re; conversation

["John Halter" <halter@zzzzzzzzzz>]

I have read many of these posts with a smile on my face.  Frst let me
explain, professionally, I am a businessman who runs companies, sculpture is
only a serious hobby for me.  So please forgive my lack of artistic
philosophy while I concentrate on some business for a moment.

It appears most of this arguement revovles around the theme of whether the
machine can replace the sculptor.  I would suggest a different track for
exploration.  That is, how can the machine help the artist.  I am asked by
people who see me carving, "Why don't you quit the corporate world and
sculpt for a living?"  I tell them it is because I like to eat on a regular
basis.  The fact is that even for the most talented of stone sculptors,
making a good living is a challenge.  The time it takes to create our
materpieces, market ourselves and sell them vs the price does not payoff.
So sculptors do it for the love or purity or some other esoteric reason
rather than to make money.  I guess there is some glory in the whole
starving artist thing.

I would put forth the idea that no artist, or business for that fact, can
make a generous living by creating one of a kind items for a single
individual client.  Early in my carrer I learned one of the ways to wealth
is residual income.  Doing something once and then making money from it for
years while you are doing new things.  Artists have seen this work with
lihos, serigraphs, bronzes, lucite etc.  Look at artists like Mac Donald or
Kinkaid who are doing series into the thousands.  The ability to reproduce
with high quality, sometimes with the artist actual hand in the finishing
process, has increased the validity, proflicicness and stability of artist
in other mediums.  If I go to buy a sculpture by Hart, I can see that 50
where made, they orginally sold for $7,000. They have been effectively
reselling and today they are selling for $15,000.  I know I am buying
something I love plus a tangible investment which I can have confidence in
appreciating.  This increases the market appeal and drives the demand for
further creation!  Notice the interesting fact here - high quality "artist
involved" reproduction does not drive the price down.  Just the opposite the
artist is now able to sell his new work at a higher market established
price.

Why don't stone sculptors bring art lovers a new choice.  The choice of
buying stone reproduction from a reputable artist,  who has controlled the
process with hands on skill.  The orginal would be the ultimate prize, but
others could obtain the next best thing at an afforable price.  This
combinition provides the sculptor with his art and a vehicle for residual
income, wider reputation, and broadens the marketplace for new customers.

We all know, if a client had a choice between living stone or plastic
knockoffs and dead bronze, the stone will always win hands down.  So why not
figure out a way to use this technology to compete (I know. Not a very
friendly "art" word) with the other mediums.  Would you really complain if
after ceating your materpiece, there were orders 100 more of them?  I know
it may be a hard choice, but many other artist have come through it alive
and prosperous and are still producing even more wonderful orginals.  In the
end you may want to ask yourself the question I have had to - "Is this my
business or my hobby?"

Regards,
John Halter
halter@----------