A visit to an art fair

[Corran]

There's certainly a lot of good color work being made, but I think in this day and age, it's simply too easy to push the dials to 11 and so people do. I agree that Jim's color work is great, and there are many other great examples of color photography. Lately I've been drawn to color landscapes on Portra, with a more restrained palette.

I was visiting a large city a couple weeks ago and there was a Saturday market downtown. There was one photographer and everything was extreme HDR and 100% Saturation. Not a fan. I did buy a piece of woodcraft that was simple and elegant for the house...

[Peter Lewin]

My wife and I go to probably 2 or 3 local art/craft fairs each year (there are well curated fairs in Montclair and the Morristown Armory) and like everyone else posting, there is always too much over-saturated PhotoShopped work. I imagine it sells well to those who want some colorful decoration for a wall. But usually I can find one or two photographers selling color work that has been printed well, and a couple of times photographers selling B&W silver gelatin prints. Those are the ones I spend time with, and usually have interesting conversations. Since much of the work is sold mounted but unframed in the $100-$150 range, I often try to buy one or two prints both because I enjoy them (most recently a scene of horses in Tibet, and a landscape from Iceland, places where I will never make my own images), but also to support people who are genuinely trying to make a go at their photography.

[Jim Galli]

People ask me once in a while why I don't put together a display and offer work in some of these fairs. The reason is so very simple. It's much cheaper to give the stuff away to anyone that actually wants a piece. Glazing and framing is expensive, even if you do all the labor yourself. It adds up quick. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, my reaction is always similar to what's been stated here. I know where the 'hue - saturation' slider is too. Out where I work and they pay me the big bucks, I decorated the administration building with pretty color things local to us. Yep, colors dripping off the canvas onto the floor. Wild horses in colors never witnessed. People love it. Ya gotta do it.

[Tin Can]

Good for you!

Work!

[Ken Lee]

Perhaps I'm out of touch, but I can't imagine paying a lot for an image whose colors which will shift and fade the moment it is displayed, even under modest interior lighting.

Do the newer metal or acrylic mounted color images fade or shift any less than ordinary color inkjet prints ?

At these shows, do any vendors of color photos discuss the impermanence of their work ?

Perhaps the best way with color images is to (sell rights to) view them on a good monitor. Perhaps that's the best way for all images going forward. No fading.

My now-obsolete 42MP camera makes 8K images and 8K monitors are available today. 16K is on the horizon. In another decade, heaven knows what will be available.

16K = 15360 x 8640. That's ~15,000 wide, like a 5x7 negative scanned at 2100 dpi, basically the best I can do with my Epson scanner.

[faberryman]

At these shows, do any vendors of color photos discuss the impermanence of their work?

At galleries, do any vendors of color photos discuss the impermanence of the work?

[Corran]

Perhaps I'm out of touch, but I can't imagine paying a lot for an image which will shift and fade the moment it is displayed, even under modest interior lighting.

Do the newer metal or acrylic mounted color images fade or shift any less than ordinary color inkjet prints ?

At these shows, do any vendors of color photos discuss the impermanence of their work ?

Perhaps the best way with color images is to (sell rights to) view them on a good monitor. Perhaps that's the best way for all images going forward.

My now-obsolete 42MP camera makes 8K images and 8K monitors are available today. In another decade, heaven knows what will be available.

To be fair, there is a huge range of shows with art from independent vendors/artists. Everything from local marketplace events that are free or have a nominal fee to cover costs up to Art Basel*. I am sure that archival methods are discussed at higher-end shows.

I am personally starting to transition up to higher-end shows, having got my bearings with low/mid-tier shows. No one has ever asked about permanence. 80% of viewers don't know what silver gelatin print even means, even older folks. I'm reminded of when my mom saw my darkroom and enlarger, and she asked, "where does the ink go??" She is old enough to have known better, but time marches on and it seems folks forget how it used to be.

Anyway - in my estimation, it's already hard to sell photography, in any venue. This is due to the prevailing opinion that "I could shoot that photo" and ubiquity of cameras in phones and moderately-priced digital cameras that are vastly better than any results from consumer 35mm systems ever made, for most users. The sale of "digital rights" in my opinion both cuts off those interested in physical art and are willing to pay for it, and decimates the ability to price things reasonably to be able to fund the show (or heaven-forbid, a living). I doubt anyone would pay more than $1 up to maybe $5 for such "rights." If the average mid-tier show costs $200-400 to participate, I would be looking at needing 100+ "sales," as opposed to 1-5 print sales depending on size, given my pricing, just to pay for the cost of the show. While low-price, mass-market appeal works for many industries, I don't see it working for art...in my opinion, and at this time. That said, if a very nicely-priced, thin screen of good size was marketed as an "art display" for home use, with some kind of DRM system perhaps, maybe, but nothing like that exists as far as I am aware. Don't forget the need for powering such a device (installing new flush-mount power connectors in the middle of your wall?).

I have thought about marketing some images as wallpapers for phones, with that becoming the dominate form of "personal computer" these days. People like customization and personalization, especially on something they see everyday. Remember phone case pop-ups in malls when smart phones started to be common?

*RE: Art Basel...I heard an interesting Marketplace story about a photographer there. They were a doctor of some sort and showing images from the Antarctic and other exotic places. Anyway, different discussion but that's an interesting show. Edit: the story

[Peter De Smidt]

It takes a tremendous amount of work and good business sense to succeed at art fairs. I have a lot of respect for the people who manage it.

[Tin Can]

I did show my 9 Dragon sculptures at 3 art shows in suburban Chicago. 25 years ago. Hilarious.

I sold 4 to my regret 20 years ago. 3 at once to a shrink. He hung them in his office. He still has them as we talked 5 years ago! One to woman. No news.

I wish I had never sold anything.

And now will not sell any Art. Just not worth the bother.

I give prints away if there is any interest.

I have a short end game.

I still have 2 baby dragons not for sale. Their parents were burned. Too big to store.

1 baby is with a close friend. Neither has long on this planet.

ymmv

It takes a tremendous amount of work and good business sense to succeed at art fairs. I have a lot of respect for the people who manage it.

[jp]

Perhaps I'm out of touch, but I can't imagine paying a lot for an image whose colors which will shift and fade the moment it is displayed, even under modest interior lighting.

Do the newer metal or acrylic mounted color images fade or shift any less than ordinary color inkjet prints ? .

If it's for interior decoration, it's probably going to someone who does not mind buying new flowers every week (or more often) for their kitchen table. I'm guessing if the color shifts too bad, they will toss it like the flowers.

I'm curious how the metal prints will last too since they appear to be interesting and innovative for certain images potentially.