Tuesday’s Aside : Studio Visit Strategies

Tuesday’s Aside, a weekly post in which I will do my damnedest to answer your questions. In order to keep each Tuesday’s thread on topic, I’ll ask that you post any additional questions on the original thread (even though it will fall off the main page, I’ll be emailed each time a new comment is added there and so, thus, will be monitoring continuously).
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Ollie wrote:

Are there protocols you could suggest with regard to inviting a gallerist or curator to my studio for a studio visit. Is it inappropriate for me to do the asking?

As a somewhat known artist smack in the middle of “emerging” and mid-career I have always found this incredibly awkward even when I am reasonably certain that the invitee is familiar with my work. However, I am now beginning to think I have nothing to lose.

You must be asked to do studio visits all the time. Does this bother you and does your response depend upon your knowledge and possible interest in the artist’s work or do you consider it the equivalent of a cold call or someone sending you slides, only more presumptuous.

My initial reaction to this topic is that the same best practices apply here as for finding a gallery to work with. It’s become part of my standard shtick lecture to note that the single best way to get gallery representation is to make artwork so compelling the art world beats a path to your door. If that’s not working out for you, though, then consider what I feel is the second best way (and from there I go into the recommendations I outlined here).

Those recommendations boil down to three points:

1. Research your market (Learn which galleries are more likely to be interested in your work. It’s flat wrong to assume they all will. Doing this will also prevent you from being artificially discouraged. By that I mean specifically, the response from a gallery which doesn’t exhibit the kind of work you make may not be a valid indication of the interest in the work you make to so many other galleries, so why subject yourself to that rejection?)
2. Make initial contact in a casual way. That is, don’t introduce yourself by announcing you want the gallery to show your work. (Although I don’t say this, per se, in my talks, the main reason to avoid making your initial contact all about what you want is it can convey you’ll be perhaps difficult to work with…that you’re desperate and self-centered. The second reason is that by being more casual and perhaps even generous with your appreciation of the space/person you’re approaching [and if you can't honestly be generous, why are you approaching them anyway?] you will stand out from many other artists who seem desperate when you get to step three.)
3. Finally, when the time seems right, combine something personable with a direct request to show your work. (The same thinking applies here as in step 2. If you make it all about you, you’ll seem desperate. The truth of the matter is, all else being equal [meaning the person you're approaching knows nothing more about you than the fact that you're yet another artist who wants a piece of their limited time], so much of getting a gallerist/curator/collector to relax their defense mechanisms [and believe me they need them, because they're approached constantly] is to demonstrate you understand their time is valuable.)
   

OK, but that’s specific to interest in representation. In many respects a studio visit is much more casual. In one respect, though, it’s still a large thing to ask…and that respect is time/travel. I was recently asked at a talk if an artist can expect New York curators/dealers to visit their studio in Coney Island. I answered, honestly, that yes, anywhere in the 5 boroughs is reasonable, but the further you are from where the curator/dealer lives/works, the more consideration you might extend to make it easier for them. I outlined several studio visit “best practices” a while back. I babble on for quite some time there, but to this present point, I suggested:

[Be] sure to consider the environment of your studio when arranging your visits (likewise, respect for the visitor’s schedule is an important consideration, because not showing it pretty much damns your chances of developing a good relationship from the get-go). If you don’t have air conditioning, or if your work is better seen in daylight, or if the neighborhood is a bit scary after dark, do take those things into consideration and let your visitor know when the optimal time of day is or what to expect if that’s not convenient. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about the conditions, but surprises like boiling studios, glaring reflections from windows, or being harassed on the way to or from a visit impact the visitor’s impressions, right or wrong, of your work. Just be aware of it.

Suggestions: I’ve had artists offer to meet me in their car at a subway station or arrange early morning visits if they don’t have AC. Comfort is a consideration. Neglecting it pretty much guarantees your visitor won’t give your work their full attention. Also, if it’s hot or visitors must climb a number of flights to get to your studio, have a cold beverage ready and let them relax a few moments if they show signs they might need to. Again, you want their full attention when the discussion turns to your work.

[is it "done" to blockquote yourself?"]

But I’m jumping ahead. Ollie’s question was specific to requesting the studio visit: “does your response depend upon your knowledge and possible interest in the artist’s work ….”

Yes, my response heavily depends on my knowledge and possible interest in the artist’s work. It also depends, quite honestly, on how much I like that artist. I have done studio visits with artists whose work I assumed I wouldn’t like (because of limited exposure) simply because they were great to talk with in the gallery/parties, etc., and on a few occasions I have been very happily surprised with what I found in their studio. I know some folks get upset when I seem to be suggesting it’s all about networking or that they should suck up to the dealer/curator, but the truth is if I don’t like you personally, I’ll be much less willing to visit your studio even if I know the work is good. As a producer friend of mine notes that they say in Hollywood about high-maintenance actors, regardless of how talented: “Life is too Short.” I’m sorry if that’s not the answer folks want to hear…I’m just being truthful.

Being even more truthful, my interest will definitely increase if I know the artist’s work is widely respected. This translates into the practical advice: strike while the iron is hot. If you want a dealer or curator to visit your studio, approach them right after your work was highlighted positively in a review of a group exhibition, or you received an award, or some other high-profile event that they will have noticed. It’s tricky as to whether directing them to your good news will backfire or not…depends on how you do it.

I’d expect you’ll have more luck with an extreme approach, actually. Either don’t mention it (the cool, modest [fingers crossed they noticed] approach) or play it up (the, “Since my NYTimes review, there’s been steady interest in coming over to my studio, but I was hoping you could come over first” approach). Which will work best for you will honestly depend upon your personality. I’ve seen the play it up approach fail miserably, even though it seems the better, more direct of the two. It can take a good dose of convincing charm to pull it off. Whatever you do, avoid the middle approach…”Well, I got this review…and, well I was thinking perhaps because of that you might want to come over….”

Ollie concludes by asking “do you consider it the equivalent of a cold call or someone sending you slides, only more presumptuous.”

It truly depends. I don’t consider it all presumptuous of the artists I consider friendly. This may be different for other dealers/curators, but I will go visit a studio just because I like the artist, regardless of whether I know I like the work. (I tend not to waste someone’s time if I know there’s no way I’ll ever show the work, unless they’re direct about just wanting some feedback…which happens…and again, I’ll do if I like the artist.)

But what if there’s no time to befriend the dealer/curator. What then?

Here’s the tough love answer: I do consider it the equivalent of a cold call to ask a dealer or curator you don’t know to visit your studio. I generally have to reserve three hours for the average studio visit (including travel time), and, well, do the math on that when you know dozens of artists might invite me in any given month. I try to have four visits with artists I don’t know well a month as it is, and that’s hard for me these days (in fact, I’m not doing any more for the rest of the summer because of a pending deadline). I used to do a lot more. And so the cold call response is highly likely.

But, as you say, what have you got to lose? The worst anyone will say is “no.” All the advice above may not change that, either.

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