Re: [Leica] Political Correctness

["jim shulman" <garcia@chesco.com>]

>
>Hope I haven't offended you or anyone, Tina!  It's just that I feel if they
want the actual Hondurans to take the pictures, why did they ask you about
it in the first place??
>
>Scott Green


I believe the point is that most gallery owners don't really sell pictures
of Hondurans, or ghetto addicts, or gay cross-dressers, or tortured artists,
or much else that's decorating galleries these days; they sell the IDEA of
buying the picture, which a somewhat more comprehensive package built upon
the conceits and fears of their clientele.  The clientele must believe that
they are buying something worthwhile, with an established market value and
carrying some social cachet as well.  Very few art buyers have the courage
of their own taste.

Thus, if you buy a picture from Tina's show (such as her fantastic shot of
the kid and doctor sticking their tongues at one another, a favorite of
mine!) you run the risk of buying something you like, rather than
identifying yourself with the current dogma for your social class and,
especially, aspirations.  In short, in the eyes of your peers you could make
a mistake--which is far too threatening to many, many people.

Several years ago I sold collectable model trucks, aimed at folks several
rungs down the ladder from the art gallery crowd.  My sales grew
dramatically (as did the prices I charged) when I included a Certificate of
Authenticity.  One crummy piece of paper let the customer believe that he
had something really worthwhile.  Gallery customers are only slightly more
sophisticated--they need a cheesy pre-packaged artistic ethos to justify
their purchase, rather than a cheesy certificate.

Recently I went into the local Fresh Fields supermaket, which combines
shopping with haute political correctness.  A sign in the window announced
that the market was selling more than 200 certifiably organic products.  I
reminded the store manager that horse---- was, and is, completely organic.

Jim Shulman