Break the cycle

Galleries and auction will ask you to send pictures that have nothing to do with the evaluation, or they will suggest silly things like speaking to an auction house in a country other than the one where you are trying to sell your art. Galleries only want to sell what will sell well, even though many of them go months without selling anything. Again, they ask you to send pictures that they don’t care about, and then they never get back to you. When you call them, they say they are not interested and refuse to explain why.

There are people out there recommending ways to get into this closed system, but I would rather break it and level the playing field for everyone. Perhaps we need sales training for those who sell art. If they only sell what already sells, they aren’t truly selling; they are merely acting as a computer program matching product with client.

Artists who emerge at auction for high prices tend to be famous or part of a niche group, like elderly women or minorities, whose work has been promoted by someone. The sale isn’t about their art or creativity. Instead of discussing how to improve the broken system or how to break into it, let’s break it and establish a new order where creativity is at the forefront of our consciousness.

There is an artist among us who has been exploring creativity for more than 50 years. He comes from a time when it was the main focus and has never let go of that. Honoring his legacy isn’t just about giving him the recognition he deserves; it can be a vehicle to fuel a movement that ignites a passion for creative expression in all areas, both personal and professional, in a way that the world hasn’t seen for a long time. We can discuss what to call this movement as long as the floor is open for dialogue.

DovBer Marchette has carried the torch of creative expression and can be the one to light our souls for a more meaningful life. For far too long, the art market has been a privilege reserved for those who are already famous and well-known. Auctions prioritize what already sells; without existing auction records to study, they have nothing to base their evaluations on. They won't admit that; they will ask you to send pictures unrelated to the evaluation or suggest you contact an auction in another country.

It's essential for us to change this narrative and create an inclusive space for all artists, where creativity and genuine expression take precedence over established fame.