Be a dealer.

[Nora]

Friends, the interview that I bring to you, took place almost 37 years ago. Although since then many things are somewhat modified, but in terms of understanding the psychology of relationships dealer-artist, suggested struck me as a classic and standing outside of time.
In addition, it is interesting to learn from professionals how much the model of the dealer 70-ies different from today's model.

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Calling himself "an art dealer, a popular Los andzhelevsky dealer Nicholas Wilder, spoke at an informal meeting before the students of art academies, and other lovers of the art world.

- How important is professional education for an artist?
- First and foremost it is important for its own stability and support in a professional environment. This makes it possible to communicate with reputable colleagues, professors of art academies. The artist creates his works in close proximity to those who can really evaluate its potential and help him develop.
- Do you think that the dealership contract with an artist means some kind of framework, beyond which the artist can not?
- The dealer can not force the artist to do anything under pressure. I can only offer to sign a contract, and the artist is free to accept or reject my suggestions. But so far everything that I proposed, passed only benefit the development of artists and their careers. This is when we're talking about took place of the creator. If artists start, I completely take responsibility for its future and, therefore, conclude an exclusive for some time. Later, I allow my artists to participate in exhibitions of other galleries, if they are outside of Los Angeles, for example, in San Francisco, and not asking for a commission as long as the artist himself does not propose to discuss the new terms.

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- all the time you show the same artists or me?
- I hate the word "consistency", it sounds like a corral for horses. I will let very many artists exhibiting: famous names do not need such an abundance of hits - one a three-week exhibition every year, but new artists to exhibit each year or at least 18 months in total.
- How can start a career artist who has just graduated from school?
- Beginning artist should just sit in my studio and work. Technological manipulation of the art sales up 99%in the business world. But if artists will adapt to the market, drawing what they think will sell - it will not help sales. The art of selling is another. But the most valuable thing still starts at the workshop.
- What defines a professional artist?
- If the artist himself so defined and said, "I - the artist." That's all. I do not think that all artists are required to maintain itself only through the sale of paintings. I do not tend to define good or bad is an art, based of what the artist.
- As an artist who works from morning till night in the studio and has already amassed a large number of paintings catch the eye of buyers?
- In theory, must be professionals who would like to get acquainted with his work. For example, I now open the new gallery, so I'm out of the room and go in search of artists, and do it with pleasure, not as a tedious duty. When I do not know where to go, then begin to view the slides that have accumulated in my gallery. Some artists mistakenly believe that I dedicate to them all the time. If this were true, I would have flown out of business. Today, I watched seven new artists, while not leaving the studio in the morning and before lunch. And this is usually my day. But when I go into the studio to an artist, I'm quite a few moments to understand all that is needed. And when something catches, no peace, makes you wonder - is interesting. Within already developed over the years, you know, a proper built-in sensor that directly determines what will sell and what not.
What do you think about how the artist to choose the dealer?
Dealer judged by two things: how he's selling, and that he had already sold. That the dealer does, that as a result raise the price of the artist's work: the contract with other dealers, galleries, writers, critics, museums, auction houses? The more advance the work of the artist, the greater becomes the number of customers, growing popularity and the prices are going up a hill. At this stage we are already talking about what the value of the picture begins to set up the efforts of the dealer. Even 10 years ago, painting, Joe Goode could be bought for $ 300 now, if you find a price tag of $ 10000, call me, please. On the art market, almost all prices are "made". How does it work? For example, a Fr.Bekon and its 10 paintings for $ 900 would buy 100 attendees. Then there was the 10 paintings for $ 2000 and a hundred applicants. No matter how much money does not grow, there will always be a hundred people, which it will be expensive. Another point: the old works will always be more expensive than new, because they've all been sold once, and their market is small, and therefore, you can play with the price.
I now have a young artist with his first exhibition. We have set the price for it from $ 1000 to $ 1600, depending on size. The artist himself can not sell their pictures on such a cost, and will never sell more than I do. Because my overhead costs to sales of $ 10,000 per month. I have to sell at $ 10,000 a week just to get to breakeven.
What is your commission?
I take 50%of the sale of paintings by young artists. When the cost of the painting rises and crosses $ 5000, the ratio is as follows: 40%local, 60%of the artist. With sales of famous and expensive art dealer's commission is 25%, 75%of the artist.
How did you succeed?
I worked hard and was smart and lucky. Lucky it was in the arts represent the creativity of artists. Today, to reach the breakeven point, I need to sell paintings on the half-million dollars a year. My personal needs are $ 25,000 per year. Sometimes you can sell a half million a year.
-How do you build your business?
- When I started, I was forced to for some time to use the money from the sale of paintings for the development of their business and paying the artists only after it recovers all its costs. I now have the opportunity not only to pay immediately after purchase, and buy paintings. Art dealer earns most of the money is not fast sales, and to increase value. I prefer to buy now while it's not high in price, then by their own efforts to raise prices and earn the difference. For example, I recently bought Vastermanna, because now the price had lower than those for which it can be sold. A couple of years I can not afford to buy it. Or so today, I met three artists ...
-You said that you met with the family.
-I lied. I met with three. Artists are nervous when meeting with the dealer. But the dealer is more nervous! There was a time when I typed paintings and climbs into debt by 200 thousand dollars. The dealer is always very much at risk.
- Tell me about your past.
- I studied law, then switched to art history at Stanford. Planned doctorate in philosophy, but while my head was dead, and had to postpone plans for a year. I took a job at the gallery, and suddenly I liked what I was doing there.
- What does the dealer?
- Part of the mandatory activities - the discovery of new names, the search for talented and lesser-known artists.
- How can an artist get into your gallery?
- I try to watch almost all the portfolios that I bring. But of the 100 artists that are in my gallery now, only two people I took to the streets. Without the recommendation of other artists there is almost no chance that to you will be taken seriously.
- You only listen to the recommendations of their artists?
- Not necessarily. It may be, and artists from other galleries.
- How do you feel about conceptual art?
- Conceptual art should contain a magic to me like it. It can not simply be autobiographical. Little did anyone any biography. My personal emotional involvement - that is important. A lot of conceptual art - it's boring. The idea of ​​it is that in addition to the visual images used semantic verbal constructions, and in this way affect the viewer. I do not think that this is some kind of development for the art itself. Just good artists out there that do, and then it has value.
- What you need to decide for the first time you visit the artist's studio?
- Well, I must, of course, before that to see a sufficient number of slides, to understand that there generally has to look at and it is in sufficient quantity. And my time is very limited for such visits. I work with clients around the world, European time begins at 7-30 am to 9-00, then comes the period when I need to talk to New York in their working hours. Thus only 11-30 I get to the gallery.
- What is the purpose of receptions on the occasion of the exhibition? Sales?
- Such techniques I spend exclusively for artists and their friends, and they cost about $ 500 But in the last few days I expect to sell 20-30 percent of the exhibited works. Generally, in all this fuss about the discoveries more hype than real business.
- How do you expand your customer list?
- His constant presence in the gallery. Because customers come and buy only when I'm there. Now, though, I took a very good woman - the manager. She's great to sell, give quality advice. The artist must understand that most of his work is not sold from the exhibition, not because he's famously put. It sells because it is on my list of artists. My business is broader than the show work.
- What did you mean when you said that the artist should be interested in selling?
- Well, for example, the artist comes to me and says: "I was asked to exhibit at a local gallery. But I do not really like the level of those artists whom they represent. I'd rather wait when you are working with me, "I answered:" Why wait? If you offered to show - show, do not waste your time "And the artist for her:" I'd rather wait. " And then I said to him: "Well, you and the beetle!" In a good way, of course 
- And yet, as an artist to persuade the dealer to see it work?
- Put the question correct: he could find the right time? Do not separate the dealer from his works. Do not bother. Sometimes you can just passing by to drop in and get into a good time, and sometimes you can get an invitation and get in a bad mood. Artists are often very inattentive to details and delicate. One day after leaving the gallery, I went to my friend, one had to pass only a few blocks on foot, and for this, six artists have asked me to watch them work.
- What has helped you to become popular in their profession?
- Almost all of the things that make my reputation as a man. In addition, the concrete results that I show, when, for example, raise the cost of from $ 10000 to $ 50000. Or buy for $ 1000, and sold through a time of fifteen. Such things raise credibility in the eyes of my fellow dealers. I also provide assistance to museums, drawing their attention to deserving artists. Agnes Martin's work now they are ready to buy from me for 50 thousand, whereas before, did not pay ten. They know that I know what's really worth buying.
- How many artists live only through their art?
- Very little. In a world only a couple of hundreds of thousands of artists, earning only sales jobs. The most difficult test for an artist - that's another artist. When someone hears about other people's success and high sales immediately have thoughts of injustice, of unfairly and similar insults in the world.
- You could have someone else, not a dealer?
- I have not worked a single day in my life. And not one day I was on vacation. Because all I do - it's my business. The only time I do not think about it - if I'm drunk or having sex. But even while standing under a hot shower, I again think about their work. And very happy.
"What's more important to you, money or love for the arts?
- All my spare money I spend on art. I was not attracted to trade for money, that's why I never dealt with prints.
Around the art market is the mass of exciting things. Whatever temporary crises he was not threatened, the cost of paintings will always grow. Stock markets falter, crumble the corporation, and art stable. Therefore, people will always invest money in it.
I love the movement in this process, so if you understand that the old job has reached the limits of its rapid growth, I sell it and buy for the money a lot of new ones that will bring big dividends in the short term.
But psychologically, all the work that has ever passed through my hands, my left.

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Source http://www.abstract-art.com/abstract...ealer, 74.html