MIkhail
Well-known
indeed.....
do artists support each other?
- Thread starter back alley
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indeed.....
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
KoFe,
Sometimes art is life and life is art.
I do like buying from individuals, small shops, and do not partake in shopping at K-Mart, Target, or Walmart.
It really does come down to this level.
Sometimes it comes down to sharing and not buying. Giving of oneself.
I have a friend who is a guitar builder. I saw at a guitar show in 2004 that my friend was being groomed by John Monteleone, the master archtop builder, and Larry Wexler, the high end guitar broker to become the next "Man." This is part of the legacy that began with John DeAngelico, Jimmy D;Aquisto, John Monteleone, and now Cris Mirabella. Know that John Monteleone is likely around 70.
So more than a decade ago I commissioned Cris to build me a guitar where I gave him a blank slate to develop the guitar he wanted to build. Cris quickly developed a "Trap Door" carved archtop that has become his signature where side sounholes can be opened and closed and even the traditional "F" hole on the spruce top.
I feel I have been part of history, and now after 12 years of waiting an 18 inch blonde trap-door archtop is being built for me. My friend Dave said that the longer I wait the better. For me it was a lot of money and kinda like a car payment, but the guitar I commissioned I could never afford today as a Mirabella guitar starts at $30K.
I have plenty of guitars, and "Jane" the big blonde guitar will be loaned long term to my friend Cris as a showpiece and a show guitar. I in turn get value added because my guitar historically is an important guitar and it is my best interest for it to be widely known.
All this would not be possible without understanding, passion, and a commitment to a vision of an artist. Although it is not the Renesance, I am a great patron of the arts. Like I said it is about sharing.
Cal
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Well said Cal.
I have friends work on my walls and I see them all through their work. I am grateful for this.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
A,
A while back (now about 8 years ago) Damaso Reyes left for Spain and handed me the responsibility of the NYC Meet-Up. At first I thought of it as a burden and a bit of a responsibility that I would rather do without.
So this November we more or less have had monthly Meet-Ups for the past 8 years; I made a lot of friends from all over the planet; and in the end I got more than I ever gave. I am deeply touched by all the support, all the love, and all the understanding.
There are just so many talented people out there, so many voices, and so many interests that all enriched me. I would like to thank everyone... you all have made me not only a better photographer, but also a better person.
How ironic that it is Thanksgiving.
Cal
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Hi Cal,
YES I have also been blessed by others that have amazing talent and have enriched my life by just knowing and spending time with them and in so many ways. I hope that i have been able to give back just a very small % of what i have received. I have a lot of folks here that I admire and their work and words have enriched my life. And for all of this I am thankful.
Allen
YES I have also been blessed by others that have amazing talent and have enriched my life by just knowing and spending time with them and in so many ways. I hope that i have been able to give back just a very small % of what i have received. I have a lot of folks here that I admire and their work and words have enriched my life. And for all of this I am thankful.
Allen
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Allen,
Really nice to hear there is a sense of community around our country and that it isn't concentrated just in NYC.
We get inspired by great art and great artists. I do not think art is about money. Actually in the past I had difficulties with art dealers wanting to commodify my work so that they could sell my work and represent me. This disenchanted me deeply with the art world when I was young.
Now I see how rich a life I have that is filled with beauty and meaning. This is really why I wanted to be known as an artist. If life were about money and wealth I surely would of done different things...
Cal
jsrockit
Moderator
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
nikonhswebmaster
Retired NHS Webmaster
I deleted my post, I just don't understand this thread. All I can say is, no, I don't buy my friends' work.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
I think you are missing the real point. Supporting and helping one another rarely involves $$$$.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
It really is about artistic support, but it is also about value.
Many confuse support with money, buying and selling.
Cal
nikonhswebmaster
Retired NHS Webmaster
I am referring to the OP.
i see some prints for sale in the classifieds...it got me thinking...do we as photographers support each other or other artists/photographers?
i'm guessing not. Gear goes pretty quickly in the classifieds but that satisfies a different need for both parties, buyers and sellers. We seem to have a hard enough time discussing photography here and i think a hard time parting with our cash as well.
i'm guessing not. Gear goes pretty quickly in the classifieds but that satisfies a different need for both parties, buyers and sellers. We seem to have a hard enough time discussing photography here and i think a hard time parting with our cash as well.
Of course friends hang out with each other. But "support" in the real world of paying studio rent, involves money, dealers, influence, recommendations, in a word -- support.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
I think I can speak for some. My commercial work pays the bills and feeds the family. My personal work feeds my soul. I have had some success with my personal work but it is not enough to give my family the standard of living that they deserve.
Not many in todays world can support themselves on just the art. Most have day jobs. I do to mine just happens to be photography.
Not many in todays world can support themselves on just the art. Most have day jobs. I do to mine just happens to be photography.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
nikonhswebmaster
Retired NHS Webmaster
Honestly I don't think numbers have changed much since I began in the '70s. Today's art world involves a lot more money than than say 20 years ago, and that does distort things of course. I think of it as the Gagosian effect.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
I do my personal work for me. Not for money and my personal work is all mine. The work I do professionally is the clients and usually collaborations between myself and other visual professionals.
To the quotes from a couple of my favs.
"When money enters in, - then, for a price, I become a liar, - and a good one I can be whether with pencil or subtle lighting or viewpoint. I hate it all, but so do I support not only my family, but my own work."- Edward Weston
"There’s always been a separation between fashion and what I call my “deeper” work. Fashion is where I make my living. I’m not knocking it. It’s a pleasure to make a living that way. It’s pleasure, and then there’s the deeper pleasure of doing my portraits. It’s not important what I consider myself to be, but I consider myself to be a portrait photographer."- Richard Alvedon
Think of the support group Weston had.
To the quotes from a couple of my favs.
"When money enters in, - then, for a price, I become a liar, - and a good one I can be whether with pencil or subtle lighting or viewpoint. I hate it all, but so do I support not only my family, but my own work."- Edward Weston
"There’s always been a separation between fashion and what I call my “deeper” work. Fashion is where I make my living. I’m not knocking it. It’s a pleasure to make a living that way. It’s pleasure, and then there’s the deeper pleasure of doing my portraits. It’s not important what I consider myself to be, but I consider myself to be a portrait photographer."- Richard Alvedon
Think of the support group Weston had.
nikonhswebmaster
Retired NHS Webmaster
Oh dear -- I was right about 5 posts ago, this is just outside of my experience, I should not have commented. :angel:
robert blu
quiet photographer
My wife and me are passionate photographers and visit many events related to photography (and other visual arts).
Within the limits of our financial possibilities we try to support young photographers and artists buying something from them.
Last summer in Arles we bought a few prints from a young photographers, sebran d'argent because we liked the photos and we found interesting to chat with him.
We supported with a small donation the crowdfinding campaign of Matteo Di Giovanni, young italian photographer who lost a leg in an accident while working in Bosnia and Herzegovina a few years ago and desired to make an on the road trip, see his story here.
Meantime we became friend with him and today we'll attend an event where he presents the book he made from that road trip.
Sometimes I buy book from unknown authors because interesting to me and because I like to support them, even if my contribution is a small one.
It's nice to get in touch with people who try to make from what for us is a passion their living, and to support them.
robert
Within the limits of our financial possibilities we try to support young photographers and artists buying something from them.
Last summer in Arles we bought a few prints from a young photographers, sebran d'argent because we liked the photos and we found interesting to chat with him.
We supported with a small donation the crowdfinding campaign of Matteo Di Giovanni, young italian photographer who lost a leg in an accident while working in Bosnia and Herzegovina a few years ago and desired to make an on the road trip, see his story here.
Meantime we became friend with him and today we'll attend an event where he presents the book he made from that road trip.
Sometimes I buy book from unknown authors because interesting to me and because I like to support them, even if my contribution is a small one.
It's nice to get in touch with people who try to make from what for us is a passion their living, and to support them.
robert
rybolt
Well-known
How many of us buy a cd from a street musician? Personally, I can't pass one buy without buying a copy of at least one of their cd's. It doesn't seem to matter if I like their music or their style. If they have the fortitude to hang it out in public for the world to hear I'll take a $10 chance on the work.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Love street music! I do not always buy a CD but almost always spend a few minutes listening to their music and give a donation.
robert
robert
