Warren Heintz on fri 29 dec 06
Hello Linda, I'm probably one of the few non-potters that lurks around here.I use clay some times in my sculpture,but work also with a variety of other materials. The response that you are receiving sounds to me like the noise fellow students sometimes made while I was in school. Although to an extent I can agree philosophically,I disagree from the practical standpoint. I make my art first for myself and then if it commucates something to someone else and they want to purchase it all the better. Financial feedback pays the bills,fills the stomach,and perpetuates the art. And in my opinion,if your are in fact a student, the sooner you can involve yourself in selling your work the better off you will be. Because believe me that those same people being self-righteous will be jumping at the chance for a sale should the opportunity arise. Just look at a few gallery websites and the prices that pieces are going for and tell me that they'd turn down a nice chunk of cash. Selling
ones work doesn't mean compromising ones vision nor is it some form of sacrilege. Warren Beasley" wrote: > Hi everyone! I’m fairly new to Clayart but I love > the discussions and the > support that I’ve seen on this site. I’m sure I’ll > learn a great deal here. > > I find that often when I mention wanting to sell my > sculptures, the > response is as if I’ve said something obscene. I’m > told that I should be > making them for the love of art and as a way to say > something. But, if no > one buys my sculptures, I’ll only be telling my > story to my family and to > the friends that come by the house. While I do want > to be pleased with my > work and I don’t intend to make something simply > because it will sell, I > would like other people to enjoy my work enough to > want to own it. I would > love to hear what others have to say about this. > > So far,
most of the Clayarters seem to be potters. > While I love the work > I’ve seen on this list and I do make an occasional > functional piece, I’m > definitely more into the sculptural aspects of clay. > It would be great if I > could find some other sculptors on this site who > might like to correspond. > I can be reached directly at > . > > Linda in Mississippi > > ______________________________________________________________________________ > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org > > You may look at the archives for the list or change > your subscription > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/ > > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be > reached at melpots@pclink.com. >
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Linda K. Beasley on fri 29 dec 06
Hi everyone! I=92m fairly new to Clayart but I love the discussions and the
support that I=92ve seen on this site. I=92m sure I=92ll learn a great deal =
here.
I find that often when I mention wanting to sell my sculptures, the
response is as if I=92ve said something obscene. I=92m told that I should be=
making them for the love of art and as a way to say something. But, if no
one buys my sculptures, I=92ll only be telling my story to my family and to
the friends that come by the house. While I do want to be pleased with my
work and I don=92t intend to make something simply because it will sell, I
would like other people to enjoy my work enough to want to own it. I would
love to hear what others have to say about this.
So far, most of the Clayarters seem to be potters. While I love the work
I=92ve seen on this list and I do make an occasional functional piece, I=92m=
definitely more into the sculptural aspects of clay. It would be great if I
could find some other sculptors on this site who might like to correspond.
I can be reached directly at .
Linda in Mississippi
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 30 dec 06
Dear Linda K. Beasley,
I think it is wonderful to make and sell Sculpture.
I did a series of figures based on the manipulation of tall slender =
wheel thrown cylinders. Most were marketted through galleries. Our best =
clients were other artists. One artist, a printmaker even wanted to do a =
trade. So now we have a framed etching. I'm not keen on swapping. A clay =
worker needs cash for clay and fuel. But he was really keen to have a =
piece of my work and I had a commercial evaluation of my work. The =
retail on the etching was about $400.00.
My suggestion is to try to get exposure. If your work evokes emotion you =
will build a client base.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Marcia Selsor on sat 30 dec 06
On Dec 29, 2006, at 9:46 PM, Linda K. Beasley wrote:
> Hi everyone! I=92m fairly new to Clayart but I love the discussions =20=
> and the
> support that I=92ve seen on this site. I=92m sure I=92ll learn a great =
=20
> deal here.
>
> I find that often when I mention wanting to sell my sculptures, the
> response is as if I=92ve said something obscene. I=92m told that I =20
> should be
> making them for the love of art and as a way to say something. But, =20=
> if no
> one buys my sculptures, I=92ll only be telling my story to my family =20=
> and to
> the friends that come by the house. While I do want to be pleased =20
> with my
> work and I don=92t intend to make something simply because it will =20
> sell, I
> would like other people to enjoy my work enough to want to own it. =20
> I would
> love to hear what others have to say about this.
>
> So far, most of the Clayarters seem to be potters. While I love the =20=
> work
> I=92ve seen on this list and I do make an occasional functional =20
> piece, I=92m
> definitely more into the sculptural aspects of clay. It would be =20
> great if I
> could find some other sculptors on this site who might like to =20
> correspond.
> I can be reached directly at .
>
> Linda in Mississippi
>
Maybe you should try entering exhibition competitions. Or approach a =20
local gallery for consignment.
Whoever told you selling was obsenem doesn't know whay it is like not =20=
o sell your works and see it pile up.
You need to get it out there.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
D. L. Engle on sat 30 dec 06
Hi Linda and Everyone, I wish you all a happy New Year!
I'm a sculptor. I make them for the love of art (I don't believe there is
any other way art could be made) and sell them and support myself doing it,
it is not a mutually exclusive arraignment. Further, if I want to make
something for myself that is not salable, to either experiment or explore an
idea, it's got to be paid for by art that does sell.
Perhaps the only instance where it not in the artist's best interest to want
to sell is when they are still in an early stage of developing. Then all
energies and time need to be poured into learning. A developing artist will
get much further and go faster in the long run by not putting the cart
before the horse.
Best Wishes, Debbie
Subject: Creating for art sake and sculptors
Hi everyone! I’m fairly new to Clayart but I love the discussions and the
support that I’ve seen on this site. I’m sure I’ll learn a great deal here.
I find that often when I mention wanting to sell my sculptures, the
response is as if I’ve said something obscene. I’m told that I should be
making them for the love of art and as a way to say something. But, if no
one buys my sculptures, I’ll only be telling my story to my family and to
the friends that come by the house. While I do want to be pleased with my
work and I don’t intend to make something simply because it will sell, I
would like other people to enjoy my work enough to want to own it. I would
love to hear what others have to say about this.
So far, most of the Clayarters seem to be potters. While I love the work
I’ve seen on this list and I do make an occasional functional piece, I’m
definitely more into the sculptural aspects of clay. It would be great if I
could find some other sculptors on this site who might like to correspond.
I can be reached directly at .
Linda in Mississippi
_
lela martens on sat 30 dec 06
My husband does a lot of paper-clay sculpture, mainly figures.
He showed me a good forum site .. check out `wet canvas`.
Lela
>>
>>So far, most of the Clayarters seem to be potters. While I love the work
>>I’ve seen on this list and I do make an occasional functional piece, I’m
>>definitely more into the sculptural aspects of clay. It would be great if
>>I
>>could find some other sculptors on this site who might like to
>>correspond.
>>I can be reached directly at .
>>
>>Linda in Mississippi
>>
>
>Maybe you should try entering exhibition competitions. Or approach a local
>gallery for consignment.
>Whoever told you selling was obsenem doesn't know whay it is like not o
>sell your works and see it pile up.
>You need to get it out there.
>
>Marcia Selsor
>http://marciaselsor.com
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
_________________________________________________________________
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stephani stephenson on sat 30 dec 06
Linda
for myself, i would be doomed if i only made work with
the sole goal of 'making it to sell'. i did make
sculpture for years before i moved over to primarily
tile and architectural ceramics (sculpture attached to
a building...wry smile)
with sculpture i usually made what i wanted . It
attracted some attention and i took it to galleries
and I sold some...and i brought some home...but i
always loved making what i did...
i guess i figured i would make what I wanted but keep
an eye on the rear view mirror every now and then to
see what sold. but never let that (sales) be what i
was 'driving' for
however 'sales did begin to affect what i made.
what began to happen inevitably is that
1. certain pieces sold and customers or galleries
wanted ones like it. if you are making one-ofs this
means that you will be, subtly or not,pressured , by
them or yourself, to make certain things over and
over, or with slight variations...which may be fine or
not, depending on you and your work. if you work in
series...that might be a good thing.
but what happens if your work progresses in one
direction while galleries are clamoring for more of
the same.... that presents a dilemma which is
addressed differently by different artists.
I found that , after a point , my repeats were never
as satisfying , or as good.
another thing i noticed was that , shows,etc are
generally judged by entries submitted in slide photo
or 2D images. if you make sculpture in the round it is
quite difficult to convey via 2d imagery. i began to
notice that the photo format in publications favored
'flattened' work..i.e. work that read well in a
photo. fully 3D sculpture can be photographed well,
but it is a difficult task...especially if there is a
lot of depth of field , or the action is going on in
more than one plane...
i noticed my own work began to flatten...sculpture
which had 2 sides...it was easier to photo.
third thing was shipping. i began to orient my work to
sizes and shapes which shipped better and fit in
standard boxes, and went to smaller pieces.
these are just some of the adaptations i made
another dilemma, and i believe this is faced by many
ceramic sculptors...you don't quite mesh with the
'sculpture' world, which leans toward bronzes and
stone and fabrication , or installation work...and you
don't quite fit into the craft galleries....
i had this weird niche where i was selling somewhat
small scale (under 20 inches tall) cultural pieces, at
either upper end contemporary craft galleries or at
niche folk or western or women's galleries.
then occasionally i would have a show where i would
get to show more of a range of work. sales were almost
always on consignment, so there was a good deal of out
of pocket expense ( and loss) for photography, entry
fees shipping (to and from ), return of unsold work,
consignment accounting differences, etc. etc. though
my sales improved , it was spotty ....
i love sculpture. my feeling is buyers aren't quite
sure what to do with it....
too small, it can easily be grouped with 'knick
knacks' and may not have much perceived value..too
large and a buyer really has to want it and know what
to do with it...so does the gallery owner.
sometimes work is not exhibited well. sometimes it is
exhibited beautifully, especially if it is in the
company of other fine work.
i think the best way is if you have a scuplture garden
or place to exhibit your own work. this saves on
expenses shipping, etc. and then you can build the
ambiance and group and exhibit you work as you see
fit.
sculpture is one of those things you must love and
develop over your life. you might also find an odd
niche or a collector who loves your work. i knew
someone who made , actually pretty cool abstract
sculptures, for large fish aquariums.. that sounds
kitschy but honestly
it was great!
i do think that your best bet is to go with your
strength and make what you make and develop it to your
best....keep an open mind as to marketing .
some people are market driven, they identify a market,
then develop a market... others are the opposite. what
you do depends on what kind of person you are and what
motivates you.
if you have a strong sense of what you do , go for it!
be yourself in your work, not someone elses idea of
what you should be...that will kill everything
.on the other hand i have known artists who are
snobby about the market place and are elitists...
feeling that selling work diminishes it... there are
all kinds of attitudes and everything in between!
there are lots of sculptors on the list i think.
we just call ourselves potters because it gets to be
quite lengthy if we try to figure out what else to
call it ...i think the list may be mostly potters, but
all of us who work with clay...potters, tilemakers,
sculptors, handbuilders, slipcasters, out commonality
is that we work with similar materials , tools,
methods and processes.
every once and awhile the list gets all tangled up
trying to expand the definition of potter , then mel
tells us to knock it off, :), then we keep yakking
about what it is we want to yak about anyway!
john rogers for example is one who gives great advice
regarding moldmaking, etc.
others on the list also work with other materials,
including myself.
if you sculpt with other materials, there other great
resources on the web that have to do with plaster,
etc..
i think i once wrote that ceramic sculptors are the
bastard children of sculpture and pottery. but, who
cares, that means you just have to show up at both
houses and claim your lineage ! and it helps if you
bring a hotdish......
ok ramble over
i hope you feel welcome, if this post hasn't skeered
you off......
Stephani Stephenson
http://www.revivaltileworks.com
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Snail Scott on sun 31 dec 06
-----Original Message-----
>From: "Linda K. Beasley"
>Sent: Dec 29, 2006 10:46 PM
>I find that often when I mention wanting to sell my sculptures, the
>response is as if I=E2=80=99ve said something obscene. I=E2=80=99m told th=
at I should be
>making them for the love of art and as a way to say something...
There are lots of sculptors in this list,=20
including me, as well as other non-potters=20
of various stripes.=20
As for commercialism, I could write all day,=20
and I've got a kiln to fire instead, so in a=20
nutshell, make it 'cause you love it, then=20
sell it. If your work doesn't support you,=20
then you have to make the money some other=20
way, which really cuts into your studio time.
If what you love doesn't sell, ask yourself why.
Can you change that? are you willing to?=20
If you'd rather keep making what you make,=20
then try selling it a different way. If that doesn't=20
work, maybe it's better to make the money=20
another way than change your work. But=20
that's entirely personal. If you work sells,=20
then sell it with a good heart!
-Snail
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