of the galleries devoted to the display of photography. It has happened before, and in time, new galleries will emerge.

[Brad Rippe]

I'm very bummed about this. I spoke with the owner and he is hoping to keep the space for now. Hopefully the gallery will reopen with an improving economy.

Does anyone have ideas how we as photographers can help these types of small local galleries thrive?

-Brad

[Merg Ross]

Brad, it has always been difficult for the small, independent galleries to survive for long. They depend on print sales, for the most part.

The galleries that seem to have the longest survival rate are membership galleries such as Viewpoint in Sacramento and Spectrum in Fresno, to name two with which I am familiar. The Center for Photographic Art in Carmel also has survived for many years but is currently in poor economic shape.

Aside from membership fees, these galleries rely heavily on annual print auctions for their income. This is an area where photographers can help, donating prints of their own or from their collections. Of course, monetary donations are also welcome.

I have seen so many galleries open and close over the years it makes me dizzy. However, there will always be those with the passion and courage to open yet another gallery devoted to the display and sale of photography.

[Alan Rabe]

The fact is that the general population just doesn't buy much Art, and virtually no photography. For Art it's likely economics, but I think the availablilty of quality cameras, particularly digital, that everyone now thinks they are photographers. They don't value photgraphs the way they once did. They just think that if they can find the spot they can take the same image.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

I'm offering the gallery some of the free space I have left in my next issue, which will be distributed at the AIPAD show. Hopefully it will help.

[Brad Rippe]

The fact is that the general population just doesn't buy much Art, and virtually no photography. For Art it's likely economics, but I think the availablilty of quality cameras, particularly digital, that everyone now thinks they are photographers. They don't value photgraphs the way they once did. They just think that if they can find the spot they can take the same image.

Alan, Bob Kohlbrenner said it best in his Yosemite book: "If you buy a violin, you become a person who owns a violin. If you buy a camera, you become a photographer".

-Brad

[Drew Wiley]

I almost chose that neighborhood to open my own gallery, but it flooded two years in a
row and will again, and the spaces are just too small for my work. I have something more ambitious in mind but it won't materialize for a couple more years when the overall economy has hopefully improved. But it won't operate on a conventional gallery
business model either, which was never particularly realistic unless one owned property
outright in an ideal location. I did poke my nose into Roman's small show and a couple
of his prints were magnificent. Somebody made a smart buy with his Versailles image,
which might become a classic. But I certainly don't think digital photography is going to
endanger the traditional craft - it might even enhance its perceived value, based upon
quite a few people I have spoken with who actually collect prints. The West Coast has
never been an ideal area to sell fine art, but I believe there's enough interest for
someone to succeed locally. A surprising number of galleries, however, are actually tax write-offs for the rich, who don't even intend to make money. But right now even the
wealthy seem to be cautious with purchases.

[Michael Gordon]

Alan, Bob Kohlbrenner said it best in his Yosemite book: "If you buy a violin, you become a person who owns a violin. If you buy a camera, you become a photographer".

Almost, Brad :D

"If you buy a camera, you are a photographer. If you buy a flute, you own a flute."
Bob Kolbrener

[Brad Rippe]

Thanks Michael, my memory is getting as porous as many of my negatives.
Merg, I really like the idea of donating photographs to help keep this gallery operating.
-Brad

[Merg Ross]

Thanks Michael, my memory is getting as porous as many of my negatives.
Merg, I really like the idea of donating photographs to help keep this gallery operating.
-Brad

Yes, photographers can help if they want galleries to survive. As an example, Spectrum Gallery in Fresno has been successful in raising funds through their annual auction. Not only have the membership and local photographers contributed, but the last auction also featured works from Christopher Burkett, Richard Garrod, Ryuijie and John Sexton, among many. Photographers need to do more than attend openings if they expect galleries to remain open.

[Bill_1856]

Buy Something!

[Merg Ross]

Buy Something!

Bill, exactly; that is necessary for gallery survival. Or, at least, give something. Partaking of the wine and cheese does not pay gallery overhead.

[QT Luong]

I find the idea of donating prints to a gallery strange. First, a gallery is a business, not a charitable organization. Second, most likely the gallery is not going to be able to sell your donated print. If sales were brisk, it wouldn't be in trouble. The best way to help is to buy. Most galleries carry less expensive items, such as books. Equally important is to spread the word, possibly in influential media such as magazines and (more easy) blogs.

[Bill_1856]

Before I retired (and lost my shirt in the dotcom bubble and then me arss in the real estate bust), I always tried to purchase something when I visited a gallery. In the "good old days" it might have been anything from an Ansel Adams print to something I liked by an unknown in the "cheap print bins."
Last month I visited our local Clyde Butcher Gallery, and bought his calendar and DVDs for Christmas presents.
Most galleries also carry photography books, card sets, calendars,etc, so you don't have to buy something big -- every little bit helps cover the nut.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

Well, it sounds like this exhibit is keeping the owner busy! That's a good thing! I keep missing her phone calls and she keeps missing mine. I'm determined to do whatever I can (which isn't as much as I'd like) to help this gallery out.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

Well, I made an offer to the gallery director that if they keep their doors open at least until after AIPAD, we'll run a page on their gallery. Smaller galleries, exhibiting up-and-coming artists are the foundation of the market and if the foundation fails... you know what's next.

[Merg Ross]

I find the idea of donating prints to a gallery strange. First, a gallery is a business, not a charitable organization. Second, most likely the gallery is not going to be able to sell your donated print. If sales were brisk, it wouldn't be in trouble. The best way to help is to buy. Most galleries carry less expensive items, such as books. Equally important is to spread the word, possibly in influential media such as magazines and (more easy) blogs.

Donations are paramount to the success of a certain type of gallery. There are membership dependent galleries and there are independent commercial galleries. Earlier in the thread I mentioned several galleries that have been open for many years. They are 501(c) 3 operations, which aside from membership, rely on print donations for auction, along with print sales from exhibitions, plus a network of volunteers. Commercial galleries operate quite differently, and as you suggest, would not be receptive to donated works. They must rely on print sales for the major portion of their income. Bottom line, buy and keep them open.

[gregstidham]

I made a decision a couple years ago to spend less on gear and more on artwork.

My wife and I purchased one of Roman's prints from this show and we enjoy it very much. I enjoy it much more than some new piece of gear that I really don't need to make my own art. I say - shoot with less gear and build an art collection.