[PODCAST] Art Problems: Build Your Confidence in Two Easy Steps

You know what sucks? Feeling like you've been stuck in the same place career-wise for years on end, with no solution insight.

You're tired.

And you're demoralized.

What if I told you I could give you a way to feel better, even if for just a short while?

Well, I've got you.

In this podcast I give you two easy exercises that will help build your confidence AND ease feelings of burn out.

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Relevant links:

My free Masterclass, How to Get Seen in the Art World Without the Burnout, taking place this Tuesday, May 7th, at 7:30 PM EST

Interview with Ann Rosen https://www.instagram.com/p/C6eR6X6L-tN/

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: The 10 Most Common Art World Contradictions

Doesn't the art world drive you nuts?

There are all these rules of conduct you're supposed to follow, but then you're also supposed to know all the times when those rules don't apply. It's like you need the equivalent of a degree in engineering, just to get your foot in the door. (In reality, that degree is probably more like an MFA from Yale.)

Well, today I break down the 10 most common contradictions and give you an advanced guide on how to navigate them.

You'll recognize that the art world's secrets aren't secrets, so much as confusion due to a lack of clear definitions.

And you'll be able to navigate the world more easily towards greater success.

Which is exactly what we want.

Listen to the latest episode of Art Problems Podcast Here

READ THE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Episode 55: 

 You're listening to the Art Problems Podcast, Episode 55. I'm your host, Paddy Johnson. This is a podcast where we talk about how to get more shows, grants, and residencies. And today on the podcast, we're talking about art world contradictions. This podcast is inspired by an Instagram post I produced earlier this week about art world norms and the contradictions that accompany those norms.  

And a large number Of the comments below that post identifying, you know, the hundreds more contradictions that there actually are because there are so many and there were also a number of frustrated comments over the fact that there didn't seem to be anything to be done to make it easier for artists.  

So I thought, here's what I can do. I'm going to take the 10 most common answers and offer some guidance on each. so much. So let's get into it. Contradiction number one, be humble. Don't approach gallerists versus be self promoting and get gallery representation. So be humble and don't approach gallerists that that first bit of advice is likely the result of galleries being bombarded by blind solicitations by artists who have done no research.  

And they would like those solicitations to stop. Another version of this is no blind DMs. But the average person listening to this podcast, at least, doesn't need to hear that. In fact, more likely, you're struggling with how to send that DM in the first place. And the answer to that is simple. Send DMS when you have something to say, this is how you build enough trust to get a response.  

So I'm going to give you an example of something that happened to me. So last year, I sent a blind DM to a pair of collectors who I knew were a perfect fit for the network membership. We had people in common, they had the right focus. I'd done the research. I'd never met them. They didn't know me. And, you know, I sent them a DM or two and the DM went unanswered and I didn't really think that much of it because it's Instagram.  

So people can lose track of their DMS and, you know, it's possible they weren't interested anyway. Cut to yesterday and they curated a work of art into a show that I just loved and I saw it on Instagram so I sent them a DM to say that. And what this did was it resurfaced the original ask and the timing was good for them now.  

Because they happen to be promoting a show so they can promote that show to the membership and we're going to make something happen. So the lesson here is threefold. One, do the research because if you don't do that, then the DM will never work. Two, don't be afraid to reach out once you are certain of a fit.  

And three, this is probably the most important one. Don't assume that just because you haven't heard back from a gallery, That that is an indication of a lack of interest. Just because something isn't the right time right now, doesn't mean that it will never be the right time. If you have something to say about the work that somebody else is doing, let them know.  

You never know what'll happen. All right, so contradiction number two. Here's your brand versus just do your thing and it'll look like you. So this contradiction and many that follow are the result of not understanding what part of the industry you are in. So Louise Mayhew has identified four different parts of the art world, experimental, traditional, community, and retail.  

So if you're in the experimental section, you're making work that Critically engages with your field. If you are in the traditional world, you're making work for exhibiting and selling to art collectors. If you're in the community world, you're facilitating art making for participants. And if you're in the retail world, you're making art for selling to everyday buyers and you are looking to grow your audience for the purpose of selling, right?  

If you're a retail artist, you are not conflicted by commerce, or at least you're less conflicted by it. Let's compare that to traditional artists. Traditional artists have been making work for a while. Commercial galleries Often talk about concepts of quote unquote newness and seek out perspectives that seem very unique to the artist. So your brand isn't built off appealing to hundreds of thousands of people. You only need to connect with a handful. But they do need to be rich.  

So your marketing is going to look completely different. You don't need to reach the same mass audience that an influencer or retail artist does. So that is what feels like a contradiction between just doing your thing and here's your brand. Because just do your thing and it'll look like you are really more appropriate for the traditional art world.  

And here's your brand and let's build that is more appropriate for the retail world.  

The third contradiction, money shouldn't impact your work. Just make What sells? This contradiction reveals the same market split that I was talking about in the previous contradiction. Money shouldn't impact your work, which is at the lower end of the traditional or contemporary art market, versus just making what sells, which is more appropriate for the retail market.  

It's worth noting though, that at the higher end of the market, there's a higher cost to making work that doesn't sell. So you think about it more. Cicely Brown, for example, has talked about how difficult it is to destroy paintings that aren't working because she knows she's destroying something that's worth six or seven figures.  

Ellsworth Kelly flower drawing prints are pretty and they sell. So he Several series of these, some in the 60s, some in the 80s. I mean, why not, right? They sell. Theaster Gates used firehose paintings and sculptures to fund his community projects. So there are a lot of reasons that people will make things just to sell or will be more conscious of it than others.  

And a lot of that has to do with goals and class behaviors. Another version of this, is marketing your work to customers the same way you would any other commodity versus maintaining the impression that you're only in this for the intellectual and spiritual purpose of art. Or don't sell your work on your website if you want to attract galleries versus sell your work on the website and cut out the middleman.  

Each of these connects knowing where your audience is and your place in the market. They're not true contradictions. In other words, they're just differences of how you identify your audience and what you need to do to meet that audience. So the fourth contradiction is technical mastery versus technique doesn't matter.  

Again, this is one of those things that falls into a category of where you're situated in the art industry. Though this time, the distinction is more between the experimental world, which looks more like nonprofits, artist spaces, and some museums, and the traditional art world, where you're showing at commercial galleries, and more often than not, technical mastery does matter.  

Now, does it always matter? No. Mauricio Catalan's Banana is a good example of that. That was an edition piece that was taped, a banana taped to the wall, which debuted at Art Basel, Miami that cost 150, 000 each. It was an edition, it was an edition of five. This conflict has no resolution except to say that context matters.  

If the same piece, the same banana and duct tape appeared in a secondhand store, it would sell for a dollar if you were lucky, right? It's at Art Basel Miami and it's a piece by Mauricio Catalan and it costs something different. All right. So number five, you don't need An MFA versus we only look at you if you have an MFA.  

Again, if you're in the world of retail, your MFA is not going to mean that much. So you don't need to worry about it. In the traditional world, it does. It's literally the first line on your CV. That said, a long show history makes an MFA less relevant. So it's possible to get that. And I want to mention it here.  

This leads into a second contradiction, which is that we support diversity and inclusivity in this program versus 50 percent of the recipients who went to one of these three programs. In the art world, diversity does not include class. Now, I think we can shift some of this through the strength of our networks that we build, but that's going to take a while.  

And so as far as I can tell, this contradiction is going to be with us for more time than I would like. Contradiction number six, galleries want to see strong sales records before showing you. You need to show to build up sales. This is generally a contradiction felt most acutely by artists who don't feel a great sense of agency over what happens to their work outside of the studio.  

And it does have a chicken and egg feel to it, but there is a path to follow here. And it's actually something that we're introducing inside Network for the next cohort, um, who's joining us. And, uh, if you're already a member, of course you get the upgrade automatically. So just know that that's coming, but that often involves.  

Self organizing shows and not working until you know enough people for inclusion in a group show. Now, obviously, there's a lot of steps in between that we don't really have time to get into in this podcast, but those are the broad strokes. The number 7. The seventh contradiction, just use an iPhone to photograph your work versus you need to use a good expensive camera and equipment and know how to use it.  

I think this one is a legitimate contradiction but I do have a rule of thumb for you that I wanted to share and it is specifically good for painters and people who are making wall mounted work. If you are shooting wall mounted work in a studio and you have good lighting and a decent phone, you can shoot individual works with an iPhone.  

It doesn't take that much effort or skill. All of that said, I would never recommend shooting an installation without a professional. Your documentation matters a lot. Way more than most of us think. So if you have an installation, if you have a show, make sure no matter what you do, that you get professional photos of that, because it's really going to make a difference to your career, contradiction number eight, don't list prices on social posts, list prices on social posts only.  

Again, here, context matters. If you're trying to make room in a flat file so that you can fit more in, you might run a fire sale on Instagram to get rid of that stuff, right? And that's fine. If you're doing that, you've got to list the prices. It's not going to be invisible. By contrast, if you're looking for a commercial gallery to represent your work, you're not going to list the sale price on Instagram because your goal is to get somebody else to sell it, right?  

And this is one of the reasons that we spend so much time with artists helping them identify their goals, because what it does is it helps you make sound decisions. And we can see that in this contradiction. Contradiction number nine. Make sure your work fits into the program of the gallery before you approach them, meaning there is a shared aesthetic language versus this is too much like what we already show.  

So we can't show you. I love this one as a contradiction because the truth is sometimes there's an outsider to the program. We can't tell what will represent too much of a similarity to a dealer. And the only way to know is to have more conversations. I'm not sure that eliminates the original contradiction, but it does give you a path forward to eliminate it.  

Finally, contradiction number 10, it takes time to develop a mature practice and body of work versus we love the young, sexy ones. This is, this is a very, very good contradiction in the sense that, uh, it exists. This contradiction reveals the disconnect between the quality of our work and The market demands, which are often shaped by networks and a desire to get some sort of return on investment.  

And the fact is the chances of a return on your investment are greater with younger artists. Here's the thing though, if you're looking to buy the artist's best work, I almost always advise purchasing that as they get older, because experience matters. As you make more work, your art will get better.  

All right, that's all the contradictions for today.  

I'm sure there's a lot more of them, but those were the core ones.  

I'll see you next week when I interview the author of the artwork, Heather Darcy Bundary.  

Paddy  

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: You're More Than a Label

One of the great frustrations with the art world is the nonsense terms you have to interpret and apply to your practice. Are you an emerging, mid-career, or an established artist? NOBODY KNOWS. It's different for every application you fill out.

What if I told you, I had a solution to this problem?

A set of terms where you could easily see your EXACT place within the art world.

Well, whatyaknow! That's the subject of this podcast!

You'll learn the terms and industry sectors we're identifying behind the scenes at Netvvrk and how to apply them to your practice.

Tune in, and as always let me know what you think on Instagram. I want to hear your thoughts!

READ THE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Episode 53: 

You’re listening to the art problems podcast, Episode 53. This is the podcast where we talk about how to get more shows, grants, and residencies.  

And on this podcast I’m going to let listeners in on some of the work I’ve been doing behind the scenes with the artist William Powhida rebuilding our curriculum. Why are we doing this? Well, we wanted to lay out a path that every artist, no matter where they are in their career can follow, so that they get more visibility.  

Now, this may sound, well, impossible, because every artist has strengths and weaknesses and is in a different spot in their career. And that’s not wrong. It’s one of the reasons we’ve been so careful when laying this program out. I still fundamentally believe that every artist’s path is different.  

But with that said, I also know there are certain decisions that you need to have made, and materials in place, in order for any progress to be made. So, today, I’m going to lay out the plan we’re mapping for the artists inside of Netvvrk, so that if you’re a member, you know what we’re working on behind the scenes and can start using our resources to implement these things even before we release the program, and if you’re not, you have a sense of what you need to do!  

I’m going to begin, though, by walking you through the sectors and tiers we’ve established for the art industry and artists. Because if there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that emerging, mid-career, and established, doesn’t mean ANYTHING. And as an artist, it’s really helpful for you to know exactly where in the industry you’re participating in and at level.  

Let’s dive in on the tiers. We use four basic categories, beginning, intermediate, proficient, and master. But to these categories, we also apply reach, which starts at regional, graduates to national, and then global. So, for example, you might be a master regional artist, but a beginner or intermediate national artist. And these distinctions can easily be read by someone with a high degree of literacy in the art world, just by looking at a CV, but might not be immediately apparent to you. And the reason knowing these distinctions is important, is because knowing where you start, allows you to set realistic goals on where you want to go.  

But we also want to add to this, the sectors of the industry you participate in. And for a lot of artists this will be more than one. So let’s go through those.  

SECTOR	EXAMPLE
Amateur/Hobbyist	Coffee Shops
Non-profit, Academic	Brandeis, NYU, Montclair, The Hammer
Non-profit, Museums and Art Centers	Smack Mellon, MCA Chicago, etc
Public Art	Percent for Art, Black Cube, CO
Direct to customer	Saatchi, Etsy, etc
Corporate Clients	Hospitals, Hotels, Credit Card companies
Commercial Primary Market	Night Gallery, LA, Spinello Projects FL
Alternative Spaces	Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Plug Projects

 

If we’ve missed any I’d love to hear from you, but those represent the broad sectors we see most in and outside of the membership.  

Once you know which part of the industry you mostly work within, you can set up your web presence in a way that responds to that sector. For example, If you sell your work directly to clients, your website is going to be set up entirely differently then if you sell your work through galleries. And you need to know your audience in order to design your website for them.  

And this is why, I always recommend artists start by identifying which industry sectors they participate in, who their audience is, and then orient their website to those audiences. If you don’t do this, you will not be able to make headway in the art world. And that’s because you’ll be creating a website for an imagined audience rather than the one you have.  

Now, I’m going to walk you through a beginner pathway we’ve laid out, and even if that’s not you, let’s say you’re a master regional artist - this will be helpful, because you’re likely making a lot of decisions based on knowledge you have but don’t even recognize. And hearing it codified makes repeating and building on your successes a lot easier.  

The tiers and sectors I just laid out appear in the foundations, but we will ask you to reflect on your art. Because none of this works without your art.  

Once your foundations are complete, we start with your website, which is the first representation of your work that you can control. And all the areas where YOU control the representation of your work is where we want you to focus. Your work, your bio, your artist statement, it all lives on the website. But the website is an island – essentially useless without any of the tools you might use to get someone there. These are tools like Instagram, business cards, networking events, mailing lists, and this is why we refer to the development of these tools as a communication eco-system. It’s a pool that constantly needs to have its PH levels balanced, so flow occurs easily.  

Artists who sell lower priced items on their website will need pricing guidance, so that’s the next module in our curriculum, followed by Instagram, and Networking which helps you get people to the site but also encourages soliciting feedback.  

Now, one problem I see artists struggle with a lot is applying critical rigor to their work and others. I want to acknowledge that this criticality comes easier to some types of work than to others; an intuitive painter communicating feelings through abstraction may not maintain a conceptual practice or have any interest in it. But every artist needs the ability to distinguish their work from others, and that’s what criticality does for your work.  

What is criticality? There are probably a lot of definitions to this, but in my opinion, it’s less about critique of specific subjects, although that can be part of it, but rather applying context sensitivity and curiosity to all aspects of your practice. Even intuitive abstraction draws from the contemporary context. Your ability to bring specific aesthetic language to your work, and specific textual language to how you talk about it, as how you differentiate yourself.  

And I think that’s why the recent Slide Slam with the Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver Miranda Lash felt so substantial to members. Miranda spoke about every single work with depth and expertise, drawing historical references, citing themes, and then bringing the themes that emerged for in reviewing roughly 200 netvvrk members work - those included intimate portraiture, and the home, made strange. In the talk Miranda asked whether this was an after effect of covid, or a greater willingness to be vulnerable what makes our homes.  

The last stage we have in the beginner path, but can be applied more broadly, is that once you have all of these pieces in place, you start applying to shows. If you’re at the beginner level you’re likely going to be applying to open calls and member shows. But I want to discourage the idea that if you’re a more advanced artist you’re not submitting proposals. We just had John Massier, the curator of Hallways into Netvvrk to speak, and he talked about mid-career retrospective proposals he’s received, attempted to place at Institutions larger than his own, and launched himself. If you’re working at a high level, you’re still submitting proposals. It’s just a less visible process.  

Alright, that’s it for this episode!  

I’ll see you back here next week!  

Paddy  

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Is the Economic Center of the Art World Shifting?

Frieze, LA 2024

I am back from the LA fairs, hoo boy, do I have some impressions. There was so much to do and see relative to New York’s Frieze week, that I started to wonder if New York would continue to be the economic center for art!

In this podcast I discuss the biz, trends, and art so you have all the information you need to know whether participating in the LA Fairs is worth the investment.

You’ll also get the skinny on each fair so you get a sense of the flavor of each.

By the end, you'll be armed with everything you need to navigate and succeed in the art fair environment.

Relevant links:

ART MARKET REPORTS

Artnet Frieze Los Angeles Is Smaller This Year, but Dealers Are Doing Big Business
https://news.artnet.com/market/frieze-los-angeles-is-smaller-this-year-but-dealers-are-doing-big-business-2442125

The Art Newspaper, Felix is fun as ever, even as Sales Slow
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/02/29/felix-is-fun-as-ever-even-as-sales-slow

Frieze Fair, Felix and more this weekend (paywall)
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-02-29/frieze-los-angeles-2024-felix-art-fair

TRENDS
Heavily patterned paintings that look like rugs.

Aydee Rodriguez Lopez at Proyectos Monclova
https://www.proyectosmonclova.com/artists/aydee-rodriguez-lopez

Laura Owens at Matthew Marks
https://matthewmarks.com/artists/laura-owens

Jeff Perrone at Corbett vs Dempsey
https://corbettvsdempsey.com/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024/

SPRING BREAK HIGHLIGHTS

SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW
https://www.springbreakartshow.com/

Fred Fleisher curates Don Porcella
https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/fred-fleisher

Cheryl Molnar curates Rachelle Anayansi Mozman Solano
https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/cheryl-molnar-la-2024

Fabiola Gironi and Robert Minervini https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/fabiola-gironi

Mary Henderson curated by Sarah A Gamble
https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/mary-henderson

Michael Handley curated by Jack Henry
https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/michael-handley

FRIEZE HIGHLIGHTS

Frieze LA
https://www.frieze.com/tags/frieze-los-angeles-2024

Hernan Bas at Victoria Miro
https://online.victoria-miro.com/frieze-los-angeles-2024-hernan-bas/

Jordan Casteel at Casey Kaplan
https://caseykaplangallery.com/artists/casteel/

FELIX ART FAIR HIGHLIGHTS

Felix Art Fair
https://felixfair.com/

Kavi Gupta at Felix
https://kavigupta.com/events/156/overview/

Sargent’s Daughters
https://www.sargentsdaughters.com/

Michael Kirkham at Harkawik gallery https://galleryplatform.la/galleries/harkawik/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024

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READ THE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Podcast Episode 51: 

You’re listening to the Art Problems Podcast, Episode 51. I’m your host, Paddy Johnson. This is the podcast where we talk about how to get more shows, grants and residencies.  

And on this podcast I’m going to be discussing my trip to Los Angeles for the art fairs. But I also want to seed a larger question, which developed as I visited talked to people and visited the fairs, which is: Is the economic center of the art world shifting to L.A? Let me explain how this question started to formulate and then I’ll do a deeper dive into the fairs themselves, in terms of character, trends, and notable art works.  

The first fair I visited in LA was SPRING/BREAK. SPRING/BREAK is probably best known as the fair most friendly to artists without representation. They use a curatorial model, meaning you apply with work under a theme the fair organizers chose for the fair as a whole, you work with a curator (which is usually another artist) and propose a booth often consisting of two or more artists. This year, for the first time, the fair included spotlights - solo booths for artists selected by the fair organizers. The cost of the both typically runs in the hundreds of dollars, rather than tens of thousands other fairs charge, and SPRING/BREAK makes additional funds by taking a percentage of your sales.  

The vast majority of L.A. based artists I met at the fair were New York transplants. Those who had been in LA for a while, spoke about how much bigger the scene was than ten years prior. Most discussed a need for more affordable space and better weather as a reason for moving.  

Obviously, the move has been going on for some time. But the sheer volume of New York transplants seemed notable at this point.  

The next day, I went to the Frieze Art Fair and Felix. Frieze, which is the largest fair of the three I saw in LA, and attracts the wealthiest collectors and the most expensive art felt alive and full of energy, whereas Felix - the fair for the middle market — felt subdued by contrast. I was feeling pretty under the weather, so most of my conversations about the events happened the following day when I went gallery hopping and met up with the artists inside Netvvrk. Many artists at the Netvvrk event at The Middle Room Gallery had come directly from Frieze, where crowds were so thick they could barely move.  

Prior to having talked to anyone, I came out of Frieze assuming the market was flat. Everyone brought painting, which is what you do in a cooler market because it sells better than any other medium, and the New York dealers I had spoken with earlier in the week were still complaining about the market.  

But frenzied activity the likes of Saturday’s crowd don’t occur outside of sales, and Artnet reported that sales were brisk. Five years ago, all the LA based fairs had been short lived, without a collectors market to support them.  

This stands in stark contrast to Frieze New York, which is having troubles. After three days in L.A. I concluded that if you lived here and work in the arts, you couldn’t afford to skip Frieze. Last fall, I decided not to attend Frieze New York any more because it was too expensive, I found the non-profit location offensive and depressing, and it wasn’t like I was doing Networking there I couldn’t do elsewhere. So, I felt like I could skip it. And the reason this is significant is that Frieze is one of the largest art fairs in the world. And if Frieze doesn’t do well in New York, but it does well in L.A., then that could be an issue for New York. What I don’t know is whether New York based collectors are flying to LA to purchase work they can also find in NYC. That’s the big tell. But I’m going there because I can see the need, and I know I’m not the only one.  

Meanwhile, over at Felix, I spoke with Allegra LaVoila of Sargent’s Daughters who said she felt she should take a large booth, now that she has an outpost in LA as well. Now even mid-sized galleries have locations on both coasts.  

All of these factors combined make me feel like the economic center is shifting West. Why? The real estate is cheaper, fabrication costs are lower, and there’s more space. All of these things are conditions needed for art.  

Now, due to feeling ill, I wasn’t able to talk to enough dealers about sales to really understand how Felix did - Felix did less well than Frieze. Unlike the year prior, there were no lines to get into the rooms, but for the first night. So, it seems like the excitement has died down. Felix for those who haven’t been, but are familiar with New York’s Independent Art Fair, is a very similar line up of middle market galleries only instead of showing in a glimmering white space, they take over the historic Roosevelt Hotel. It’s a kinda dingy space but some of the hotel rooms have bars in them, which I think is kinda fun.  

I’ll note here that the publishing industry is so hollowed out, that there’s almost no market reporting on Felix sales. The Art Newspaper reported slow sales and the LA Times ran a piece quoting the fair’s director who said that several booths had already sold out, but didn’t name them. I want to point out here, that my job is not that of a journalist first. I’m an art coach, who traveled to LA to be able to better advise the artists I work with. If it’s just me and a lone reporter from we’ve got problems.  

A similar low energy can be said for SPRING/BREAK. I love the event as a fair for artists, and the backend of the fair had a lot of great booths. A lot of the work struck me as something I might see at NADA Miami, in terms of quirkiness and style. But it was very sparsely attended. When I spoke with artists who had attended the opening, they told me very few people came out.  

This makes me sad. There’s plenty of good work at the fair. They were the only fair to host an art work that consisted of AI tarot reader that tap into your emails and produce readings (although I didn’t meet anyone who actually got a reading since the artist wasn’t in attendance when I anyone I knew as there, or myself.).  

The point is, there’s no reason not to attend, and lots of great artists to talk to. So, why weren’t people there? The same phenomenon occurred in New York this fall, which I chocked up to exhausting a location. They’d been in the same office space for four years and its run down appearance just didn’t work any more. But, it’s a little unclear why the same issue is happening in L.A.  

Here’s what I will say: I’m not convinced low attendance in either Felix or SPRING/BREAK LA can be chocked up to location or the quality of the art. I don’t have any definitive answers, but to speculate, I’d wager that despite reports of an energized crowd at Frieze, the market is soft, particularly in the emerging and middle market. And that’s showing up even in an environment that people are excited about—and is more visible at the emerging end of things where collectors who are experiencing fair fatigue are just not making it out to the secondary fairs in the same way they used to.  

Okay, last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the art.  

Stand out booths at Spring Break: Fred Fleisher curated a booth of Don Porcella crudely rendered sculptures made of wire mesh and colored pipe cleaners. In one arrangement of sculptures, a man in a suit with a baseball cap stands behind a deer carrying a glittery mouse on its back. A mouse, and a couple of logs surround each slightly smaller than life size figure. In another Charles Ray like constellation of family members -a tall woman with a gold club, a short man, and giant head with an unfurled tongue each sit on astroturf.  

One of the qualities I like about the work is that the mouths are open, revealing the structure of the work. They’re hollow. I kinda like that in a time when we seek out authenticity and realness — a quality that seems more allusive than ever — even the most honest rendering of materials reveals a hollowness inside. Even if you do blah blah [Keep]  

I mean, I doubt the artist made that work with my interpretation in mind, but I’m sure at least some of it would hold water with Porcello.  

Also worth mentioning, Venas Abiertas, an exhibition of photographic portraits by Rachelle Anayansi Mozman Solano. In these works, female models wearing turn of the century clothing or alternatively nudes pose with cardboard cutouts of cacti, and logs. In this environment I read the images as stage-like and referring to Hollywood and the colonization of the west. Molnar writes that “Mozman sets the stage for a psychological play, featuring a cast of characters from her life, to reflect on the emotional inheritance handed down from the impacts of colonization and white supremacy in Panamá.” So, I wasn’t too far off.  

Honestly there’s too much of note to go through everything, so quickly xe colorful painted still lives, Mary Henderson’s jewel-sized figurative paintings, and the dyed rubber boots marked by evaporating water by Michael Handley and curated by Jack Henry each stood out for their considered approach to the craft.  

Overall, we’re seeing far less ceramics, photography, and sculpture at the fairs, which is why a space like SPRING/BREAK is so important. The artists there show a variety of medium. The higher up the food chain you get, in the world of commerce, the less variation there is. Collectors aren’t really that adventurous.  

But, if you spend all day painting as your job, you’re gonna get pretty good at it. At Frieze Victoria Miro showed a new body of figurative works by Hernan Bas, someone I’ve noted in the past has grown tremendously as a painter. A series of subtly erotic young gay boys line one wall. The most striking work, a huge portrait of a young man in a suit behind a birthday cake ablaze with a million candles stands out. Youth springs eternal, as they say.  

But also Jordan Castell’s paintings at Casey Kaplan. Frankly the growth and her range of painterly applications is just astonishing. In one still life she leaves nearly have the canvas untouched - a beautiful spare touch. In another much more worked over piece, the individual marks making up a straw hat worn by a mother posing with her husband and child feel so considered.  

And at Felix, the weird alien like figures of Michael Kirkham at Harkawik gallery stood out for their bizarre proportions and striking color palette - one was very bright in color with whites and oranges while another stood out for its nighttime palette of blues and blacks. And Kavi Gupta’s exhibition including a hugely diverse range of artists including theater gates, Manish Nai, Miya Ando and more, gave the fair a well needed jolt from whiteness. I’ll admit to a weakness for all work by Jose Lerma, whose textured figurative collage sat tucked away in Gupta’s booth in the bathroom. And in full disclosure, this may have something to do with the fact that he lived a few doors down from me when I was in my twenties and some of the best conversations I’ve ever had about art were with him, about his own art and others. One of the most thoughtful artists I’ve ever met.  

Probably the biggest trend this year are heavy patterned or detailed paintings that look like they were inspired by rug design. These paintings are everywhere. Aide Rodriguez Lopez at Proyectos Monclova, Laura Owens at Matthew Marks, Jeff Perrone at Corbet vs Dempsey to name three of hundreds.  

I’m very susceptible to trends - whatever flavor of the month we’re at, I’m usually buying it. I suspect most of us are like that but it’s worth pointing them out, because trends are more fleeting than hard and fast interests. We want to be able to discern between the two, so we can recognize the difference between our taste and what’s hot at any given moment. It helps us make better art, and if you’re a collector, make better buying decisions.  

Okay, well that’s it for the podcast this week! Whether or not you attended the fairs, I hope you’re able to add some of these reflections to your contemporary art world knowledge base. This kind of stuff always comes up in conversation!  

I’ll see you back here next week!  

Paddy  

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: How to Come Back From an Extended Art Making Break

Shana Moulton, Meta/Physical Therapy, 2024, MoMA

If you have ever felt anxious about an extended art making break, let me put your mind at ease.

It happens to almost EVERYONE.

Whether that be due to child rearing, the loss of a parent, or a significant move, the job of getting back into the game can be just as challenging as the disruptions that took you away from the studio.

You're probably worried that...

You have visible gaps in your CV that galleries will notice and ask you about

You've lose touch with many of your contacts and art friends and now they're gone for good

Your fear of not being able to get back into the networking game, will keep you from getting back into the networking game.

In this podcast, I address those fears, identify the self defeating actions artists often take when in this position, and offer actionable alternatives.

You don't have to feel stuck.

And this podcast is designed to make sure you feel empowered to take action, rather than feeling mired in fear and self doubt.

Have a listen and let me know what you think!

Relevant links:

https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/1137460905/late-bloomers

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: You've got Mail 💌

Have you ever exchanged gifts with someone and only to learn that the present you got them is waaaaay more expensive than the one they got you?

Awkward!

In this Valentine's Day podcast on connection and mailers, I talk about how social currency and exchange works much the same way. If you're asking someone for their email, and you're giving them something in exchange you want it to be roughly equal in investment. Sometimes that's the newsletter itself and sometimes it's a little more.

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: What to Focus on When You Have Limited Time: An interview with Cadence Giersbach

Artist: Cadence Giersbach

Are you struggling to find time to do every god damn thing?

Of course you are. You're an artist.

That's why I started this series on goal setting.

In this podcast I speak with artist and Netvvrk member Cadence Giersbach about how she sets priorities and gets things done. Giersbach describes the importance of focusing on the things that are within your control—what you can do each day to get tasks done.

PS

If you want to know more about how to spend less time hustling and more time in the studio, I'm going to do a deeper dive in my live masterclass, How to Get More Shows Without Turning Your Personality into a Marketing Bot Tuesday Feb. 6th at 7:30 PM EST. This class is totally free, so join me!

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: How to be an Art World Rulebreaker without Accidentally Exiling Yourself

John Wesley at Pace Gallery

Have you ever launched an exhibition space and then tortured yourself over whether to include yourself in a show because you know it will look bad? Or struggled over whether to send an email to gallerist or a DM over Instagram because someone followed you, but you're not sure if DMing a welcome is friendly or spam?

Welcome to the world of art world taboos, which are both plentiful and entirely useless in any situation other than the most obvious examples. In this episode I identify a few of the more common taboos that trip an artist up, explain why they exist and how and when you can break them!

You're welcome!

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Your 2024 Goal Setting Model to Get Your Art Seen

Heather Beardsley: Strange Plants at the Chrysler Museum of Art
(Screen grab from @phondco’s produced video.)

In this episode of Art Problems, I take on a vexed topic for many artists: goal setting!

Is it even worth setting goals when it's so difficult to know where your opportunities will come from?

Short answer: Yes.

I talk to artist and Netvvrk member Heather Beardsley about the process she used to set her goals, and how she achieved them.

And you know what?

It's not rocket science.

You can follow Heather's method (the Netvvrk method) and do the same thing.

Because study after study shows that people who set goals are far more likely to achieve them.

So, have a listen and get down to business!

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: 2024 Art World Predictions

Diana Thater, Perfect Devotion Six, 2006 (The Gallery Group show, David Zwirner, New York, New York)

Last year, I predicted what 2023 in the art world would look like. This week, I take a look back at those predictions, share what I got right and wrong, and make new ones for 2024.

Spoiler alert: We've got big structural changes ahead. It's hard to say how those changes will play out, but discuss the benefit of approaching shifts with cautious optimism.

Relevant links:

The Internet is about to Get Weird Again
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/internet-future-about-to-get-weird-1234938403/

The Enshitification of TikTok
https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Weathering Art Basel FOMO

Are you feeling acutely aware that you're not sunning yourself on a Miami Beach right now?

Are you nervous that you won't be able to appreciate the Miami Beach because you're too anxious about the surrounding fairs to relax?

Welcome to the Miami art fairs, which are on right now, and basically exist to drive an artist mad.

In this bonus episode of Art Problems, I discuss the demoralizing FOMO many artists experience during this time and how to reduce the anxiety.

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Why Traditional Business Model Frameworks Won't Work for Artists

This week, I conducted an experiment: I took a survey that identified problems for standard businesses by revenue stages and examined how those problems aligned with the average artist's studio practice.

Surprise! The metrics didn't line up.

So, I used the framework of the identified business stages to create my model for artists. This podcast shares what I learned and produced for you! In the process, I created a downloadable action checklist so you can identify your career stage and what actions you need to take to get to the next level.

Listen here.

Get the checklist here.

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Sales are Not a Measure of Your Self Worth

In this episode of the Art Problems Podcast, I discuss the abundance of triggers liable to make you feel a little more sensitive about your career this time of year including the Miami art fairs, holiday sales, and an art market recession. I also discuss what you can do when you start feeling all the feels.

We often get in our own way when we become self-conscious about visibility. This podcast is designed to give you the tools to avoid the behaviors likely to set you back.

Sign up for early access to the Vantablack Friday offer!

Relevant links:
https://hyperallergic.com/784192/art-problems-dont-make-art-to-sell-do-i-still-belong-in-the-art-world

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Your Ultimate Artist Residency Guide

Do you really need an artist residency?

You know it helps a CV, but how much?

Will it help other aspects of your career?

In this episode of Art Problems, I talk about how to determine if you need a residency and how to find the residencies best suited to your needs. If you've been stressing over whether you should spend time at a residency or how to find one, this podcast will provide an answer to many of those anxieties.

Have a listen and let me know what you think over Instagram!

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: How to Master Technology When You Hate Technology

Artwork credit: Yael Kanarek, World of Awe, 2000, browser-based art work.

Is your lack of tech literacy stressing you out?

Are you worried you're too old to get the hang of new technology?

Maybe you're not old, and reasonably tech-savvy, but still stymied by constant tech updates?

Today on the podcast I invite my mother, Jacqueline Johnson, to talk about her use of technology.

She is not a master of technology. But, at age 77, she has figured out how to use what she needs and reports crying far less often due to the computer!

Learn how she overcame her fear of technology and how you can, too!

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: How to Navigate Health and Change

Is your body not working as well as it did when you were twenty? Is this affecting your studio practice? Welcome to the joys of mid-career!

In this episode of Art Problems, I speak about how to invest time in seeking out good healthcare to sustain your life in the studio, as well as the importance of building an adaptable mindset.

Try different types of support.

Use what works for you.

Trust your body.

Adapt, adapt, adapt.

Learning to accept change is the key to happiness.

Relevant links:

Brad Stuhlman, Master of Change

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Change-Everything-Changing-Including/dp/006325316X

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: How Four Artists Got a Chelsea Show

In this episode, I talk to artists Barbara Nitke, Natalya Kochak, Laurence Elle Groux (goes by Elle) to talk about how they used the Netvvrk membership to help them secure their Chelsea show Mind Body and Soul—a Chashama exhibition at 320 West 23rd Street in New York.

We go through the process of how they met, how they got the show, the resources they needed to make the show, and now, what they can do to get the show more exposure.

If you're an artist who either needs shows or has a show you want to get people out to see, there are a lot of practical tips in this episode to help you.

Relevant links:
https://chashama.org/event/body-mind-spirit/
https://www.marcalain.com/
https://www.laurenceellegroux.com/
https://www.natalyakochak.com/
https://www.barbaranitke.com/

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Six Ways to Get More Time in the Studio

Let me guess. You have a million things to do to move your art career forward, but you're only one person, and you're struggling to find time in the studio, let alone do all the other tasks. You need one job, not four.

In this episode of Art Problems, I discuss how to get the time you need in the studio.

The solutions I have aren't sexy, and some of them aren't.

But you know what is fun? TIME IN THE STUDIO.

If they work, and they do, use these strategies.

And if you want to do a deeper dive on this, make sure you attend my free webinar on Tuesday, October 17th, on how to get more shows without transforming your personality into a content creator. Don't miss this class.

SIGN-UP HERE

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Do We Need Art Criticism?

Nicolas Party, Installation view of "Swamp", Hauser and Wirth. Image: Paddy Johnson

Does anyone even read art criticism any more?

For years, the prevailing wisdom told us that the art industry needs art criticism to grow. And yet, today, the industry is larger than ever; the number of professional art critics in the country is dwindling, and those writing reviews aren't having them read.

So, do we need art criticism? Is art criticism itself the problem? Is it too positive to be taken seriously or too negative to qualify as anything more than clickbait?

In this episode of Art Problems, Paddy Johnson summarizes the recent online discussions about criticism, focusing on Sean Tatol's "Negative Criticism" and Ben Davis's "Is Criticism Too Positive" and explains why this conversation is relevant to artists.

If you struggle to understand the media landscape, this podcast will help you understand the stakes so you can make better decisions about where to spend your time.

Professionals discussed: Jerry Saltz, Sean Tatol, Ben Davis, Jason Farago, Joanna Freeman, Jackson Arn, Josh Baer, Jeff Poe

Relevant links:

https://www.thebaerfaxtpodcast.com/e/jerry-saltz/

https://news.artnet.com/opinion/sean-tatol-negative-reviews-part-1-2353302

https://news.artnet.com/opinion/sean-tatol-negative-criticism-part-2-2353305

https://news.artnet.com/multimedia/the-art-angle-podcast-state-of-art-criticism-2358970

https://thepointmag.com/criticism/negative-criticism/

http://19933.biz/manhattanartreview.html

[PODCAST] ART PROBLEMS: Managing Self Doubt

If you want to participate in the art world at a higher level, and every opportunity that gets you closer gives you a big dose of imposter syndrome, this podcast's for you.

In this episode of Art Problems, we talk about managing self-doubt.

What are the symptoms of self-doubt?

How can simple avoidance behaviors be mitigated?

And how can more complex fear-driven avoidance be tackled?

The answers to all that and more inside today's podcast.

Listen and let me know your thoughts on Instagram. I want to hear from you!