So what gives - you don't think that you deserve some amount better than a few dollars for your work - because you don't think that your art is worth it - your are not worth is - do you feel like a fraud - you would rather be poor for the rest of your life - or you only want to sell to those people who are hungry and poor - because they more than anyone else will "appreciate" your art while no one else in the entire world will -
how much do you pay for the internet service you use - your computer - your camera or paints and canvas - brushes - travel time - food clothing shelter - you know the basics to do anything at all - ?
people have called me whacky - crazy out of my mind - all of that stuff - but I think that I am the only one perhaps maybe a few others - who are dealing with the realities of the world at least that I am living in -
and forget about the materials and all of the basics - how about the fact that I have been photographing for 52 years now -
and I am not asking for any critiques of my work - if you don't like my work - don't buy any - or even better yet - don't look at it -
but for the person who likes my work - think about the fact that for most of my life - I had to drag myself to Manhattan - pay a fee and spend time to look at the Museums that many people of the world come to - spend about a half hour and then wait in line to buy a sweat shirt from A&B - sounds ridiculous - but that is what the majority of people go for - a sweat shirt - a pair of sneakers for Nike Town and a lot of walking around getting tired -
even the museums are receiving less viewers to their spaces - galleries say they are not selling work - and well why should anyone pay for something they can get for free - like TV for all of the years that it had been free - but now you pay the cable bill - get all the shows and a few extra dollars and you have all the art that you want on your screen - get a few people to purchase your prints - and your an artist - yes - but make something significant that will be of any value down the line - well - get enough people to pay for such piece or pieces and you will see a self reinforcing spiral or cycle or whatever it might be labeled by then - you will definitely see people jumping on the band wagon buying up all sorts of stuff with your images - because just as on Fifth Avenue when I am handing out my cards:
Fifth Avenue Traffic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSpK0PUv_LY
when one person does something - others begin to do it - and then a whole bunch of people follow them -
it takes a great deal of persistence - perseverance and energy - conviction and vision to succeed - and I am not saying that everyone should do the same as I - each and every person is different and has their own vision and ideas of how things should and should not work - but that is what makes this world so fantastically interesting -
so back to my question -
why would anyone only want to make a little money with their art?
does anyone go into their job every day whether they studied for the job or not and say - well I only want to make a little money or pay me what you will - I will do your books - your accounting - your sales - your typing - your sewing - your sweeping - cleaning the toilets - teaching - doctoring - nursing - any of these things - for a little bit of money - ?
I say - change your thinking - change your mind set - put all that you have into your art - *(if you really love doing it) and treat that work that you have created as valuable or even more valuable than anything anyone else does for their living - since if you are creating art seriously then like Renoir - Van Gogh - Gorky - Picasso -DeKooning - Pollock - or any one of thousands of artists - your work will be influencing people for many years to come -
this of course is my take on the matter -
ALICE PIRES 2-B by Walter Paul Bebirian
