What is the relationship between the for-profit gallery owner and the exhibitor? It’s a question that’s been bugging me for a while and my conclusion is that for most of us the answer is not much. I’ve had several experiences with gallery owners who’ve exhibited my work where things went from enthusiastic conversations prior to and during the shows, to aloofness or not being interested in talking at all shortly after the shows had come and gone.  It’s all right, as my interest in pushing to exhibit my work has been on the wane for some time, although I’ve been in three shows during the past year and am scheduled to be in several more during 2023. All of these have been with the Monalog Collective, and we are now working on a group project that hopefully will find its way into an institution’s holding and get a show.

Nevertheless, my gallery experiences over the last few years have been somewhat discouraging, if not unexpected. Why? Because, gallery owners are not photographers, and in most cases not artists/creatives at all. They’re business people and their biggest concern is to keep the lights on and make a profit. And that’s fine, but the problem is in the end unless you’re seen as someone that will be a revenue stream, then you’re yesterday’s news. And if they don’t “get” your work then you will never get the time of day to begin with.

So, what does this all mean for me at least?  Well, increasingly I’m becoming more and more convinced that the whole gallery thing isn’t very important anymore, unless of course art is your livelihood and you must exhibit. Look, most gallery owners could care less about you or your art and the likelihood of getting your work on their sacred walls is low.

What do you do then?

Keep making photographs that are meaningful to you and become the best you can be!  Improve your vision and your craft. What else? Get a website up and running and maybe write a blog. How about self-publishing your work? That’s the direction I think I’m eventually going to be headed. But even if I don’t, the older I get and the more I do, I really care more about self-directed projects and just being out there as part of living my photographic life.

The friends I’ve made are not the for-profit gallery owners, but other like-minded photographers, students I’ve taught and those I’ve met along the way when photographing. These are the relationships that truly matter.

Maybe I just haven’t met the right ones, but time is too short and I guess certain things don’t seem as important anymore compared to those that really matter.

Stay safe,

Michael