I have had a rough early-application season so far, getting rejected by lots of shows, including ones that I've gotten into repeatedly. I have new work that I love, and which is selling really well, and is different - and so I have been mystified.
After listening to a recent Art Fair Radio podcast, I decided to approach Larry Berman for some advice. It took some courage for me to do this. After all, it's one thing to be rejected by a jury, but quite another to get a critique from someone whose writing I've read for years here on AFI.
Larry said my art looked fine, but my booth shot was weak. I'll attach a photo. The shot had some messy stuff in it, he said, and a burgundy wall that I usually have on the back of my booth was distracting. Either all burgundy or no burgundy, was his thought.
We signed off, then, with me knowing he was right but not being able to do much about it. All my new work is either sold or in galleries, so getting a new booth shot done in time for late December deadlines was pretty much impossible.
I worried and hemmed and hawed... but then I saw this article, and the gorgeous booth shots that accompanied it, and decided I had to do something.
I sent Larry the booth shot with my new work and the burgundy wall, and I sent him a booth shot with older work and no red wall. He was able to mix and match, and make a gorgeous booth shot that shows my tent and my work to great advantage.
So - if you've been thinking of approaching Larry, and asking what he could do for you, I highly recommend it!
Replies
I think that article was very well written and I like the difference in the pictures. I am going to take this advice.
Carrie the new booth shot looks great! I agree that the all-white walls have a cleaner look and to my eye they allow the colors of your work to stand out even more effectively.
Between seeing this and having read other booth shot critiques in the forum, it brings up a question for me as a newbie who does not yet have a booth shot: what if any are the repercussions of having your set up booth at a show not match exactly with the booth shot you used to get into the show? For example, if you used the white wall shot to apply, but then set up the burgundy wall at the actual show?
I see a lot of advice in the critiques to do things like remove a print bin or table, add (or photoshop in) flooring, use different panel configuration, etc. And I know sometimes people may acquire a different tent or panels or other display materials between the time they take the shot and the time they do the show. Most of the show information states clearly that artists may be asked to remove any work that is not of the same style or quality as that which was juried. Are there similar penalties for having tables or different walls or whatever that vary from the booth shot?
The key word is representative. The booth photo needs to resemble how the booth will look at a show. Some artists set up differently each time they do a show. When I drove a truck and then a van, I used Pro panels but when I downsized to a minivan I used mesh walls. Either can look professional depending on how the booth is set up. The professional look holds more weight than whether or not you move a few panels around or change the color of your walls.
Larry Berman
That makes sense Larry, thanks!
Thanks for the info!!!
Huge difference, fer sher.
Heem da kine booth feex-ah!
WOOHOO!!