Save The Date! DC Fine Art Photography Fair

Clear your calendars for October 5th-7th and join us for the DC Fine Art Photography Fair presented by noted gallerist Kathleen Ewing. Featuring an extraordinary range of photographic images, from iconic 19th century  works to cutting-edge contemporary visions, the Fair brings together 15 established fine art photography galleries from across the United States to show representative samples of their gallery inventories.

In addition to Multiple Exposures, other participants in the Fair include Addison/Ripley Fine Art, HEMPHILL, Kathleen Ewing Gallery, Gary Edwards Gallery and the National Geographic Image Collection, all of Washington, DC; Alan Klotz Gallery and Rick Wester Fine Art (New York); Scott Nichols Gallery (San Francisco); Catherine Couturier Gallery (Houston); and Monroe Gallery of Photography (Santa Fe), among others.

The Fair will be held at the former residence of the Ambassador of Spain, a beautiful Beaux Arts mansion at 2801 16th Street, NW in Washington, DC rarely open to the public. A special Opening Night Preview will be held on Friday, October 5th (by invitation only). On Saturday, October 6th and Sunday, October 7th, the Fair will be open to the public (12pm-7pm and 11am-5pm, respectively). A panel discussion, “On Collecting,” will be held on Saturday, October 6th, from 11am to 12 noon.

The DC Fine Art Photography Fair is presented by Kathleen Ewing. Ewing and her gallery have been devoted to fine art photography for more than three decades and Ewing was responsible for the Association of International Photography Art Dealer’s annual trade show for over 20 years.

For more information, visit the Fair’s website or contact Kathleen Ewing at 202-986-0105.

Is It You or Is It Your Camera?

If you have a better camera, will you make a better photograph? As Nikon, Canon and others release ever more sophisticated cameras, MEG member Alan Sislen shared his thoughts on the topic on his blog.

                                                    (C) Alan Sislen

Probably the most frequent question I’m asked about my photography, is “What camera do you use?” For some people it may seem like a logical question to ask, but once they know the answer, then what?! The implication, is that somehow, the camera was responsible for making the photograph, and that anyone else with the same camera could obviously have taken the same photograph.

We’ve all heard the un-truism that, “Clothes make the man” (or woman, to be PC) and it’s the same for photography, painting, cooking, or master carpentry. While the camera may contribute to the quality of the photograph, or the canvas, paints and brushes may contribute to the painting, or the pots, pans and ingredients might contribute to the taste of the meal, or the lathe might have helped produce the furniture, we all know that much, much more is involved in the final piece of art, meal or furniture. In fact, the artist or cook or carpenter merely increased the probability of getting their desired outcome if they used the most appropriate tools. But it is those tools PLUS their skills, training, experience, and sometimes luck, that helped them accomplish their ideal outcome. 

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Collectors Corner: Building Relationships

MEG member Timothy Hyde collected fine-art photography for years before he took up a camera.  Over the past two decades, he has built an extensive collection that includes works from emerging and well-known photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Arbus, Mann, Winogrand, Eggleston, and many others.  Tim shares his thoughts here and in subsequent posts on some of the opportunities and pitfalls in collecting fine-art photography in the rapidly-evolving art market.  

"Mother Nature Occupies Freedom Plaza"                (c) Tim Hyde

I believe in the gallery system for photography collecting.  It is a recent phenomenon in the scheme of things--one that is experiencing extreme stress right now from the Internet and the economic malaise --but it is a system likely to survive.  For the collector, galleries act a filter, an intermediary between the collector and the artist, and a source of art education.

That being said, galleries should not be seen as locked gates between the collector and the artist.  In fact, I urge all collectors, new or old, to establish a direct relationship, where practical, with all the living artists whose work they collect.

I almost never buy a fine-art photograph without contacting the artists (assuming he is still alive and sober) to establish some kind of relationship.  Usually this happens after I purchase the work, but occasionally before.

How does one contact an artist one has begun collecting?  First, ask the gallery where you bought the work.  There is something wrong if they don’t give you contact information.  If that doesn’t work, go to the photographer’s website where  there is almost always a “contact” page.  Then you can email the photographer, introduce yourself, and explain that you have just purchased some of his or her work.  Typically, I will ask a simple question about the work I just acquired.

You can also befriend your photographers on Facebook, get on their email lists, and otherwise begin to track the progress of their careers.   I often take this a step farther and make an attempt to meet the photographer.  One shouldn’t stalk an artist, but I seek out such public events as panel discussions, book signings, or gallery openings to find a time when I can meet and have a quick chat with a photographer I collect.

Why is any of this important?  It vastly enriches the collecting experience to know something about an artist, to know the trajectory of his or her career, know the critical response to the work,  have some idea what is coming next., and to have engaged him or her personally  It makes one a smarter collector…and it makes the whole experience more fun.  “

Forming a relationship—even a reserved one—can open up opportunities occasionally, such as early chances to purchase new work, opportunities to buy limited editions or copies of the artist’s books, advance notice of gallery changes and occasionally the opportunity to help underwrite a project or body of work. (More about that in another post.)

Over the years, I have gotten to know a number of photographers whose work in my collection.  Some of them have become friends, including a couple of close friends.   In my mind, it is part of the process of being a serious collector.

Collectors' Corner: Finding A Guide

MEG member Timothy Hyde collected fine-art photography for years before he took up a camera.  Over the past two decades, he has built an extensive collection that includes works from emerging and well-known photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Arbus, Mann, Winogrand, Eggleston, and many others.  Tim shares his thoughts here and in subsequent posts on some of the opportunities and pitfalls in collecting fine-art photography in the rapidly-evolving art market. 

The sale of photographic works in traditional galleries is a fairly recent phenomenon.   In 1975 there were probably fewer than five such galleries in the entire country.  Sadly, perhaps, the explosion of fine-art photography galleries in the 90’s has become something of an implosion in the past four or five years.   Partly due to the economy, partly due to competition from online forces (as in so many other areas of commerce), the gallery world is contracting.   The art scene has also become a lot more complicated and less straightforward. 

                                                                 (c) Tim Hyde

For the collector of photographic prints, this is both a problem and an opportunity.  It is a problem because the emerging collector used to be able find a seasoned gallerist who would not take advantage of the emerging client, but who would act as a guide…helping the client build his or her collection not only from within that gallery, but also through multiple other sources. Now the collector is increasingly forced to rely on the various online and ad-hoc resources available.The opportunity part comes with the huge expansion of online galleries and resources, the growth of “cooperative” galleries like Multiple Exposures Gallery, and the increase in the range and number of art fairs around the country.   

It is an exciting time for the collector willing to invest the time necessary to navigate this complicated world and to seek advice from those who have adjusted to the new environment. A local example of this development is Kathleen Ewing.  For many years, Ms. Ewing operated Kathleen Ewing Gallery, one of the most prestigious fine-art photo galleries in the country.  Situated in the Dupont Circle area, her gallery was, in fact, was one of the earliest specializing in photographic works of art.   Ms. Ewing closed her stand-alone gallery in 2009, and now works out of her home in Northwest DC.  She still represents a number of prominent photographers, still mounts exhibitions, still shows work, but now by appointment only...or, as elsewhere, online.  While the physical gallery may be gone, Ms. Ewing is still an essential guide for emerging collectors in the metropolitan DC area. A cup of tea and a discussion or two in her home is a great way to get started. 

Tribute to the Queens

MEG member Louise Noakes' new show, Tribute to the Queens, went up on the walls at MEG on Monday and its already drawing people in with its bright colors and bold subject matter. Inspired by a single photo she took at a drag brunch she attended with her 17-year-old daughter, Louise photographed female impersonators in New York, Florida, Washington, DC and Germany. Now digitally transformed to resemble graphic illustrations, the images in Queens are Louise's homage to the hard-working performance artists she met along the way. 

The opening reception for Tribute to the Queens will be held Sunday,  July 1st, from 3-5 pm. Check back for more details -- you can bet it won't be a run-of-the-mill, ho-hum event! 

Photography and the Federal Reserve

                                                  (c) Colleen Henderson

What do photography and the nation's monetary policy have to do with one another? Four Trees in Snow, an image from MEG member Colleen Henderson, was recently acquired by the Federal Reserve Board. If we're lucky, it will inspire Fed officials to replicate its sense of stark simplicity as they work to maintain the stability of the U.S. financial system. 

Acquired in honor of Vice Chairman Donald Kohn's retirement from the Federal Reserve Board, Four Trees in the Snow, is now part of the Fed's permanent art collection.  Established in 1975, the Board's Fine Arts Program has grown to over 500 works of art, including images by many well-known photographers such as Ansel Adams, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Walker Evans, Edward Steichen, and Paul Strand, to name just a few. 

Chosen personally by Mr. Kohn,  Four Trees in Snow captures Constitution Gardens -- national parkland located only a few blocks from the Federal Reserve Board's headquarter building -- late on a winter evening after an unusually heavy snowfall in DC.  The stark, rigid tree trunks play in contrast to the soft snow and distant pond  reflections.  

Alan Sislen in elan

                                                            (c) Alan Sislen

MEG member Alan Sislen is featured in the latest issue of elan magazine.  The gorgeous layout features images from several of Alan's series and the accompanying text is a window into his photography philosophy and process. Take a minute to take a look!