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Author Topic: Do photographers buy photography?  (Read 13182 times)

Mousecop

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #20 on: June 19, 2016, 08:30:11 am »

Probably not as much as you think. I've been to several pre-auction showings in New York with sub $20k valuations on HCB prints.
Looks like $25k - $32k

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2016/photographs-n09487/lot.77.html

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/photographs-n09405/lot.163.html

Other prints of his can go for much less, like $9k.
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N80

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #21 on: August 17, 2016, 03:10:05 pm »

I do purchase art from time to time. I have two original (1820-ish) Audubon bird prints and an even earlier original Alexander Wilson bird print. We have some local contemporary art work as well.

I love B&W prints. I have many books from the usual and not so usual suspects. I read B&W magazine regularly (which is about B&W photography as art and the art market, not photography itself).

But I have never purchased a photograph. I hope to. I would love to. But most of what I like is as pricey as Audubon prints. So I don't buy.

I've had prints for sale in art shows. Never had a buyer and doubt I've ever made a print that anyone would trade for. I do my own fine art printing, for what its worth, and my old house has picture molding throughout so I have a lot of my own stuff hanging throughout the house gallery style. I would love to have a Sally Mann or a Clyde Butcher to hang next to my meager stuff.
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George

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Dale Villeponteaux

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #22 on: August 21, 2016, 09:50:43 am »

The Online Photographer (http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/blog_index.html) occasionally has prints for sale at a reasonable price. I have prints by Peter Turnley, the Caponigros and Ctein.

Regards,
Dale
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Rob C

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #23 on: August 31, 2016, 06:13:39 am »

I do purchase art from time to time. I have two original (1820-ish) Audubon bird prints and an even earlier original Alexander Wilson bird print. We have some local contemporary art work as well.

I love B&W prints. I have many books from the usual and not so usual suspects. I read B&W magazine regularly (which is about B&W photography as art and the art market, not photography itself).

But I have never purchased a photograph. I hope to. I would love to. But most of what I like is as pricey as Audubon prints. So I don't buy.

I've had prints for sale in art shows. Never had a buyer and doubt I've ever made a print that anyone would trade for. I do my own fine art printing, for what its worth, and my old house has picture molding throughout so I have a lot of my own stuff hanging throughout the house gallery style. I would love to have a Sally Mann or a Clyde Butcher to hang next to my meager stuff.


I have no idea what your stuff looks like, but don't rush to conclusions about how wonderful other people's stuff may be in comparison with your own images.

Rip the hype from so many 'stars' in the photographic firmament and you might discover little but expensive bits of paper. I'm sure many an art investor has had that thought flash through his mind at times. But anyway, it all serves to make the world go round.

Rob C

N80

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #24 on: August 31, 2016, 08:53:59 am »

I agree. And I am always wary of buying or admiring stuff because someone else says it is good or valuable. But there are some artists, when you see their work for the first time, just takes your breath away. I feel that way about Sally Mann's early work with her children. I'd never seen anything like it. I was just blown away and still am.

(Editorially, expense is not the only thing that keeps me from buying something from Mann. I think her subject matter, her young children, often without cloths, is perfectly innocent. Maybe the definition of innocent. Certainly not prurient. But modern culture often does not see it that way. As a person is who is somewhat in the public eye (in a tiny local context), I would not be comfortable with her work in my home.)
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George

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Rob C

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #25 on: August 31, 2016, 11:32:08 am »

I agree. And I am always wary of buying or admiring stuff because someone else says it is good or valuable. But there are some artists, when you see their work for the first time, just takes your breath away. I feel that way about Sally Mann's early work with her children. I'd never seen anything like it. I was just blown away and still am.

(Editorially, expense is not the only thing that keeps me from buying something from Mann. I think her subject matter, her young children, often without cloths, is perfectly innocent. Maybe the definition of innocent. Certainly not prurient. But modern culture often does not see it that way. As a person is who is somewhat in the public eye (in a tiny local context), I would not be comfortable with her work in my home.)

I understand; I also think she took one helluva gamble doing the work with the kids. Not so much from the public's view, but from the perspective of the kids' opinions when they are far from being kids any longer and realise the photographs were not for private, family consumption. Which must already be the case. Interesting opportunity for any fly on the wall with a recording device under its wing. Of course, they may actually have known all along that they were doing a professional job, but I have no way of having that information to hand. Also, what a kid thinks is cool doesn't always remain that way when the kid's no longer a kid.

Rob

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #26 on: August 31, 2016, 11:44:51 am »

... from the perspective of the kids' opinions when they are far from being kids any longer and realise the photographs were not for private, family consumption. Which must already be the case. Interesting opportunity for any fly on the wall with a recording device under its wing. Of course, they may actually have known all along that they were doing a professional job, but I have no way of having that information to hand. Also, what a kid thinks is cool doesn't always remain that way when the kid's no longer a kid.

That was exactly the plot of one episode in the American TV series "Good Wife" (about a Chicago lawyer and politician's wife), where son took mother (and a famous photographer) to court to prevent further publication of photographs taken in his youth.

Rob C

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #27 on: August 31, 2016, 03:11:52 pm »

That was exactly the plot of one episode in the American TV series "Good Wife" (about a Chicago lawyer and politician's wife), where son took mother (and a famous photographer) to court to prevent further publication of photographs taken in his youth.

Fuck; I've spent my time in the wrong business!

;-)

Rob

N80

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #28 on: August 31, 2016, 05:23:27 pm »

I saw a documentary that addresses some of these issues now that her kids are grown. I don't remember the details but it seemed like the older daughter had some problems with it all. Not necessarily feeling exploited though. But in the end it seemed like there was no major fallout or issues with her children and they were doing fine. As a parent that's about the best you can hope for.
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George

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GrahamBy

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Re: Do photographers buy photography?
« Reply #29 on: August 31, 2016, 05:26:59 pm »

Agree about Sally Mann... I saw an exhibition of later work, on decay and the civil war battle grounds years back at a gallery in Stockholm. It's powerful stuff.

For the kids, somehow I feel that they were aware of what they were participating in, and maybe the fact that she stopped that work as they came into adolescence was a sign of mutual respect. That would be in contrast to... who was that Romanian woman who made a lot of money publishing rather prurient photos of her daughter? In that case the chickens did come home to roost.
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