Telling the Story behind the Picture - don't leave your market in the wilderness
As artists it is easy for us to forget our progress, and forget that we see things differently to the average member of the public. Like many professions sliding into elitism is easy, to the extent that only academics and colleagues can understand our works. If your market is the public, such elitism is the equivalent of the proverbial "lawyers jargon" - it places your work out of reach of your market, and is a telltale sign that you've failed to understand your buyers.
How many of you have stopped to observe members of the public at a contemporary art exhibition? Have you seen them scratching their head, or just walking past exhibits they don't understand. How many times have you heard people describe works they don't understand as a "piece of junk"?
Can you blame the public for what is a natural reaction to what they "just don't get"? Can you blame them if they don't appreciate the complexities of the issues and stories behind your work? Actually no. You've just created the equivalent of a television advertising campaign which nobody understands, and misses its mark.
"Oh, but its intention is to provoke thought" is what I often hear. My response is that this is a "cop out" - if you are trying to appeal to, and often sell to, a particular audience then throwing them in at the deep end does not help. It is like introducing advanced calculus to junior level primary school children - it goes over their head if they don't have some reference point to help them make sense of it. Yes, you can still provoke thought, but a little guidance is necessary - without some description of the relevance of the work, the only thought you are likely to provoke is "it's a piece of rubbish".
Recently I submitted a surrealist self-portrait to the Gamut exhibition at Artspost in Hamilton. This picture was loaded with surrealist symbolism, which only an ardent student of early women surrealists would be likely to identify. As I didn't want people just thinking "Nice painting" (or otherwise) I created a second companion piece, which explained the story behind the work and identified the symbolism. This was installed adjacent the primary piece. My observation on opening night was that most people spent more time looking at my work - they read the explanation, and I could see them loooking back and forth between the works to identify each piece of symbolism as they read about it. I'd created both an interactive story and treasure hunt.
As the artist, how do I feel about this? I feel a sense of accomplishment for several reasons:
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People interpret my work as I intend it to be;
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I am likely to provoke further thought, as explaining the symbolism gives a reference point for further thought;
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I have empowered people, because they now understand at least one work in the exhibition;
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I have educated people, because they now know more about surrealism and symbolism;
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I have achieved more than just hanging the work on the wall alone would have achieved - I've added an additional level to public interaction (they've now thought about the story behind the painting rather than just thinking "nice picture"). Essentially I've added value to the work.
At the end of the day, selling art includes educating the public to create a larger buying market. Can we blame the public for buying the safer choice of "décor art" if we've failed to educate them on how to appreciate art, and placed ourselves on a pedestal beyond their understanding?
I'll also leave you with this snippet of knowledge for consideration. From my own experience, and talking with gallery owners and art purchasers, I appreciate that many people want their art to be conversation pieces for which they can tell a story to friends. When people know the story behind an artist or work, an attachment or bond is formed (the difference between a stranger in the street, and someone whom you have met) and they are more likely to purchase. I have several Gary Tricker prints from around 10 years ago, purchased on holiday. They are quirky and delightful, but the buying decision for me was the gallery owner telling me about Gary, his life and background, why he selected the subject matter he did, and even knowing the names of the cats which appear in most of his prints. By this stage I wasn't buying a stranger's works - I was buying prints from a friend I'd yet to meet, with a story to tell everyone who sees the works.
And that closed the sale.
