Meet the Gallerists

A preview of a new interview series with six Houston gallerists

(Bisong Art Gallery; photo by Carla Bisong. Art work by Zahra Ali.)

What’s missing in this photo? The gallerist! But what exactly is a gallerist and what do they actually do?

Over the years, I’ve interviewed dozens, maybe hundreds, of visual artists, and many of those published conversations were coordinated by gallerists, brick and mortar property owners who represent the work of creative individuals working in the plastic arts. Now it’s time to flip the script, and pull the veil back on a profession that can seem mysterious to even the most seasoned art lover. Spread out over the course of the next six months, Glasstire will publish my interviews with Houston gallerists Laura Rathe (Laura Rathe Fine Art), Yvonne Garcia (Hooks-Epstein Galleries), Heidi Vaughan (Heidi Vaughan Fine Art), Carla Bisong (Bisong Art Gallery), Robert McClain (McClain Gallery), and David Shelton (David Shelton Gallery). These six individuals are a true cross-section of personal histories, perspectives, and aesthetics. They each have personality in abundance and possess a unique “eye” for art.

Previously, I’ve interviewed Janice Bond (Art Is Bond), and wrote a personal, first-person tribute to the late Anya Tish as her gallery was getting ready to close. But this is the first project where I’ve selected a group of gallerists, with the intention of asking a handful of similarly worded questions.

One major source of inspiration for the series is The Art Dealers, a compilation of first-person narratives by 32 New York City-based art dealers. (It’s interesting that the title “Art Dealer” was preferred over gallerist or gallery owner.) The interviewees include several well-known figures in the art world, including Mary Boone, Leo Castelli, Ivan Karp, Annina Nosei, and Holly Solomon. The book’s subtitle, “The Powers Behind the Scene Talk about the Business of Art,” speaks to the time in which it was published (1984), and the general public’s perception of how a gallery owner relates to artists, collectors, arts writers, and electricians . . .

Another important point: the gallerists I’ll be talking to work in the for-profit realm.

In my experience, arts writers tend to present the gallery world as an idealized ecosystem of mini museums, rather than a commerce establishment. I’ve always found it strange to write about a gallery exhibit as if it were solely a community-driven endeavor, while ignoring the fact that the gallery owner and the artist have a business agreement, with the hope of selling some art. So, in each interview, I will ask questions about the business of art.

And speaking of art, interviewing is an art, and a practice I continue to hone and develop. Over the years, recording and listening back to my interviews has been extremely helpful; it’s not always pleasant to hear your own voice, but that voice is yours, and knowing what to say and what not to say and when to not say anything at all is, in my experience, crucial to a healthy conversation. There’s that backhanded quote, “You listen long enough to say you’ve heard,” which, for me, nails the importance of knowing when to speak, and when to shut the f-ck up. But I’d be lying if I said I’d mastered this skill!

Once you have that conversation transcribed, the next step is editing the copy. In the introduction to his excellent book, Tony Allen: An Autobiography of the Master Drummer of Afrobeat, author (and musician) Michael Veal explains: “Transforming raw conversation — no matter how captivating — into a narrative that is simultaneously an authentic representation of the subject and compelling on the page is a unique challenge to this kind of writing.” The challenge is the same with the traditional question-and-answer format. I work hard to ensure my interviews to read like two people having a relaxed conversation.

You can be the judge. For a preview of what to expect, check out my interview with gallerist Kerry Inman on the Glasstire website and the interviews I’ve published here on Night and Day.