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  jerry maschinot November 21, 2012 at 1:35pm

  Thanks Connie, an inspirational read!
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  Connie Mettler November 21, 2012 at 9:53am

  Jerry, I featured photographer Chris Dahlquist's work a few months back on ArtFairCalendar.com. Here is the article I wrote about her which substantiates your point -- she is not using processes cobbled onto her ideas, but they integral to her development as a photographer:

  I approach 21st century photography with the sensibility and aesthetic of a 19th century photographer. By employing the best characteristics of both eras, I create anachronistic images of “in-between” spaces. Just as the earliest practitioners of daguerreotype and tintype, I treat metal plates by hand, preparing each to receive its own unique photograph. I capitalize on the smooth surface of steel, a finely textured under painting, and the translucent qualities of digital pigments to create each luminous piece. My images are metaphors for the “in-between” places in our lives. The ones where we must be mindful to appreciate the subtle beauty and richness that quietly reside there.

  I learned to use a camera and work in the darkroom as I was learning to write in cursive and ride a bicycle, and I have been on a photographic journey ever since. Looking through the lens shapes my life and experience of the world. My art, my camera, and my life are inextricable – I am fortunate.

  Prior to my professional life, my focus was almost solely on my experience from behind the camera, but as I began working in commercial photography and then in film, I realized the true power the medium could have to influence (manipulate?) the viewer. During this time, I played many roles and the work was wide ranging, from photographing hamburgers for a national fast food chain, or arranging flowers for greeting card covers, to scouting filming locations for shoe store commercials. I loved the day-to-day challenges and problem solving of the field, but the goals of my clients, the advertisers, didn’t fit with my personal values. I was using my craft to sell people goods that were bad for them, the community, and the environment. I was so disheartened by this I almost put my camera down for good.

  At that time (early 90’s) the career path to commercial photography seemed to be the only route to keep shooting. But I longed to get back to the beginning, the feeling I had when I first picked up a camera to explore the world around me. My desire to begin again and my love of photographic history led me to look for answers in photographic processes of the past. I returned to the start, the root of the discipline; I went back to the days of photographer as experimenter, inventor, and mad scientist. I investigated the line between science and creativity, process and concept, historic materials and contemporary technology. The artwork I have created through this exploration has been varied, but the common theme remains – experimenting with modern process while carefully studying and honoring historic techniques.

  Inspired by my musician husband and the interaction provided by live performance, I hoped to find an analogous way for both me and my work to interact directly with the audience. I was looking for communication and the possibility of building relationships with my viewers, not wanting to hand off the culmination of my hard work to others to place in front of people. I suspected that art festivals might provide this, and after trying my first one I knew I was on the right track. The honesty, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable, of both the artists and the audience, were something that I had never encountered before. I returned from my first show and exclaimed to my husband, “I have found my people!”

  I love the direct interaction with the communities I visit, the connection and relationship that is built when we can explain to one another what the piece means to us, to tell one another our stories. This exchange of ideas broadens and enriches both of us. It also counters the gaps between individuals that are growing wider and wider in this digital age. We can look one another in the eye and shake one another’s hand.

  Over these last 13 years of doing art festivals, my artwork, my collector base, and opportunities have grown in ways I could not possibly conceive of when I first embarked on this journey. My husband, Kyle, and I now travel together to approximately 12 festivals a year balancing my shows with his performance schedule. We have built a creative life together that includes visual art, music, theater, and lots of adventures both here and abroad.

  And as we have learned to create a wonderful life supported by our maturing art practices, I have become very passionate about helping others to create the life of their dreams. I hope to lead by example to those I encounter at art festivals, and have become very involved as a facilitator and consultant for Artist Inc., a professional development program for artists of all disciplines. However, ultimately I believe the best way to advocate for the arts and artists is for everyone to realize they know an artist, and to recognize that we are not an abstract idea, we are your neighbor, the person in line in your grocery store, the people creating the world around you.

  Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to "attach" this doc ...
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  jerry maschinot November 21, 2012 at 9:03am

  Yes Connie, great point about the alternative processes etc.  Perhaps the main thing to think about that is that they work best, I think, when they develop organically as work progresses and are not imposed on the work.  The processes happen in response to the work.  That, I think, is the opposite of what happens so often in mixed media and in the art fair world in general.  The processes overwhelm the work and try to disquise with technical flourish what is really not very interesting work.  I consider my work straight photography.  I don't cut up and reassemble the paper/canvas or anything like that, just look for interesting images.  But I see amazing new takes on photography and often wonder, "how did they come to that resolution?"  I'm convinced they did not simply will it to happen but that usually it was a long process to arrive at anything new.
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  Robert Wallis November 21, 2012 at 12:01am

  I guess I wasn't clear about the two separate issues of getting into certain shows and then the issue of selling work. I skimmed quickly through your link to the St. Louis show and there was some very impressive work there. That's a show that's uncut above the rest. I'll go back tomorrow and do a slower study of it. The Lexington Holiday show didn't go well and was sort of a cap on the entire summer that is a huge wake-up call. I'll get a report on that tomorrow if I'm lucky.
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  Connie Mettler November 20, 2012 at 6:58pm

  Jerry, I truly appreciate your humility in this posting. It takes a good photographer to know one and your recognizing the competition is surely a helpful attitude. My husband is a photographer and we did the shows for nearly 30 years and he had a pretty good track record getting into the shows, but it is really tricky. I've said it in other posts, but I attended the St. Louis Art Fair this year just for the fun of it and to see old friends. I really notice the photography and I'd say 80% of the photographers there were still in the darkroom, or using alternative processes, or printing on metal, or doing studio still life, or doing something very different, more experimental or old school, maybe 20% landscape.

  I get what you are saying about presentation, Robert, but the jury isn't concerned with that. They are looking at imagery. Take a look at the St. Louis website and see the photography there: culturalfestivals.com.
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  Robert Wallis November 20, 2012 at 5:49pm

  Thanks for the reply. I've looked critically at other photographer's work recently, and I'm seeing a preponderance of landscape work and some rather expensive framing. I'm using metal frames, black, and a 5/8 inch square profile. I was considering going to a two inch black wood frame but that seems to have vanished. I'm thinking more along the lines of something studio based and with a painterly look to it. When faced with lots of competition, find something they aren't doing or can't do. I've got some serious photo work to get done before application deadlines hit.
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  jerry maschinot November 20, 2012 at 5:37pm

  Robert wrote: "My own work, photography also, is not faring well. I'm interested in finding out what most folks are doing so I can do something different." 
  Sorry if i was a bit snarky Robert.  It sounded like you might consider a whole different category from you post, which I quote above.  That not being the case, I notice a wide range of approaches to the photography medium at the top shows.  I don't know what to say.  I do think there is more profit to be made at the top shows and it's a worthwhile pursuit to try to get into them.  I have only, after 10 years, began to gain acceptance to some top shows.  Ft Worth, The Plaza and Cherry Creek last year. These made a huge differince to my bottom line.  But still, the odds are small, 10- 15% of applications get accepted.  This just shows to have every thing on the application as good as possible.  Get feedback on your work (Larry Berman?) and presentation of it including booth slide and the way your slides present at jurying- as i did inGreenville.  Yes, try to attend a jury review al la Zapp. If you are looking for a different approach to your work, there are many great photo magazines at the bookstore.  Perhaps something might set you on a different path.  Go to  a couple of top 20 shows and see what's there and look at the whole deal, presentation, framing?, Booth display, attention to detail.  Most of all, is the work interesting.  I see a great deal of photography, some of which is very wonderful, but just not that exceptional to someone who has seen a large variety of work.  Again, my main point of my post was that I, finally,  get into some great shows but after seeing all the fantastic work applying to a very good show in Greenville, I am more grateful than ever to have cracked into those shows.  I'ts rough!  I just mean that very sincerely.  Look around, of course, being a photographer looking- seeing- is what you do.  A thought just occured to me.  You've been doing this for 50 years.  Perhaps you are not really looking at things any more.  I get to a point sometimes when I'm looking for photographs instead of really "seeing".  Just a thought. Best of luck!  I just remembered, I was doing about 12 shows a year and only breaking even at about half of them.  I dropped all the dead weight last year and only did about 7.  Gives me more time to look at stuff.
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  Robert Wallis November 20, 2012 at 11:02am

  I think he was suggesting to change from photography to mixed media. I'm not so much concerned about getting into shows. This year I've done 24 shows and had about an 80% acceptance rate. I'm not getting into some better shows I would like to, and my sales have spiraled downward. The main genre I've worked with has been urban scenes and architectural details. This has bottomed out and it's time to move on. It would incredibly stupid of me to try and compete in landscape, as an example, when physical limitations ( bad knee and back) preclude hiking in the back country for the grand landscapes. The remaining landscapes, as another example, are the same thing any tourist can snap.
  
  I'm looking more to see what's commonly done and rule that out. It seems reasonable to find what is less common and see if there is a spin I can do to make it my own unique twist. There are many things I have a passion about but I'm not going to ride the horse until it falls dead. There are times to change and this it. Photography is my media and this has been a life long choice of more than 50 years standing. I'm staying in it.
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  Larry Berman November 20, 2012 at 10:36am

  Photography isn't mixed media so I don't understand the reference.
  
  Larry Berman
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  jerry maschinot November 20, 2012 at 10:03am

  HI Robert,  all photos were in 1 group as was true in all categories.  IMHO, no sense in complaining about the competition and we just do our best.  However, another thing I noticed- if getting into shows is a greater priority for you than doing work which is closest to your heart, I would apply to the mixed media category.  It seemed very weak.   It contained most of the work which, again IMHO, makes me want to throw up at art shows.  Just my humble opinion.