When is your work ready for display?

Ray Heath · May 23, 2006

when is your work ready for display?

recently i've heard and read surprising comments from talented artists in regard to how, when and what to present as their work

a fellow double degree, teaching/fine art, student told me she never shows her work, it's only for herself

a talented, creative traditional photographer told me he never shows his best work

a talented mono photographer on this site, who is currently establishing a web presence for marketing his work, never posts his 'final' image

personally, i have a set of quality criteria, when i reach that quality, i put the work out there, with no other explanation, it then stands or falls on it's own merits

feedback, either positive, negative, helpful or critical is of interest, but not essential to my enjoyment and pursuit of future work

thnx
Ray Heath

firecracker · May 23, 2006

Ray Heath said:
when is your work ready for display?

recently i've heard and read surprising comments from talented artists in regard to how, when and what to present as their work

a fellow double degree, teaching/fine art, student told me she never shows her work, it's only for herself

a talented, creative traditional photographer told me he never shows his best work

a talented mono photographer on this site, who is currently establishing a web presence for marketing his work, never posts his 'final' image

personally, i have a set of quality criteria, when i reach that quality, i put the work out there, with no other explanation, it then stands or falls on it's own merits

feedback, either positive, negative, helpful or critical is of interest, but not essential to my enjoyment and pursuit of future work

thnx
Ray Heath

I can't speak for other people why and why not they do what they do for showing their work. But my best work, which is a collection of my personal feelings reflected on photographs, is I belive strong but vulnerable at the same time.

These images are mostly people and about people in specific moments and with their relationships to me as a person.

To be honest, I can't take much criticism on them if they don't understand them. It's very tender. So, I've always been debating whether to show them all the time in a commercial space.

Meanwhile there's a set of photographs that I can take all kinds of comments from others because they are meant to be commercial (although I'm not sure the word "commercial" is the right word to distinguish). They still carry my personal feelings, but not as much.

And these photographs happen to be heavily on the subject of the nature/environment.

Ed Sukach · May 23, 2006

When is my work "ready"? To tell the truth, never. It always can be improved in some way or another. I just realize that I have to stop somewhere.

When is it "ready" (with consideration of above..) for exhibition?

When I don't have any more time to work on it.

rbarker · May 23, 2006

I think a person's work is ready for showing when they are ready to show it.

Obviously, it's handy to have set comparative quality goals, and met them - at least in your own estimation. But, one shouldn't expect everyone to fall in love with the work, either. Tastes vary, as do levels of tact when people express their personal opinions.

firecracker · May 23, 2006

Ed Sukach said:
When is my work "ready"? To tell the truth, never. It always can be improved in some way or another. I just realize that I have to stop somewhere.

When is it "ready" (with consideration of above..) for exhibition?

When I don't have any more time to work on it.

I believe there's a point where I tend to overdo what I'm doing (like printing the same images over and over again) and that kills the essence of it completely. I go back and look at the other (older) results and see what came out the best.

That's when I stop and realize the work is done for that process, and I move on the next stage.

Jim Jones · May 24, 2006

Ed is right. I do the best I can in the time available, and exhibit even knowing that I could do better. Prints that Ansel Adams must have considered ready early in his career are sometimes much different than prints from the same negatives made years later.

scootermm · May 24, 2006

Ray Heath said:
when is your work ready for display?

maybe, whenever someone asks you to display it, the deadline arrives, and its time to display it.

aside from that, I dont know if Ill ever know.

pharquarx · May 24, 2006

Most of the time I won't post my work for the "public" until I am satisfied with it although there are times where I will pin an unmatted "draft" up on the wall in my regular job office, not so much for public consumption or comment, but to help me refine and analyse and decide as to what needs/should be done to bring it closer to completion (sort of living with it for a couple of weeks in the rough). This is usually work that I personally like and am pleased with, some of it stays on the wall here at home and never makes it to that stage. In general, people are actually more interested in the background behind the work, where was it taken than offering a critical evaluation.

Short answer, when I am generally pleased with it.

Tom Kershaw · May 24, 2006

I find one of the benefits of developing my own black and white film is that the negatives are private, and others can only pass judgement on what I have chosen to print.

Claire Senft · May 24, 2006

Mr Heath as far as I am concerned you have already answered the question to your own satisfaction. You certainly do not need others to advise you on what you should do.

removed account4 · May 24, 2006

scootermm said:
maybe, whenever someone asks you to display it, the deadline arrives, and its time to display it.

aside from that, I dont know if Ill ever know.

what he said - -

thanks matt

-john

wfe · May 24, 2006

Since I am always interested in learning and improving my "work" I don't think it is ever "ready". Do I show it, yes I do and enjoy doing so.

Regards,
Bill

davetravis · May 24, 2006

Hi Ray,
Start with friends and family, after all they will be your best, and worst critics. As for the public, go slowly. Try and get something hung in a local pub, or restaurant. Put some contact info on it, and listen to their responses.
Good luck.

Robert Hall · May 24, 2006

As one who tries to sell and show work, my reply is, "as soon as you can!"

Roger Hicks · May 29, 2006

Dear Ray,

Many years ago, a painter friend quoted a marvellous line,

"Every painting needs two people: an artist to create it, and someone to kill him when it is finished."

Art is very seldom finished; it's just a question of when and why you move on.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

livemoa · May 29, 2006

Roger Hicks said:
Dear Ray,

Many years ago, a painter friend quoted a marvellous line,

"Every painting needs two people: an artist to create it, and someone to kill him when it is finished."

Art is very seldom finished; it's just a question of when and why you move on.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

That is a great quote!

And I know just what that person ment. The exhibition that I have been told was my best was one where I felt I needed more time to work on the images as I felt I hadn't got my concept fully realised. (and I am still working on it....)

When is your work ready for display?

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