Art Writing by Stephen Bracco

With their austere realism and complex composition, Eva Armental's oil paints strive to present the tension inherent in our means of viewing, perceiving, and taking in reality. The cool bluish gray of tree trunks is regularly invoked in these studies of fragmentation, as well as tree branches set against a stark sky, as if viewed through a steel-gray haze, or distorted by the blur of motion. There is also a sense of totemic mystery to the trees in Eva's paintings, and a ritualistic repetition to their portrayal. Tall, long-limbed, often starkly denuded of leaves, the trees are rarely shown in their totality, and often extend beyond the canvas. And yet the detail, the intensity of where the artist has aimed her focus, draws us in: where tree limb meets trunk, or where the branches intersect against the sky. Incompleteness, fragmentation, the phenomenon of our subjectivities--the philosophical implications and aesthetic choices which inform Eva Armental's work give these oil paints a tenacious and quiet intensity.                                                             

Almeriane's beautiful young subjects express human complexity in the faces which top their cloaks' collars. There is as much ambivalence in these portraits as there is sublime passion. Almeriane has brought to us a complex vision of love: the beauty of nature as a setting, the mystical universe as a royal robe which enwraps us, and the erotic desire which binds us. In passionate embrace, the boundaries among these realms melt, and in Almeriane's work that ideal has become real. Almeriane has shown her engaging works in Spain, France and the United States.

"In a poetic way, Stephen Bracco uses the perfect words to describe the feelings and lyricism that I tried to transmit with my artwork."  Almeriane, Spain (www.almeriane.com)

Artists and Marketing: The Truth Is Out There

(Originally appeared in ArtisSpectrum, published by the Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York, May 2008) 

For a visual artist, confidence in one's unique talent is vital, yet without an equally strong marketing and promotion strategy, an artist's chances of drawing attention to her work are slim. The challenge lies in the incredible amount of work involved. There's the problem of finding the right gallery or alternative space, keeping business files and mailing lists up to date, and increasing one's media presence. Contests, juried exhibitions, and even small galleries are overwhelmed with slides and applications from artists all over the world hungry to have their work recognized. The competition is fierce, and an informed artist with the most comprehensive strategy, and the most professional attitude, stands the best chance of having her work seen. Yet if you are an artist resistant to empowering yourself as a businessperson, then you're allowing your fears to dictate the limitations of your success.

Fear, lack of self-confidence, avoidance, and endless excuses can bog down one's creativity and abilities both in and out of the studio. Many artists need to dismantle old modes of thinking--whether grandiose or self-deprecating--and there are an increasing number of books available which address the issues creative professionals of all levels face when trying to market their artwork.

Alyson Stanfield is an artist, a former museum curator, and has been an artist consultant for fifteen years. She conducts Art Marketing Action Workshops all over the country, and through her popular website/blog ArtBizCoach.com and ArtBizBlog.com, she examines a wide range of issues that artists face getting their work out into the world. In her new book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio - The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion, Alyson discusses her own experience and that of other artists with the obstacles that artists face when setting out to promote their artwork. The book also pinpoints the many marketing opportunities that are out there, and how to use them to your advantage.

In lieu of a table of contents, I'd Rather Be in the Studio starts with a "Table of Excuses" that artists commonly give for remaining on the sidelines in their marketing life: "My art speaks for itself," "I'm an introvert," "I don't live in an art town." Alyson dismantles these (gently) and more importantly, offers alternative, proactive ways of thinking about such topics as making your work newsworthy, polishing your media kit, and generating buzz on a shoestring budget. There's detailed help on portfolios, how to hone your teaching and lecturing skills, and step-by-step outlines on creating a killer newsletter.

Yet before you can start on the road to artistic fulfillment, you must determine what specifically you want from your creativity. "Create your vision for success," Alyson says, and suggests free-associating in a journal with such words as money, fame, recognition, publicity, and galleries. What an artist comes up with through such writing can yield liberating results. 

Remaining open to the new possibilities such work generates--even if that means rethinking your ideas of success and how you are going to get there--is key to Alyson Stanfield's work with artists. And while she focuses much on increasing one's online presence (an artist should have a website, blog, newsletter, Google alerts, and more), she also says it's important for artists to find support right in their own communities. Her website provides an outline for artists to create their own Art Marketing Salons, and offers free downloadable materials including press release and pitch letter templates. Alyson's structure for the salon is forward-looking: at the end of the nine-session program each participant will have completed an art marketing plan. This proactive philosophy pervades Alyson's work as a consultant.

Before you can become skilled at marketing and promotion, however, be sure your creative muscles are toned up for the rough and tumble of putting your art out in the market. Alyson Stanfield cites choreographer Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life for deepening your creative wellsprings, as well as increasing personal confidence.

Such a holistic approach to one's artistic career is essential to Tharp's message. She says the essence of the creative life is keeping raw passion and learned skills in mutual balance, and although she approaches the issue like a choreographer viewing her work from different angles, Tharp links each part to the whole. She gains inspiration from ancient texts as well as popular culture, from writing exercises, rituals, and appraisal of her own mistakes.

Tharp's all about the journey, and for the artist, there's no richer source material than one's own memories and associations. Get a cardboard box, she suggests, write the name of your current project on it, and throw everything in there you associate with the project: clippings, pictures, sketches, writing, music, books, and other assorted tchotchkes, all of which Tharp says act as a raw index of your preparation, and a repository for creative potential. She calls it her soil. An evolving creative life depends on this work of rediscovering yourself, and your marketing efforts will grow more confident as your art becomes more interesting and specific to you.

Even when discussing creative ruts, Tharp places the issue within the larger context of deepening your work. A rut, Tharp says, is more often than not the result of the artist sticking to tried and tested methods that don't take into account how the artist has evolved. She advises artists to pick a fight with their own entrenched habits. Acknowledge and then strengthen your weakest skills. Re-acquaint yourself with the nuts and bolts of your craft.

Tharp says that the mother of all ruts is depression, an issue that gallery director Paul Dorrell writes honestly about in his book, Living the Artist's Life. Dorrell is an artist, journalist, and art consultant. He conducts seminars for artists as well as for beginning art collectors, as well as mentoring programs for underprivileged teenage artists, through the Leopold Gallery in Kansas City (www.leopoldgallery.com). As a gallery director, Dorrell brings a unique perspective to the issue of visual artists and marketing. If Twyla Tharp is a shaman-guide to self-discovery, then Paul Dorrell is an older brother who gives you the lowdown on what he's learned in the art world, such as inexpensive tricks for photographing your work, as well as heartfelt words to keep you believing in yourself. An artist should always be convinced of her "artistic destiny," according to Dorrell, otherwise the risk of giving in to despair is too great. Yet there are no easy solutions, for to be driven as much in your creativity as in your marketing and self-promotion invites the letdown of inevitable rejections and artistic dead-ends. Art plus ambition seems to be a recipe for depression. The solution, according to Dorrell: keep doing your art. Besides, he writes with a mix of inspiration and gritty realism, what other choice do you have? This is your dream, and dreams don't die easily.

And he would know. His hair-raising story of getting his gallery off the ground is a rollercoaster ride which includes one devastating fire, multiple bouts with depression, and regular updates on the levels of his bank account and personal debt. It's a worthwhile story for artists to read and gain a sense of the birth pains of an art gallery. The story ends happily, as the Leopold Gallery is now a resource for burgeoning Kansas City artists, and has become part of the gallery explosion sweeping medium-sized cities across America.

These fresh art markets, like Kansas City, Austin, Tampa, Columbus, Sacramento, and Portland, Maine, are satisfying their hunger for arts and culture. Dorrell insists this is a true renaissance, both for art lovers as well as artists looking for a way into the art world. One part of this resurgence is the new generation of art collectors, and for Dorrell, it's vital that these new appreciators feel welcome in galleries. He entreats artists to treat with respect the increasing number of patrons who are new to purchasing art, and even to act as a teacher to them. He believes that only mutual respect between a gallery and an artist, and between artist and collector, will yield a successful partnership for all.

Yet Dorrell does not define success according to a cookie-cutter standard of sales or rich patrons. Success is a personal issue, less about material wealth than fulfillment and artistic mastery. For Paul Dorrell, living an artist's life is, in a way, supposed to be hard. Only mediocrity is easy, he concludes.

Today there are more venues for artists than ever before, yet competition for these venues among artists has also grown. Information and inspiration from artist consultants, gallery owners, and fellow artists can help you stay informed on how to present your work in the most professional manner possible, and to strengthen your faith in your own unique vision. As Alyson Stanfield says in I'd Rather Be in the Studio, "No one can promote your work better than you. No one believes in it more than you do. Motivation and ambition must start within you."