I’ve often made artwork, which was fairly difficult to sell. I’ve refrained from repetition and from deliberately creating popular commercially viable “product”.
Many galleries I’ve worked with have asked me to create smaller works, or works ‘like the one that sold’ etc. In the meantime I have continued to make whatever has been my whim. I have one of the most varied outputs in style of all the artists I know.
Am I trying to kid anyone? Maybe I should have followed the examples of those who mass-produced their art. Perhaps I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.
I don’t think so. Something in me just can’t do that and that’s either a problem, or perhaps, by the end of this text I may discover how it has been my savior.
Recently, my own career and business strategies have undergone a major shift, effectively bringing about a break in producing and exhibiting as a visual artist. My direction has shifted to writing and public speaking, as well as doing occasional commissions. Contrary to my own advice, I attempted to prop up my career by gradually maxing out credit cards to pay for it during lean times. Eventually, buckling under the strain of my own bank accounts, and through using the tools outlined here, I have restored liquidity to my life.
See John Dahlsen’s Recent Works
