Me (photo by Wendy Hicks) at Duncan Miller gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Yesterday afternoon was a fun and interesting event being a participant at the Duncan Miller gallery Photo Art Book Fair held in Santa Monica. Actually my first time as a “exhibitor”, so thought I would share a little bit about this experience.
First, the gallery space was about the size of my living room/dining room combination, with great lighting. Although with the exhibition tables ringing the two exhibition rooms meant that we had to stand directly in the spot lights. That was initially a little uncomfortable, but after removing my jacket I was comfortable enough.
Sarah Hadley on behalf of the gallery had provided a list of things to bring and what to expect, but in retrospect, it was missing a few items. I have purposefully not made any business cards, which I was only asked twice, but not having a business card at this event was a mistake that I will shortly correct.
Take-a-ways, promotional cards, brochures, etc was not on Hadley’s list, but this is something you need to include on your check list (now mine) if you are going to participate in similar events. Lots of folks walking by and you are not going to get their card to follow up, so give them something to remember you by. There were 26 of us exhibiting, so thinking that you will be remembered a couple of months after the event is expecting too much.
This was a great experience for me to directly interact with photobook and photography collectors as they spent time with my work. My book Ciociaria was an easy read for attendees compared to the Pine Lake artist book. Ciociaria is a contemporary and traditional published photobook which can be picked up and viewed at leisure. Pine Lake on the other hand as lots of layers and parts, not really meant for a quick read, thus not well suited for a line of attendees who are waiting their turn. Nevertheless, Pine Lake continued to receive high praises for creativity and originality as everyone who spent a little time with it remarked they had not recalled seeing anything similar. Very cool!
Since I wanted to cover a gamut of options (a range of book prices aka price points), I also brought copies of LensWork #74 in which my portfolio for In Passing was featured. And I brought one of my Foundations portfolio editions, a retrospective collection of my early black & white landscape photographs that I completed in the 1980’s.
And of course, there were a bunch of friends coming by, such as Ann Mitchell, Jim McKinnis and Sarah Lee as well as a bunch of my co-conspirators (oops; co-exhibitors) that included Renee Jacobs with her partner Wendy Hicks, Sara Jane Boyers and Kathleen Laria McLauglin.
Cheers!
Kathleen Laria McLauglin, author of “Color of Hay“, which I reviewed on The Photobook last year.
Ann Mitchell, both of our portfolios were published in LensWork issue #74
Sarah Hadley, exhibition coordinator extraordinaire, also Executive Director of Filter Festival (Chicago, IL)
Singular Images 