rancho vs desert
Has
the title anything to do with art? We shall see...
It
seemed to me to be a good idea to begin this column with a few remarks on the
difference between the art world in western societies and that around me. Why
do we do some things here that are similar to the west, and other things completely
differently?
the
rancho
I suppose I should say my experience of western art dealers is
mainly a result of extensive emailing. From this experience it is apparent there
is a notion of 'exclusivity' in North America.
I do not know if an artist wants it or is forced to accept it, but there is a
common practice that artists gives a gallery the exclusive right to sell, publicize
and distribute their artwork. Exclusivity implies that artists have no legal right
to sell their work through other agencies/galleries, which protects the gallery
from loosing invested funds. As for the artists, they count on receiving, in as
short a time as possible, royalties from sales of their work.
So,
we see here a transparent system based on a clear balance of interests. A system
based also on responsibilities, for artists violating the exclusivity condition
would presumably have serious problems with the courts, to say nothing of loosing
their good name among galleries and publishers. That then, is the 'rancho', at
least, as I can judge from the distance.
desert
As for situation in the 'desert', that is, here in Siberia on the large plains
between the Ural Mountains and Baikal Lake, let me first say I reside in Krasnoyarsk,
which may be called a city of artists. In this country, to be a recognized artist
one always had to have a proper education, all the better if it is a recognized
institution. It so happens that Krasnoyarsk has an Art College named after V.Surikov
(a secondary special education facility), a State Art Institute (higher education),
and a Division of the Russian Academy of Arts (postgraduate education).
You
can imagine that, having such institutions, Krasnoyarsk attracts young talented
people from villages and towns of the vast Siberian area. The majority of them
stay either in Krasnoyarsk or in large neighboring Siberian cities such as Irkutsk
or Novosibirsk. So, what I want to say is that there is more than enough art in
Krasnoyarsk
One
problem here though, is the lack of substantial galleries in the region. Yes,
there are ventures that may pretend to be called a gallery, or that may wish to
be a gallery. Closer examination shows they are merely art shops with some exhibition
activity.
Most
of the ventures just sell artists' paintings for a commission. Of course, one
can see variations. Say, a businessman who is successful in his trade may own
an art shop/gallery. Such a gallery is not a financially independent venture and
can afford to buy paintings, from time to time.
Others
have really to earn their bread. They simply do not risk purchasing paintings
by even known artists, for there is no guarantee of selling them on in the foreseeable
future. A frequent way of accumulating pieces of art is by conducting exhibitions.
An art shop offers artists the opportunity to place their artworks in a room for
2 weeks, with the shop providing basic publicity of the event. A usual payment
by the artist is one or two paintings or works.
The concept of having an exclusive relationship with a gallery/publisher has not
yet succeeded among artists whom I know. There are three main reasons, as I see
it.
The first
deals with predictability and freedom. For past 10 years, we have lived in in
a quickly changing society, with opportunities frequently emerging and disappearing.
Who will step into an exclusive relationship for 2 years if they can hardly plan
for the next 6 months? What if a better opportunity appears in a year? Loosing
the freedom of choice should have a solid foundation, such as financial reward.
The second is
simply the other side of the coin. The local shops/galleries are often not successful
examples of publishing and promoting an artist's work. Partly because the shops/galleries
just do not think about the opportunities, partly because of the market risks.
But to large
extent the non-exclusive relationship exists because artists are like wild antelopes
in the desert. They do not have abundant food but they may run in every direction.
One could say, it is a freedom to starve. But it is a freedom.
No
doubt the situation will evolve, and more developed relations between artists
and galleries will appear, though no one knows how quick this will be. This means
if you are interested in Russian art and the Russian art world, come on over,
make contacts, and try to work with your partners. Now is a good time. Perhaps,
it will be harder when we start to build fences for our ranchos.
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Vladimir
Gavrikov
gavrikov@online.ru
