The question of hotness is not fruitfully addressed to art galleries. It pitches the discussion below the level of substance and implies that galleries have nothing better to do than titillate the fickle. Hotness runs in the same circles as buzz, a word I heartily dislike unless bees are doing it.
An exquisite example of the hotness-and-buzz genre is Tim Appelo’s Charlie’s Charge in City Arts Magazine, Seattle edition. I appreciate Appleo Appelo personally and enjoy his writing, but in visual art, which is not his forte, his insouciance is grating.
Appelo:
Why is Seattle’s most-buzzed art scene in Ballard instead of Pioneer Square? Only one Seattle gallery sent artists to December’s big Miami art fair (sic: Ambach & Rice was at NADA), and only one in the whole Northwest went to last month’s New York Armory Show: Charles and Amanda Kitching’s Ambach & Rice in Ballard. “Howard House had it, James Harris had it, Scott Lawrimore has had a long run,” says one gallerygoer. “Now Charlie is the new hot thing.”
Galleries are like Darwin’s finches. Those who find a niche are the most successful. Beyond that, whether Ambach & Rice is in Ballard or Pioneer Square, it’s part of the small community of Seattle art dealers who represent artists who matter.
Back to Appelo’s article. Ambach & Rice did not “raid” another gallery. What are artists in this construction, the loot? The artists in question came to the Kitchings, not the reverse. Then there are the personal remarks:
Charles Kitching has got youth, sharp looks, savvy and savoir faire. So some resentfully dismiss him as “Charlie Ka-CHING!”
That’s two anonymous quotes from the school of buzz. Unless there’s a compelling reason, everybody in a story should be on the record, including the casually snide.
Not that everybody on the record scored this time out. Assuming Portland dealer Elizabeth Leach was quoted fairly (I am going to assume that, given Appelo’s solid record in journalism), she offered a great example of double-speak: the official position first, followed by what she really thinks.
“It’s easier to be jealous,” says Leach, “but it makes more sense to be
supportive. Northwest galleries that go to fairs are ambassadors for all
of us.” She does think hard times have made the Armory “less
competitive. One could get into the Armory if one applied.”
Who is this “one” who could get into whatever fair one wanted?
Appelo appears to take a similar position:
How come other galleries didn’t go to the Armory Show? One reason is money. “It costs easily twenty to thirty thousand dollars to go,” says top Portland gallerist Elizabeth Leach.
One reason is money. Appelo doesn’t mention any others. Assume for a moment you’re a high school senior with a B average. You’re considering Podunk U or Harvard. One reason you’re not going to Harvard is money. Can anybody think of another?
I love the Harvard example! One of the highlights of living in Ballard for me is stopping by Ambach & Rice. The caliber of work is consistently top notch, and I love having some more international work at my fingertips. Another quality that is consistent: frank, intelligent and warm engagement with whoever comes through the door.
Hey, I’m just reporting what, near as I can tell, happened. People are talking about Ambach & Rice, causing heat & buzz. They did nothing wrong in…what word should we use? — welcoming artists from other galleries. Raiding is another way to say it, since artists may not be “loot” (would that they brought in more loot!) but they are a resource competitively sought and possessively regarded. If I welcome somebody else’s spouse into my home, the former spouse probably won’t find it exculpatory that I wasn’t the one who first pitched woo. Not that gallerists should regard artists so possessively. But some do. People who dismiss Charlie and Amanda for doing well should be glad they choose to use it to do good, like taking work to big Miami and New York art fairs. And if people can’t see that the gallery is good, they’re willfully blind. But people do get jealous. I think it likely that, since Leach and Kucera have gone to many a fair, they could probably go to more this year. It takes more than money to get to the Armory in any year, I’m sure. Leach and Kucera decided fairs weren’t a good investment just now. It was clearly a good investment for Ambach & Rice. It’s no toy store. It’s the real deal. Also: having lost $2 million at Amazon.com, I’m not insouciant, but its antonyms: concerned, burdened, troubled, worried, anxious, distraught. And not buying art nor (as I almost did) starting my own gallery. Thank God somebody’s still got ka-ching.
–Tim Appelo, cityartsmagazine.com
I just marked my year anniversary in Ballard after being on Capital Hill for over 12 years. I really enjoy being back, of course I was one of the hot new things in Ballard back when Galleria Potatohead used to be on Ballard Ave in the late 80’s. Now I’m happy to say I’m with the hot old gallery of Woodside/Braseth, where is my monocle and cane…?