Reflections on Artist's Market and Art

I tend to get to Rose St early - say 9am (the market starts at 11am). At Rose St they allocate the spots and provide these great wooden boxes of different shapes and sizes to display your stuff on and they also have big sun umbrellas to offer shade to those who don't have a marquee. But if you want an umbrella and if you want good boxes to display your stuff you need to get there reasonably early. So I cart all my stuff from the car and start setting up my display - cards I have designed, sketch books I have covered with beautiful papers, prints carefully wrapped and labeled, and of course paintings. I usually have a range of small paintings which are affordable and easy to carry home from the markets. I do also like to bring at least one big painting - say 1m sq, just to give an indication of the breadth of my work. I don't expect to sell them at the market, as people don't really come to the market prepared to spend several hundred or even a thousand dollars on an art work! So they are really just for show. But even in regards to the smaller paintings or prints, people will often come back several times before they decide to buy something. I think it is a much harder thing to decide to purchase than a pair or earrings for the same price. My theory about that is that people feel like they can just throw a pair of earrings or a t-shirt into a box or leave it on a hanger and not wear it if they get tired of it... but art work people feel obliged to display - and would feel much more responsibility to take good care of or be respectful of it. It is somehow much harder psychologically to put an artwork in the hall cupboard when you are tired of it. Perhaps because it is not something people buy much of, perhaps because it has a certain aura or mystique... Also people have to consider a lot more immovable factors with art work than jewelery. For example the colours of walls in your house, the opinion of housemates or spouses, the size of the work in a certain space... it is all quite complicated. You can buy a pair of earrings knowing it will go with that particular outfit and you can wear them one a month or everyday - that's just what you do - they are supposed to be interchangeable and flexible. And if you decide you hate them you can chuck them out or give them away. It is much harder to do that with art work. So people are naturally cautious about making a purchase, even if it costs the same amount or less than other more wearable items at the market.

But when people do buy they are usually pretty sure they love it so I know it is going to a good home.