I met up recently with Raja Annuar, the managing director of Pelita Hati Art Gallery in Bangsar. We had our preliminary discussion on an upcoming joint photo exhibition at his premise which is scheduled to take place from the 15th-30th June 2011. It appears they had only one solo photo exhibition the whole of last year. A photography exhibition is indeed rare even with other galleries.
As with most art gallery, their main source of income is from sales of sculptures and paintings, ranging from RM 1,000 to an average of RM 3,000. Famous artists would command a higher price in the region of RM 30,000 to RM 50,000, though they are few and far in between. I admire his candor, passion and interest in the arts; though not a qualified curator or trained artist himself. He’s been in the industry long enough to make poignant and discerning comments and remarks about how the Malaysian fledgling arts scene has been and should be.
It seems there’s just no hard and fast rule in pricing your works of art, pictures included. It’s as subjective as how much a packet of nasi lemak should be priced. One can pride themselves in claiming the coconut milk used is from coconut trees planted on volcanic soil, hence yielding a distincitve acidic but spicy aromatic flavours, but no one really cares. He related how an experienced and senior artist with notable works (but not well known due to lack of publicity) tried selling a sculpture for RM 1,800 but did not make the sale to a prospective buyer, upon knowing his obscure reputation.
To add salt to injury, this was after the buyer picked it up with an intent to buy, but turned it down eventually upon invoiced. On the contrary, another artist who is well publicised albeit less senior manage to sell his for RM 5,000 to RM 8,000. Is art purchase not that much different from real estate investment where you put your money where the “name” is? What an irony it becomes, in the most unlikely of scenarios, if one of the former’s paintings was purchased by the Queen of England, thus skyrocketing his fame overnight, thereby making his pieces valuable in a blink of an eye! Or the same occurence due to a posthumous recognition upon his death from a gallant act.
Raja Annuar also shared about how some joint exhibition is arranged among a group of friends with different experiences and level of maturity in the arts scene. Due to the varying level of “exposure” between them, the experienced ones posted a much higher price for their works, thereby pressuring the not-so-well-known ones into doing the same. This occurs, despite the latter not wanting to do so in recognition of their “newbie” status. During other not-so-forgiving instances, the latter would seize the opportunity at jumping into the same bandwagon as the “famous” ones, thus, pricing their works right at par with them, despite their greenhorn status.
Should a name really be worth the actual works of art which it represents? Does it really matter if you happen to chance upon Datuk Ibrahim Hussein’s pieces and bought it because you like it (not even knowing it’s by him), while knowing it’s not Van Gogh’s. Or you thought it was Van Gogh’s; but would you change your mind upon knowing it’s by Datuk Ibrahim Hussein’s instead? Just as with most things in life, when it comes to appreciating works of arts, someone somewhere out there is unique. They would come to admire a particular artist’s work and possibly buy them when most would not. A RM 500 picture languishing in some old dusty gallery in Malaysia would have sold for EURO 500; spotted and liked by a passer-by in a Parisian cafe.
Which brings me to my next point. Raja Annuar aptly commented, “Malaysians always think they can do better.” The increasing production of digital cameras and SLRs have driven down both cost and barrier to entry for photography; which is good for the promotion of the hobby. Similarly, this may potentially “cheapen” the trade for those who make a decent living out of it. Any camera-slinger spotted with a SLR is deemed a “pro”, and trusted upon as able to reproduce any shot seen anywhere, either in magazines, print ads or commercial visualisation.
“I ain’t spending RM 800 to buy that picture, because I can take a similar picture myself, print it and frame it up!” most would think. Hence, while it’s considered a burgeoning art scene in Malaysia where there seems to be an endless number of galleries available, it’s also worth noting that very small number of works of arts are actually purchased and sold. Should a transaction occur, this is normally within a small circle of buyers known very well in the arts community. Raja Annuar himself can name them with his ten fingers. This is in stark contrast to more developed nations where a piece of art, be it a sculpture, painting or picture is seen as unique by another human being which deserves appreciation in their living room, despite the price; if reasonable that is. This revelation, though nothing new, provided a humble outlook for me in pricing my pictures.
How much is there in a name? How much does your name cost? I’ve heard people comparing their wedding photography investments. i.e. “I paid RM 12,000 for my wedding photography by Mr. See-How-Creative-I-Am-Shooting-Through-Wet-Windscreen-In-The-Rain. How much was yours?” as though they’re married in part to their photographer’s name as a luxurious accessory, amongst their LV and YSLs.
Now don’t get me wrong, people can pay however much they like, but I can’t stress enough of the fact that practical spending doesn’t seem to be made in accordance with your interest and satisfaction towards an item or service. Meaning, if Mr. X charges reasonably with equally (if not better) good quality of works, is Mr. X undercutting the market? He may very well be trying to work his way up to recognition in the process. I’d however conclude that in any case, it’s a free market out there where anyone is free to price and buy their goods. A market where the law of supply and demand prevails.
Having said that, there’s much to learn from the trade where providing photography services goes beyond that of merely selling pictures. It’s about selling and building your relationship with prospective clients who engage you for your refreshing perspective and personality. A good service rendered; regardless of a picture sale or a shooting assignment, means a comprehensive package that affords the client an invaluable connected “experience”.
“If you’re starting out new in the game, start small, price reasonably and work your way upwards”, Raja Annuar advised thoughtfully. “IKEA’s business model of selling cheap framed pictures does well to promote art, instead of seemingly killing it. They create awareness. Someone somehow has to do something”, he pointed out.
Everyone’s got to make a living. I’ll just have to start somewhere.