The White Bucket: Why compromise isn't the same as selling out
Hi Laurie,
Is it possible to make honest art while also wanting to sell it?
From Peter
Dear Peter,
I’d like to say, try and make the things you want and don’t worry about the money. Then… worry about the money. Never the other way around. But this might be bad financial advice. I wish I could tell you to follow your heart, throw caution to the wind, make it and they will come… but I’d be lying. The amount of people who make a living as a full-time artist or craftsperson is microscopic. Some compromise is usually part of the game, either through a saleable product line or a side job that pays the bills. Very few people are just pissing in a jar and selling it as liquid gold. Making a living from your art is not for everybody. I used to be more bullish in encouraging people to try, but I’ve changed my tune for their sake. Trying to make money from your art can be like selling your children, or your soul.
Who defines honest art? Is honesty an intention or an outcome? For me it is the intention, and can only be defined by the maker, but making for a market can be a slippery slope. The fastest way to lose your integrity is to pander excessively to customers. Commission work is a good example of something that sounds good but often isn't. A commission requires a patron, and a patron usually has expectations. These expectations redefine the intention because now you're ‘making to order’ like Ronald MacDonald in a beret.
There's a subtle shift in ownership between making pots for yourself and making pots explicitly for someone else in exchange for money. It’s a bit different with potteries that predominantly sell everyday items like mugs and bowls. These businesses usually make multiples and will, over time, begin to see trends and preferences develop within their marketplace. This does make it much easier to reach a balanced compromise between making and selling. I manage this conundrum by assuming that nobody will ever buy my more unusual sculpture and therefore there's no point in pandering. This is easier to do when I’m tackling difficult themes like politics, war and abuse i.e. I’ve just made a series of pots about dead and abused children (not exactly hot sellers). I don’t want to live with these pots and assume that nobody else will either. These are cathartic pots, not retail items.
To allow myself the resource to make these ‘honest pots’ I sell domestic pottery, mostly online. I’ve always made pots for everyday use (much to the chagrin of several gallerists) because I love doing it and because it pays the bills. Buying domestic pots also gives my fan base a tangible way to support me and a gentle, occasional compromise allows me to do more of what I love. At different stages of my career I have tried different approaches. I currently show sculpture in galleries, sell domestic ware online and do a bit of teaching and creative direction to top up the coffers.
A quick personal example: Although my favourite glaze colour is black, if I dip a mug in the white glaze bucket instead, it is twice as likely to sell. So the choice is between two glaze buckets, and at different stages of my life the white bucket has won. Are the white pots dishonest? No. They are true to the context of their birth. Do I hate the white pots? No. I just prefer the black ones. Overall I am proud of the pots that I make and if you want a dozen mugs in white rather than black glaze I’ll probably consider it to avoid getting a real job. But with my more philosophical work I am inflexible. I have drawn the line for myself.
Peter, if you're making art and conflicted about selling it you are in the majority. Don’t give yourself a hard time for trying to live. It’s very difficult to earn a living from art, especially if you make unconventional things. Most people should probably get a part-time job and just make the stuff they want for their own pleasure. No compromise required.
Selling is often seen as a necessary evil. I’ve certainly viewed it as that. But there’s no doubt that selling the things you make can boost your mojo and encourage you to keep going. To further complicate this issue there’s the dirty truth that sales can be embarrassingly motivating, because it's like being paid to wank. Making and selling art are two very different jobs and few people are good at both. It's not helpful to blindly disregard commercial realities.
Selling your art can be difficult. Difficult but not impossible, and it may require a little flexibility. And if you try to make a go of it, there will always be plenty of people to tell you that you are devaluing your work, ruining your career and diluting your brand etc. Everyone has an opinion. Ninety-nine percent of the purists poo-pooing you for courageously facing the challenge of selling your art have a cushy job or are living off their wealthy parents or spouse. Good for them, but also… fuck them.
XL