The entrepreneurial artist: A conceptual target-marketing framework (Part II) (2001)

Creative Business & Entrepreneurship | 14 December 2011
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With this approach, for me, I think it communicates with the reader far more effectively. If I want to scan the list, it’s provided. If I want details, they are available. If I would like to talk to the artist, my questions can be more sophisticated. I can call the artist, with a better sense of what he’s done.

I also advised getting a business card with a website address— to a website that documented the artwork, and provided clear information. You’ve probably heard this before, but as an art journalist, I entirely support them. It makes my job a lot easier: it’s easier to get information; it’s easier to say “yes”. Like at any company or university, I prefer to work with people who don’t make my job difficult.

I think it’s like anything else really. What added value is being offered, and what is the competition?

RE: Quality of documentation for communications purposes. In our case study, I examined the documentation. A series of high-quality reproductions in a binder— with little else.

So, I advised that captions should be added, like you’d see in any magazine or art book. The reason? To provide clear information about what the image was— an installation, a detail, or a photograph of something, and provide an indication of the size, and if relevant where the work was exhibited if an installation shot. But another purpose was to project the form of the caption, one that you might see in a magazine or book, with that psychological impact.

Also, borrowing more from design books, I also advised including information to support the visual in somw way. The purpose is to provide more information economically to position the work... for those who are interested.

As an art journalist, it’s not my job to sort out an artist’s media relations

In my experience as an art journalist, working with artists, spaces, and editors, working with several editors who have different needs and deadlines, every week I work with journalism, art, and communications issues. But it’s not my job to sort out an artist’s media relations.

As a journalist, it is not my job to say things like: “Artist, you forgot the slide deadline, and now your profile piece can’t be published, and the editor thinks you aren’t serious.”

“It looks rather interesting but your press release is a mess, and so I know it won’t go into editorial and you probably would have gotten free press.”

“Artist, the person in charge of press for your group show was really pushing another artist I wasn’t interested in, wouldn’t provide your phone number, and didn’t bother to send the press information they promised to provide. And so, if you wanted a write-up, you should know this is not happening now.”

More examples: It’s not the journalist’s job to say: “You really shouldn’t say that— you’re going to piss off a lot of people. But I’m going to put that in my article because it will be really interesting to the readership.”