Art-world etiquette

After I posted about my print sale (which is still going, by the way—more on that in a bit), quite a few people commented—some favorably, some not—about the idea of doing an edition of 100 for $20. I was curious about what other people thought of this, so I e-mailed a handful of photographers, gallerists, and art collectors to pick their brains. I’m still waiting on responses from a couple people, but I think I can safely give a synopsis.

The overwhelming consensus was that, though the issues raised by some of the commenters regarding edition sizes and prices, are important ones and worth considering, it’s not a black-and-white issue.

On the issue of print size and whether the artist can produce an edition of the same print or from the same series at a later date, at a different print or edition size, one person I consulted pointed out that the Museum of Contemporary Photography sold an edition of 9¼-x-11½-inch prints from Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi series for $300, and that it hasn’t hurt the big prints at all (or kept Alec from commanding a much higher price as his reputation has grown). The same person pointed out that Creative Time sold an edition of 11-x-14-inch Marilyn Minter prints for $500. Yes, $300 and $500 are more than $20, but I’m hardly in the category of Alec Soth and Marilyn Minter (yet!). Plus, I’m selling my prints through my blog (which several people pointed out is different from a gallery), and I’m doing it to raise funds for future projects.

Someone also pointed out that Zoe Strauss, who’s deservedly earned all kinds of recognition for her work, sells $5 photocopies of her photographs under the I-95 every May, and she’s also held print sales on her blog.

One person said that the marketplace determines the value of a person’s work, and that the value changes as the person’s standing in the art world changes. Another said that the artist herself determines the value, and that if the “value” of a particular print is that it enables you to get it in the hands of more people or to fund a photographic project, that’s just as valid as selling it in a gallery to a limited number of collectors. She added

It’s fully up to you and that’s why these “serial monogamy” editions are great ways to make some cash and to allow someone to own a piece of work that marks a specific time. I do agree that, as an artist, you do need to think long-term and short-term at the same time, but only you can determine how you want to put your images out into the world and figure out a way to have it be beneficial. It‘s a struggle to figure out how to do it, but there’s not really another option because we don’t have an economic framework that everyone can just plug into and make work.

More than one person said that, at this very early stage of my career, I have nothing to lose by selling prints in this way. Even if it is a “mistake,” all artists make mistakes as they negotiate the system and try to find their places in it.

As I said, I’m still awaiting responses from a few people, and if they have different perspectives on this that will deepen the discussion, I’ll be sure to post them. Feel free, as always, to leave your comments.

In the meantime, my goal with my current print sale is to use the proceeds to produce a zine in a few months. I’ve gotten quotes on the upfront costs of the kind of zine I want to do, and it’ll be close to $2,000. If I sell out of this print, I’ll have enough money to produce the zine—but I’m not there yet. So if you want to see a zine from me in the coming months, you can help by buying a print. As Barnaby from the U.K. said of this image, “It has grace and seems honest. I like those things.” And when have you ever known Barnaby to be wrong?

UPDATE: Another photographer got back to me and was more in line with Christian’s viewpoint, saying, “I would say that the benchmark is set with the editions. If you do high editions at the beginning, your prices will always stay lower. This has to do with the supply-and-demand issues of the secondary market.” The photographer added, “Venue probably matters. But commercial galleries will become aware of those high-edition prints.”