Customer Reviews

How to Get Hung: A Practical Guide for Emerging Artists

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Barnes reduces the complexities of developing a career as a fine artist to short, opinionated paragraphs under multiple headings. It sounds condescending and dictorial. Some of the bad advice she gives includes suggesting you move to New York; courting gallery owners like her with flowers, limos, lunch, or buying art from her shows. If you are looking for a quick overview of the artist-gallery relationship from this particular dealer's perspective, you'll find that information here, but I suggest you try a worthy publication like Cay Lang's Taking The Leap or Carol Michels' How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist.

From all the great AND SUCCESSFUL artists I have learned, the most important message that is conveyed to me by them essentially is "be yourself". This book suggests otherwise. Here are some insights from the book to "get hung":

- Your look: The book suggests the artists go for an "art look", experiment new looks until "your style will emerge".

- Your location: Moving to New York.

- Your source of finance (to support your art endeaver): marry rich, work in an art-related occupation (not bad, but can we all do this?)

- etc... I dropped the book at the end of chapter 2, after the suggestion of "moving to New York".

All in all, the book consists of short examples of people who succeeded in selling their art to prove the author's points. At the end of each chapter, a list of bullet points is shown to recap. Valuable points presented in the book, such as networking, open-minded to critique, etc... are too basic for any discipline when it comes to marketing. Unfortunately, these cannot save the rest of the book.

In my opinion, this book is NOT for a mature and responsible artist audience who has to break their back working odd jobs, yet still obsesses about art and making art.

If you take out all the name-dropping and pointless anecdotes, there isn't much left to this book. What little advice it contains on the subject of succeeding as an artist seems to fall under the heading of common sense. (If you want to be a famous artist, move to New York, go to lots of galleries, talk to lots of people. It helps to look nice, and dating a famous artist doesn't hurt either. Do we really need an expert to tell us these things?) What little practical advice there is on subjects like having slides made of your work or sending out press releases is so general that it is of little use. These subjects are covered much better in lots of other books, Art Marketing 101 by Constance Smith and How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist by Caroll Michels to name a couple. One bit of advice from the author made me laugh out loud. She stresses the importance of proofreading a press release before you send it out (good idea!), yet it is obvious that this book was not proofread. There are so many typographical, spelling, and/or grammatical errors that at times I felt as if I were grading a high school term paper.

Little of this advice helps you to get hung. Some may put a noose around their neck after following her advice. It doesn't work. She was one of the first to advice artists to get on the internet.You may not succeed getting a show,but you can sell on the internet. I have! The advice she gives isn't from the pesrpective of a professional but, more of a sophisticate.When I first started showing my work . There were no books on exhibiting. I was successful . One show I got was when I was showing my work to the dealer. Someone came in and bought three . Another gallery gave em show because they could see I could paint. I took in originals.I have gotten shows with slides. I use a professional photographer.I hired a secretary to type an opening letter of inquiry for a mailing of many galleries, art centers.. Drew up a list of galleries.. mostly alternative galleries. Had good duplicates made. You couldn't tell them from the original. They were impressed with my resume. Send your slides every chance you can get. There was a time when any good artist could get a show. Unfortunately that is no longer the case

I had read the first few pages of this book at a free sample on Google Books and thought it looked pretty good. BIG MISTAKE. First of all I should note that this book was published in 1994. The "art world" that the author describes is becoming increasingly outdated in our current age of self-marketing, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and internet followings. After reading about 8 consecutive ridiculous statements, I wanted the throw the book across the room. Here's a sampling of "how to become a successful artist" according to this book:

"Get your hair styled in a look that suggests you are an artist...Explain to the beauty consultant that you want an 'art look.'"

"Don't try to pattern yourself after some movie star, since most artists run about ten pounds heavier."

"I cannot stress enough the importance of a support group for the synergism it offers...They all hung out together, had affairs with one another's lovers, gossiped, lent money and support, and became famous together." ...what?

"When asked her advice on how to become a successful artist, Elaine de Kooning said, 'Marry well.'"

"It's especially tough to break into the art world if you are a woman."

"Location is all, and location is New York City, New York City, New York City. Art is taken more seriously there than anywhere else..."

I'm sure there are a lot more infuriating gobbledygook statements in this book... but I don't feel like wasting my time finding them. Off it goes into the garage sale pile.

I believe that some of the negative reviews do have a point, but I also believe that their review is based off of the fact that they were probably offended by the content in the book, and I don't mean that to insult. The book says a few things that are a bit out there, but all in all, as an artist, I can tell you that there is fact in her words. Sometimes, the art world can be a very evil and shallow place. It's unforgiving, and unsympathetic. I have seen it with my own eyes. Many, if not most, artists who are trying to make it in the art world, won't, and I believe a lot of disgruntles artists may find this book offensive.

So take it with a grain of salt and enjoy :)

Excellent advice for artists on how to get into galleries and get your name out there! Read it cover to cover (and you will because you'll love it) the minute it arrives!

Follow its advice because it works!

Molly Barnes and Pat Hilton, have created a very straight forward and truthful book on how to aproach the art world and what it takes to be successful in it. This book is pefect for imerging artists as well as a reminder to many succesfull artists on what it is to get hung.