It is important for the photographer to ensure that the work is displayed professionally, that pertinent information is readily available, and that the work will be handled with dignity. The same information should be included if the photographer sells their work or simply shares or trades it with friends or coworkers. Even as press prints, subpar prints should never leave the work area. finished a large-scale project and emailed editors and curators the customary promotional materials.
What can we anticipate from an exhibition, then? It is crucial to consider this. Particularly those who are exhibiting for the first time often have a number of erroneous beliefs regarding the process of showing their work. These may be deceptive, causing one to have inflated expectations that ultimately leave them unsatisfied by what they really encounter. The first of these myths is that showing is a complicated and perplexing procedure, or it is a simple and clear activity. Both are untrue. Putting up an exhibition takes a lot of work, patience, and careful planning.
The Myth of Displaying Background Focus on Detail, yet any photographer may comprehend and acquire the techniques. However, even an experienced exhibiting photographer cannot match the degree of expertise and knowledge that an experienced curator can bring to the process; they are more thorough and meticulous. The second myth is that there would be immediate and thrilling benefits to showing. Photographers often think that their first show would instantly make them famous or, at the very least, get a lot of positive press.
Maybe because photographers anticipate the same kind of response and ovation as they would on opening night at the theater—the private view or artist’s reception is an absolute deadline that has a dramatized feel to it. Unfortunately, the answer could come far more slowly, even if the building and tension might seem exactly like they would in a theater. New plays are frequently reviewed the same day they are released, although exhibits might not receive reviews for weeks or even after they have closed.
Consequently, the photographer could feel let down by what appears to be a lackluster reception of their work. Therefore, it’s helpful to have reasonable expectations and understand that organizing an exhibition is a gratifying process that may take some time to complete. It’s also helpful to know that the process may be adrenaline-fueled, especially for first-time exhibitors, and that exhibitors may feel defeated and fatigued for a few days or even weeks before their creative juices start flowing again.
Richard Avedon
An seasoned exhibitor could need to develop the practice of scheduling a little vacation from work right after an exhibition opening, or they might need to become accustomed to this creative low. The third misconception is that an artwork’s exhibition sales indicate its inherent value. It was difficult to ignore the presence—or, worse, absence—of those red dots and not have competitive anxiety, as a colleague put it to me.
Students are being urged to establish a distinctive style in order to make their work marketable, since selling has become perceived as a sign of photographic brilliance during the past ten years due to the surge in popularity of photography and the booming sales through galleries and auction houses. This is closely related to a celebrity culture where the artist is more popular in the news than the art. Of course, there are a variety of reasons why people purchase photos, such as their potential as investments or their ability to coordinate with the color scheme of the dining room drapes.
As such, artists would be well advised to remain impartial toward the views of the general public. Ultimately, the only people who can judge if an artwork is successful or unsuccessful are the artists themselves, together with a select selection of reliable peers, critics, and curators.
Without giving their decisions much thought, most photographers assume that an exhibition is the desired result of their work. However, there are some very distinct reasons to display. Not all of them will apply to every exhibition potential, so it’s helpful to be able to identify which ones do in order to assess what each exhibition offers and to set reasonable expectations for the benefits of displaying.
Every exhibition offers a chance to learn. Every photographer is unique, and with each exhibition they learn something new about presenting, how to present their work, and how it will be seen. A photographer learns a lot of useful skills, such as how time to give yourself for each step of the process, which frames work best for the photos, and how to write about your work.
It becomes simpler to do with time and, as a result, more creative, fulfilling, and pleasurable. It becomes simpler to accomplish with time and, as a result, more creative, fulfilling, and pleasurable.