What should a podcast about selling art be in a moment where so little of that is happening?

Do we carry on as normal? Or maybe even attempt to answer the questions about how to survive in the present and adapt to the coming future?

These are the questions I’ve asked for months. And then it hit me. Do what art dealers do when we stuck in the corner and there are no moves left— TELL SOME DAMN STORIES.

No one can advise us on how to tread these strange waters. Much less set a course for the uncertain future. So, while the world waits to see what comes next, we can huddle for a bit around the electric candlelight in our little corner booth here at the ol’ art dealer bar to share our stories.

Because when we find ourselves asking “what are we going to become?” it’s best to remind ourselves what we love about who we’ve been. And there is no better way I know to do that than this. Or at least not as much fun.

Going forward I’m counting on hearing your best tales that we can share on the show. Seriously — email, call, Instagram, tweet, I wanna hear from you. But for now, I’ll get this ball of yarns rolling with one of my personal favorites.

Tonight I have a story that goes miles beyond the “you never know who will buy” parables. It’s a story about an unexpected collector who taught me a lifetime of lessons on how to be a better art dealer as well as a happier person.

And if that is not enough to get you to quickly smash down on that play button (and subscribe to the podcast) – you’re also going to meet him in this new episode of the Art Dealer Show.

Cheers, my art dealers!

Danny

In the late 1980’s I crashed an art opening on Le Brea Blvd. in Los Angeles. I was an art student and yes, it was partly to make a meal out of cheese and crackers and to get some white wine cheer on. But it was also to see one of my new favorite photographers – Joel-Peter Witkin.

Witkin’s disturbing art was amazing to see in person. But in retrospect it was the gallery that impressed me the most. At this time most serious galleries did not show photography. Most would consider it unworthy of wasting wall space on. Let alone using the walls for photographers as “daring” (hard to sell for a living room) as Witkin.

The gallery that dared to do what others of the day would not was Fahey Klein, owned and directed by this episode’s feature guest David Fahey.

For years his gallery has been considered a leader in the curating and selling of contemporary photography. From well-established masters to photographers whose images have changed the course of history, to ones who push our understanding of the medium and the world.

Today, sitting in his gallery office recording our conversation for the show, representing fine art photography feels as normal as selling any other form of art. These days photographs sell in galleries for tens of thousands. And in auctions, they hammer down even in the millions.

When David began his career working for the G Ray Hawkins gallery collecting photography was a market often in the hundreds. And would have politely been referred to as esoteric or “affordable art” which may have turned off most any newcomer to the art business who was looking to make their fortune. But for David, he did not enter into the field to become a dealer for the sake of dealing. As a photographer himself, it was his love for the medium that propelled him.

We are finally back with the second half of our conversation with San Diego gallerist Ruth Ann Thorn (Exclusive Collections). And maybe being a year and a half later you have concluded that the reason for the wait is because the second half was just more of the same. And if that’s you, prepare to be surprised.

I’ve heard lots of art dealers go on about how they need to find artists who are not just talented but are doing things their collectors have truly not seen before. And then wait for them to walk in the door, or hope to find them at the next art fair. But Ruth Anne does much more than keep her eyes open. She goes on the hunt.

Junkies, Schizoids, and Ex-Cons – oh my.

Listen to this new episode of the Art Dealer Show and find out what happens when a gallery owner makes a practice of placing ads on Craig’s list that start with “Looking for weird people creating weird things”. Follow her journey into Hollywood flops and other corners of the world no other art dealer I know is willing to brave, just to find their next artist.

But before we get into all that, a year and a half is a long time, particularly in today’s art world. So from our corner booth in the back of the ol’ art dealer bar, I gave Ruth Ann a call to check in and see what has been going on since we first spoke with her. And I’ll say this, it’s not a lot of same old – same old.

Ruth Anne has seen the changes coming come and like anyone who will survive to thrive, she’s adapting with the changing climate.

So slide on in, order yourself up the perfect tonic to carry you through the hour and join us.

Cheers.

Danny

Sponsors:
Art World News
Relavent Communications
Art Santa Fe – a Redwood Media Group show

Guest:
Ruth-Ann Thorn, CEO and owner of Exclusive Collections:
San Diego • Beverly Hills • Las Vegas • Laguna Beach
(619) 238-0320
www.ecgallery.com
https://www.facebook.com/ecgalleries

Us:
www.artdealer.show
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@artdealershow
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