Art Problems

Heather Bhandari knows artists. She's spent her 25-plus-year career in service of helping them build their careers. She's written books, organized conferences, put together learning centers, taught classes, and helped manage legacies.

And that's why I asked her on the podcast. In our conversation, Heather discusses:

• Positive changes to the art world that give her hope for artists.
• How there are many paths for artists and they don't all have to be defined by participation in commercial gallery spaces.
• Why she sees time management - and a lack of time - as the biggest hurdle for artists today.

This is a podcast you do not want to miss.

Relevant links:

Heather Bhandari

Creative Study

Art/Work

Ruby Lerner

Lynn Hershman Leeson

Doesn't the art world drive you nuts?

There are all these rules of conduct you're supposed to follow, but then you're also supposed to know all the times when those rules don't apply. It's like you need the equivalent of a degree in engineering, just to get your foot in the door. (In reality, that degree is probably more like an MFA from Yale.)

Well, today I break down the 10 most common contradictions and give you an advanced guide on how to navigate them.

You'll recognize that the art world's secrets aren't secrets, so much as confusion due to a lack of clear definitions.

And you'll be able to navigate the world more easily towards greater success.

Which is exactly what we want.

Are artists getting the short end of the A.I. stick? Faced with a loss of potential revenue, many artists are questioning the value of A.I. models that train on their artwork to produce artwork for users at no cost. Zero dollars from your labor isn't a good deal.

In this episode of Art Problems, I discuss the short comings of using licensing to deal with A.I. companies acting like bullies stealing your lunch money.

But, I also talk about which text-based platforms are most useful to artists writing artist statements and show off the results of my testing.

No spoilers here, but I'll say this much: An A.I. platform that makes your statement better exists, and it's not ChatGPT!

Relevant links:

The Verge, The New York Times Is Suing Open AI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/27/24016212/new-york-times-openai-microsoft-lawsuit-copyright-infringement

Hard Fork Podcast, Casey Goes to the Whitehouse + The Copyright Battle Over Artificial Intelligence + ChatGPT https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casey-goes-to-the-white-house-the-copyright-battle/id1528594034?i=1000633573515

The Ezra Klein Show, How Should I be Using A.I. Right Now? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-should-i-be-using-a-i-right-now/id1548604447?i=1000651164959

One of the great frustrations with the art world is the nonsense terms you have to interpret and apply to your practice. Are you an emerging, mid-career, or an established artist? NOBODY KNOWS. It's different for every application you fill out.

What if I told you, I had a solution to this problem?

A set of terms where you could easily see your EXACT place within the art world.

Well, whatyaknow! That's the subject of this podcast!

You'll learn the terms and industry sectors we're identifying behind the scenes at Netvvrk and how to apply them to your practice. READ TRANSCRIPT HERE

Do I really need to read ArtForum? This and other media-related questions on this episode of Art Problems. We dive into:

The state of the media and how it effects you and your practice.

When you should start thinking about making a catalogue of your work and their purpose.

Whether using paid publications like New American Painting is worth your money.

And let's just get this out of the way right here: don't pay for advertising. It's not worth it.

In honor of the Whitney Biennial, I'm sharing an episode of Pep Talks for Artists on how to work an opening. In this episode Podcast host and producer Amy Talluto talks with Mandy Wilson Rosen about the book "How to Work a Room" by Susan RoAneto see if it jusssttt might have some helpful tips inside for artists. Spoiler alert: It does. It's chock full of helpful tips for surviving an opening—and Amyeven found some cocktail party lounge music for the ep.

All music is licensed from Soundstripe.

For more support with your career join the vvrkshop mailing list.

Relevant links:

Buy How to Work a Room on⁠Amazon⁠or⁠Thriftbooks⁠

Print Hoban Press business cards:⁠https://hobanpress.com/⁠(PS: Amy uses "the Stoic" calling card-so thicc!)

VisitMandy's website:⁠https://mandolynwilsonrosen.com/home.html⁠

VisitAmy's website:⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠

VisitPep Talks Instagram:⁠@peptalksforartists⁠

Support Pep Talks on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists

I am back from the LA fairs, hoo boy, do I have some impressions. There was so much to do and see relative to New York’s Frieze week, that I started to wonder if New York would continue to be the economic center for art! In this podcast I discuss the biz, trends, and art so you have all the information you need to know whether participating in the LA Fairs is worth the investment. You’ll also get the skinny on each fair so you get a sense of the flavor of each. By the end, you'll be armed with everything you need to navigate and succeed in the art fair environment.

Read transcript here. Relevant links:

ART MARKET REPORTS Artnet Frieze Los Angeles Is Smaller This Year, but Dealers Are Doing Big Business https://news.artnet.com/market/frieze-los-angeles-is-smaller-this-year-but-dealers-are-doing-big-business-2442125 The Art Newspaper, Felix is fun as ever, even as Sales Slow https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/02/29/felix-is-fun-as-ever-even-as-sales-slow Frieze Fair, Felix and more this weekend (paywall) https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-02-29/frieze-los-angeles-2024-felix-art-fair

TRENDS Heavily patterned paintings that look like rugs.

Aydee Rodriguez Lopez at Proyectos Monclova https://www.proyectosmonclova.com/artists/aydee-rodriguez-lopez Laura Owens at Matthew Marks https://matthewmarks.com/artists/laura-owens Jeff Perrone at Corbett vs Dempsey https://corbettvsdempsey.com/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024/

SPRING BREAK HIGHLIGHTS SPRING/BREAK ART SHOW https://www.springbreakartshow.com/ Fred Fleisher curates Don Porcella https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/fred-fleisher Cheryl Molnar curates Rachelle Anayansi Mozman Solano https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/cheryl-molnar-la-2024 Fabiola Gironi and Robert Minervini https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/fabiola-gironi Mary Henderson curated by Sarah A Gamble https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/mary-henderson Michael Handley curated by Jack Henry https://springbreakartfair.com/collections/spring-break-art-show-la-2024/michael-handley

FRIEZE HIGHLIGHTS Frieze LA https://www.frieze.com/tags/frieze-los-angeles-2024 Hernan Bas at Victoria Miro https://online.victoria-miro.com/frieze-los-angeles-2024-hernan-bas/ Jordan Casteel at Casey Kaplan https://caseykaplangallery.com/artists/casteel/

FELIX ART FAIR HIGHLIGHTS Felix Art Fair https://felixfair.com/ Kavi Gupta at Felix https://kavigupta.com/events/156/overview/ Sargent’s Daughters https://www.sargentsdaughters.com/ Michael Kirkham at Harkawik Gallery https://galleryplatform.la/galleries/harkawik/exhibitions/felix-art-fair-2024

I know, I know.

I'm basically promising the answer to life in an eight-minute podcast!

Well, it's not quite that, but this week on the Art Problems Podcast I talk about how understanding your goals and audience can give you the answer to pretty much any question you have about artist statements. And I'll tell you this now: The answers won't stop with statements.

Not to be cryptic or anything, but I'm going to leave you with this teaser: Your audience might not be who you think!

Almost every artist will need to take an extended break from art making at some point in their career. Whether that be due to child rearing, the loss of a parent, or a significant move, the job of getting back into the game can be just as challenging as the disruptions that took you away from the studio. You're probably worried that...

You have visible gaps in your CV that galleries will notice and ask you about.

You've lose touch with many of your contacts and art friends and now they're gone for good.

Your fear of not being able to get back into the networking game, will keep you from getting back into the networking game.

In this podcast, I address those fears, identify the self defeating actions artists often take when in this position, and offer actionable alternatives.

You don't have to feel stuck.

And this podcast is designed to make sure you feel empowered to take action, rather than feeling mired in fear and self doubt.

Have a listen, and let me know what you think!

Relevant links:

https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/1137460905/late-bloomers

In this podcast

Have you ever exchanged gifts with someone and only to learn that the present you got them is waaaaay more expensive then the one they got you?

Awkward!

In this Valentine's Day podcast on connection and mailers, I talk about how social currency and exchange works much the same way. If you're asking someone for their email, and you're giving them something in exchange you want it to be roughly equal in investment. Sometimes that's the newsletter itself and sometimes it's a little more.