The State of the Market for Contemporary Photography

[Mike Lopez]

I always wanted an original Avedon, Friedlander, Winogrand, HCB and Brandt. Maybe this is a good time to buy. I like dogs, so this has been one of my favoritres. Going for about $7000 which is still pretty expensive.

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If you like dogs and you like Friedlander, I'd recommend you check out his book Dog's Best Friend. It's a fun one.

 

[faberryman]

There are less and less people who agree with “ experience in person” or this was made the artists hands as being high value. High value today is the talking point that I own “xyz” artist. It is to show others you have taste or money. Not that you understand “Aura” or appreciate “Aura” of the art work. ( Walter Benjamin) Most people don’t care.

You are referring to Walter Benjamin's 1935 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. The sky has not fallen on the art world (including photography) in the eight decades since he wrote it.

Go to any museum on “free night” you will clearly see vapid consumerism at its best. It’s social hour with a twist of “ can I meet someone here tonight that’s artsy?

If the scene you describe is accurate, one way to avoid it is not to go to the museum on opening night. It will also be easier to find a parking space and there won't be a crowd later on.

Galleries ( brick and mortar) are in decline. Yes, they are still there, but less than 40 years ago. And not making money. Auctions houses are making money, only because they know how to leverage the market, most galleries do not!!

I don't know what the state of art galleries is generally, but we have quite a few around here and none that I am aware of are going out of business. We have never had a gallery dedicated to photography, but some of the art galleries show photography from time to time. With respect to dedicated photography galleries, after a couple of years not having conferences due to the pandemic, the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) had a big conference and photo exhibit in New York in late March. If you have any interest in reading about it, here is the link:

Show - The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confid

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confidence of the public, museums, institutions and others...

www.aipad.com

Go on line now, and see any piece of art you wish “ for free” and read about quickly to gain the talking points. In 5 minutes you can move on to something else, or another idea, website, etc. see it ! Throw it away! See it , throw it away! Repeat until you have consumed the world. In between martinis! Cheers!

I am not sure exactly what you mean by "gain the talking points", but it sounds dismissive and demeaning. Seeing a photographic print in person is an entirely different experience from seeing an image online. If you are not interested in having such an experience, that is of course your choice. Nobody is going to make you go.

You are on my short list for the Most Cynical and Disaffected Member of the Day Award.

 

[jeffreyg]

There are wants and needs. You may need a root canal but want a piece of art. What will you value more?

 

[chuckroast]

I imagine with signs of a recession; people may be conserving their money lowering prices on all art. Who knows what causes these things?

I think the desire for food and shelter might preempt art purchases

 

[Pieter12]

I think the desire for food and shelter might preempt art purchases

Those who have the collecting bug really bad will make great sacrifices to obtain art. Then there is a great segment of collectors who don't have to worry about such minor things as food and shelter, more like which house to hang the art in.

 

[chuckroast]

I saw this link to an article on the state of the market for contemporary photography on RFF and thought that it might gain better traction here on Photrio:

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/opinion/contemporary-photography-market-down-1234672389

The author notes a marked decline in prices and characterizes the decline as an overcorrection in the market. The thing about overcorrections is that they are corrections, and corrections are reassessments of value, financial and otherwise.

At one level, art obeys the supply/demand curve like toothpaste or toilet paper. But the "demand" side of that has a component only found in elite goods: Prestige.

It's unlikely that the ultra rich will ever want to show off their roll of Charmin, but being able to drive in bumper to bumper traffic at 5 mph in a Ferrari 250 GTO is quite the prestige builder. Nevermind that your average Corvette or Lexus will blow it off the road (while having functioning A/C and a sound system) when and if said road actually has traffic flowing. The important thing is that the last one sold in 2018 for $48.4 million, and THAT, boys and girls, is prestige with a capital "P".

P.S. All cars go exactly the same speed in a traffic jam.

 

[Pieter12]

P.S. All cars go exactly the same speed in a traffic jam.

Helicopters come in handy then. Or chauffeurs.

 

[chuckroast]

Helicopters come in handy then. Or chauffeurs.

I'll never know. Aaaaapparently, no want wants to pay $48.4 million for an original, signed chuckroast 8x10. Go figure. (I'm open to offers anywhere in that range though.)

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Back in the 70s I saw Moonrise at the Adams gallery in Yosemite for $14,000. Using a future value calculator, that $14K put into an index fund back then would now be worth a bit over $300K. I’m glad I didn’t buy the photo.

But he had the hot blond.

 

[greg zinselmeier]

You are referring to Walter Benjamin's 1935 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. The sky has not fallen on the art world (including photography) in the eight decades since he wrote it.



If the scene you describe is accurate, one way to avoid it is not to go to the museum on opening night. It will also be easier to find a parking space and there won't be a crowd later on.



I don't know what the state of art galleries is generally, but we have quite a few around here and none that I am aware of are going out of business. We have never had a gallery dedicated to photography, but some of the art galleries show photography from time to time. With respect to dedicated photography galleries, after a couple of years not having conferences due to the pandemic, the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) had a big conference and photo exhibit in New York in late March. If you have any interest in reading about it, here is the link:

Show - The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confid

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confidence of the public, museums, institutions and others...

www.aipad.com

I am not sure exactly what you mean by "gain the talking points", but it sounds dismissive and demeaning. Seeing a photographic print in person is an entirely different experience from seeing an image online. If you are not interested in having such an experience, that is of course your choice. Nobody is going to make you go.

You are on my short list for the Most Cynical and Disaffected Member of the Day

You are referring to Walter Benjamin's 1935 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. The sky has not fallen on the art world (including photography) in the eight decades since he wrote it.



If the scene you describe is accurate, one way to avoid it is not to go to the museum on opening night. It will also be easier to find a parking space and there won't be a crowd later on.



I don't know what the state of art galleries is generally, but we have quite a few around here and none that I am aware of are going out of business. We have never had a gallery dedicated to photography, but some of the art galleries show photography from time to time. With respect to dedicated photography galleries, after a couple of years not having conferences due to the pandemic, the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) had a big conference and photo exhibit in New York in late March. If you have any interest in reading about it, here is the link:

Show - The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confid

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers encourages public support of fine art photography by acting as a collective voice for the dealers in fine art photography and through communication and education that enhances the confidence of the public, museums, institutions and others...

www.aipad.com

I am not sure exactly what you mean by "gain the talking points", but it sounds dismissive and demeaning. Seeing a photographic print in person is an entirely different experience from seeing an image online. If you are not interested in having such an experience, that is of course your choice. Nobody is going to make you go.

You are on my short list for the Most Cynical and Disaffected Member of the Day Award.

secretly, I am vying for the most cynical person/lifetime achievement award .

My responses keep you young idealist in check!

 

[snusmumriken]

Since I do not sell my photographs for multiple millions of dollars, I will not be loosing any sleep over this.

<<
And these I do not sell for gold,
Or coin of silvery hue,
But for a copper ha’penny,
And that will purchase two.
>>

 

[snusmumriken]

I always wanted an original Avedon, Friedlander, Winogrand, HCB and Brandt. Maybe this is a good time to buy. I like dogs, so this has been one of my favoritres. Going for about $7000 which is still pretty expensive.

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I would always worry why he didn’t take two steps to the right before pressing the button. Did he take this from his car?

 

[logan2z]

I would always worry why he didn’t take two steps to the right before pressing the button. Did he take this from his car?

I'm guessing you may not be that familiar with Friedlander's work

 

[snusmumriken]

I'm guessing you may not be that familiar with Friedlander's work

Ah, OK, you are quite right. I've only seen a few isolated photos of his before now. I had no idea that this was a running theme with him. Clearly need to educate myself a bit.

 

[faberryman]

To see if I can steer us back on track a bit, please note that the title and content of the article concerns the market for contemporary photography, not the market for photography in general.

 

[Pieter12]

To see if I can steer us back on track a bit, please note that the title and content of the article concerns the market for contemporary photography, not the market for photography in general.

It has been my observation that many who post on this forum have mostly disdain for or ignorance of contemporary photography.

 

[snusmumriken]

It has been my observation that many who post on this forum have mostly disdain for or ignorance of contemporary photography.

That’s a surprising statement. Surely most of them are making contemporary photography, in some cases selling it too.

 

[Pieter12]

That’s a surprising statement. Surely most of them are making contemporary photography, in some cases selling it too.

Many are making rehashes of established and cliched styles. There is little innovation or appreciation for newer work.

 

[Don_ih]

Collectible photography is like anything else that's collectible: meaningless to the majority of humanity.

Contemporary photography suffers from a general undervaluing brought about by the fact that so many people have immediate and (almost) free (by almost, I mean it's already been paid for) access to cameras that take the kinds of photos that they want. That extends from family portraiture through wedding photography (lots of exceptions there) through to journalism (the reporter takes pictures with his or her cellphone). Lots of product photography is also no longer done by "professionals". And stock photography is so blown up it seems to be almost impossible to make any money from it (unless you were the first one to upload pictures of people wearing masks, in various suitable situations). And there's so much stock photography, why would anyone need to hire a photographer for "typical" images for an ad campaign (Cheap ad campaign, that is) or industry-relevant flyer or pamphlet?

We may have access to a billion new free to view photos a day, but finding a good one is becoming more and more difficult.

 

[faberryman]

Collectible photography is like anything else that's collectible: meaningless to the majority of humanity.

Contemporary photography suffers from a general undervaluing brought about by the fact that so many people have immediate and (almost) free (by almost, I mean it's already been paid for) access to cameras that take the kinds of photos that they want. That extends from family portraiture through wedding photography (lots of exceptions there) through to journalism (the reporter takes pictures with his or her cellphone). Lots of product photography is also no longer done by "professionals". And stock photography is so blown up it seems to be almost impossible to make any money from it (unless you were the first one to upload pictures of people wearing masks, in various suitable situations). And there's so much stock photography, why would anyone need to hire a photographer for "typical" images for an ad campaign (Cheap ad campaign, that is) or industry-relevant flyer or pamphlet?

We may have access to a billion new free to view photos a day, but finding a good one is becoming more and more difficult.

Contemporary photography in the context of the article means contemporary fine art photography. The author was not referring to all the other kinds of photography mentioned in your second and third paragraphs.

 

[snusmumriken]

Many are making rehashes of established and cliched styles. There is little innovation...

I suppose that's true. Time will tell whether any of those have lasting value.

... or appreciation for newer work.

Does there have to be? What if the newer (presumably more innovative) work isn't that admirable? Should we buy it nevertheless because it represents contemporary photography?

But actually I disagree. We had a thread recently about most inspiring living photographers, and there was some wonderful work to view.

 

[Pieter12]

Your opinion, no doubt. If someone is collecting, it has meaning to them and most probably to another group, thus the value of such objects and collections. Not everyone has the talent, expertise or access and resources to take the photos they might want or want to collect. Unless they are presented as a documentary, no one except immediate family cares about or collects contemporary family or wedding photos--in some cases the wedding guests never get to see the photos of the event.

Not even sure why you mention stock photography. It has never had much value or been collectable, except maybe some vintage stuff.

 

[Don_ih]

Contemporary photography in the context of the article means contemporary fine art photography. The author was not referring to all the other kinds of photography mentioned in your second and third paragraphs.

Contemporary fine art photography is impacted in exactly the same way as every other kind of photography. In order to do it, the doer needs to make money. But there are already too many sources for "good enough" fine art photography for very little money. Not to mention, no one wants to put any "fine art" on their beige modern walls.

It took me one second to find a website that sells "fine art" photos, mounted and framed, a 5x7 for $20 - thousands of photos to choose from - all just as "arty" as you'd like.

 

[Pieter12]

Does there have to be? What if the newer (presumably more innovative) work isn't that admirable? Should we buy it nevertheless because it represents contemporary photography?

No one is asking you to buy the work. As I have stated before, I doubt the majority of members of this forum buy any original work at all (not counting books), contemporary or not.

 

[Don_ih]

Not even sure why you mention stock photography. It has never had much value or been collectable, except maybe some vintage stuff.

Because it's all part of the same devaluation process. Who can make fine art photos if they can't get paid to take photos?