When is a photo been shown too much?

[mtbbrian]

I have a question...
As you may remember I have shown my photography twice at a local coffee shop.
Once was my bike stuff and the other(which is still showing) of my Holga stuff.
So I am thinking of other exhibits, and may want to show some of the photographs I have already shown.
So my question is..
What would be considered showing a photograph for exhibition too much?
Is once enough or what?
Thanks!
Brian

[Asylum Steve]

Brian, this issue is something every artist has to figure out for themselves, unless of course you either get picked up by a gallery or find an artist's rep who calls the shots (two thing that have YET to happen to me, darn it!).

The thing is, there are many different kinds of ways photographers exhibit their work, and the rules are slightly different for each.

Commercial gallery artists usually have very defined (and publicized!) shows of new work, which, after the exhibiton dates, then become part of a gallery's permanent collection. From that point on, the work is shown either in a seperate smaller area, through a gallery catalogue or slides, or by appointment (and of course in today's world, through their web site). A new show by one of these artists will almost always be new work...

On the other hand, folks that show at weekend art shows often shlep the same group of images around and show them over and over, making mutiple copies of the most popular prints to have in a big sales bin for show goers to peruse.

I think most of us are going to fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, and much of what you decide depends on where you are in your career, what your reason is for exhibiting, and what you hope to get out of it.

When I first got started with my studio in Miami, I would show my photos every chance I got. I took part in group shows, sometimes having just one pic in a show of dozens, sometimes being able to hang four, or six, or more. Often I'd show the same images over again, mostly because I figured there were different people viewing the work, so it was simply additional exposure for me.

After a while, I started putting much more thought into what and how I wanted to exhibit. A major turning point for me was when I finally had enough good images to have my first one-person show. This came with all the trimmings: invitations, press coverage, and an opening night reception with catering and a string quartet. Oh, and yes, cheap wine...

From that point on my name was "out there", and I felt much more of a responsibility to have a direction and purpose to my exhibitions. It is also when I stopped showing work repeatedly...

Now, just to show you you can never say never, at the beginning of this year I was given the opportunity to show my Destination:China images at a nearby town's City Hall. A real nice gallery space, and a show that would publicized quite nicely, and viewed by many.

Still, for me it was a big dilemma, as I had already shown the DC show twice in two seperate spaces over the past few years, and really didn't want to those images to be my next show. To me, it looks wierd on an artist's resume when the same show is listed two or more times in a row. It's like you've stalled or something, and can't come up with anything new...

But, in the end, I decided the show was too good to pass up, and went along with it. It was a great experience, required very little work on my part, and so I'm very glad I made the decision to do it.

Suffice to say my next show will NOT be the DC photos... ;)

Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. My point is there is no shame in showing work multiple times, especially early on in your career. Hopefully, you'll find that certain images become your "trademark" or "signature" photos, and these favorites have a way of popping up again and again in shows.

As you go on, you will most likely either tire of repeated showings or simply have new and more personally exciting work you'd rather show. You'll know when that happens...

[megan]

...unless of course you either get picked up by a gallery or find an artist's rep who calls the shots (two thing that have YET to happen to me, darn it!).

mmmmm me too. i'm working on it though!

Oh, and yes, cheap wine...

three cheers for cheap wine!

I displayed 10 images last summer in carle place, and i've shown several of the again in huntington. fortunately, i've got quite a backlog, so i haven't duplicated them at huntington. this is just ME, but i try not to show the same image at the same place twice. then again, i don't have much experience.

megan

[mtbbrian]

I appreciate your responses and feel that whatever showing I may have again I can show some of the stuff that I am prestenly showing. Five of the six photographs I am presently showing were done this year, so they are still rather new.
Brian

[Janie]

I appreciate your responses and feel that whatever showing I may have again I can show some of the stuff that I am prestenly showing. Five of the six photographs I am presently showing were done this year, so they are still rather new.
Brian

I have a few prints that i've sold and apparently have been hung in several public places for viewing. I've actually had people tell me they've seen the images so much they are sick of them! lol It's kind of like britney spears sufferng from overexposure! lol I try to rotate my images and number them so there are not too many out there. That sometimes helps, but not always, apparently!