Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art Vol 2 no 10 October 2013

VL Hall Groat II
Nicky Ginsberg: Dealing Art In Australia
Reprint from 2001 New York Art Guide, opyright©2001
By Hall Groat II,
Professor and Chairperson,
Art and Design Department, Broome Community College
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Hall Groat II Distant Learning Painting School, DVD Instruction Series
http://www.HallGroat.com
When did you begin as an art dealer in Australia
Nicky Ginsberg: I have been an art dealer for some 6 years. Over these years the number of artists that I
represent has grown as have the number of exhibitions held for them.
What purpose does your web site serve
My web site was initially set up as a means of further promoting these exhibitions but its role has evolved
over time. In fact, the relationship between the exhibitions and the web site has reversed where the
exhibitions generate sales in their own right, and also drive people to the web site. Therefore, sales are
spread throughout the year and my artists receive on-going publicity through the site.
Have you had success marketing artwork through the Internet
Yes, it is possible to sell art over the net and it’s not just to people who already know or have bought work
from a particular artist. The site has grown into a virtual gallery in which the most recent work of artists
is shown as well as past work so that an artist’s development can be viewed as an ongoing process and
evolution. Publicity activities drive much of this traffic to both the web site and to exhibitions. The web site
also encourages pre-exhibition sales, and we send electronic invitations to our e-mail database.
What styles do the artists’ work in that you represent
Emerging contemporary Australian artists best describes the style of the artwork. There is no single style
that binds them together so much as their common interest in the Australian landscape (both country and
city), and in the beauty and intrigue of fruit, flowers, and abstract forms. These artists also have another
thing in common. As emerging artists they aren’t looking for the environment of many traditional Sydney
galleries. They regard themselves as artists first and artists who ‘sell’ second. It takes time for an artist to
develop, and our approach is to allow and encourage this development to take place. Also, bringing their
work to a wider public over a period of time. In this sense, the exhibitions (whether solo or group shows)
are ‘showcases’ for their work, and the web site is a record of what they do and where they are going with
their work. Many of them have been awarded or hung in prestigious competitions and exhibitions, and
these achievements are also chronicled on the web site.
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