Art, Principles, Money

[silver@is3.nyu.edu (Shelly SILVER)]

Reply to John Horvath:

>The principles I'm referring to are the reasons you decide to do the work
>you do. If it is for the money, go for the cash and hold out for the
>highest bidder. If it is for the art, then do it for that...


Starving for ones principles sounds o.k. on paper, but in reality it seems
to me to be a huge waste.    I wonder if this vision of an artist is not a
bit romanticized or literary.  Anyway, it doesn't seem to be a useful
'model' to go by, a model any artist should aim for.


The model I would put forward would have more to do with artists organizing
so that it would be more difficult for any individual artist to be taken
advantage of.  There have been artists' unions (is there still one in
Canada?), there have also been artists who have grouped together with other
artists to gain partial control of the distributions/curatorial/exhibition
system.  Such a move has not only benefitted their own work/careers/bank
accounts which I think is great, but has also been a boost to other
struggling artists who can enter these systems.

For myself, I've always (consciously anyway) made the work I've wanted to
make, regardless of 'marketing strategies' or 'profitability'.  When it
comes to distribution, although I like the idea of the most amount of
people seeing my work, I don't like the idea of people copying it instead
of buying or renting it.  I also don't like the idea of sending my work out
to places that will not pay a fee (where I end up losing money).  Why lose
the money that i'll need to make the next project?  Although more people
may see it in the short run, I know if I just send it out everywhere for
free, it will make it harder for me to produce the next work.  It will also
set a precedent for others when they try to get money for their work.  So
instead I end up waffling, compromising, trying to figure out who the
people are who want to show it, if they don't have any money, if they'll
screen it well, etc etc.  Sometimes, when the rent is due, getting hard
assed and trying to demand more money, after the first of the month being
looser and more giving.

So I usually end up in a grey area, which is I think where many artists
are.  Art almost always has some kind of a business side, I think even
'principled' art.

Would you call this unprincipled?


best,
shelly.

Shelly Silver
22 Catherine St. #6
New York, NY 10038
USA
tel/fax:  (212) 732-2986
e-mail:  silver@is3.nyu.edu