[TheForge] Pointless complaining

Mon Nov 4 11:01:08 2002

And from what I've seen, metal sculptures are starting to pick up in
popularity, both among artist and buyers. I see a lot of art students
more and more interested in sculpting with metal. It is something I have
always been interested in but have just never really had the opportunity
to do.

Chad

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 7:39 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Pointless complaining

Bob,

You have to remember the market that they are selling into, rich people
with little actual life experience that has challenged them. There are
the exceptions for people who made their own fortunes, but most art
collectors are "old money" in my experience. Also scuplture is the
hardest sell of all in the art world. Paintings sell the most, then the
more decorative pieces in ceramics and glass, and then way down the food
chain is metal  sculpture. And then the value of the work is arbitrarily
set by the gallery, the artist, and believe it or not my how exotic the
material. The more exotic or unique the material the more the work
earns.

I consider myself a scuptor who does some blacksmithing. I don't
consider it a stretch as I don't consider myself experienced enough to
be considered a real blacksmith. 

Plus in the right market being a blacksmith becomes exotic and exciting
to the art clientele' at the opening where you are selling your work for
four or five figures.

The main thing is that when you are approaching the art market the most
important thing to remember is that if they don't appreciate you for who
you are, go to another gallery. That is true no matter what kind of
artist you are, painter, or whatever. You really have to be able to
develop a serious relationship with them. I had a gallery in Miami
represent me for a while. The owner exhibited by work in the SOFA
(Scupltural Objects Functional Art) exhibition in Miami and gave me
great exposure, but she was impossible to deal with and I ended up
withdrawing my work for her gallery.

Ray Miller
Cincinnati

> 
> From: Bob Evarts <[email protected]>
> Date: 2002/10/31 Thu PM 06:34:05 EST
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: [TheForge] Pointless complaining
> 
> Why is it that, when calling fine art galleries to make appointments
to
> show my work, if I say I am a blacksmith that does sculpture, I can't
> even get an appointment most of the time.  If, however, I say I am a
> sculptor who works in steel, I'm welcomed with open arms and told how
> hard it is to find sculptors who work in metal these days.  I don't
> really expect an answer, it just fries me that "blacksmithing" is
still
> considered a craft rather than an artform, yet if I change what I call
> myself, then it's well recieved.  Just isn't right.
> 
> Bob Evarts
> Forging a good life from the raw material of time
> 
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