Interview by Andy Romanoff
Daniel Miller is always thinking about where the market for photography is going. I’ve watched as he experimented with pop-up galleries and followed his early decision to put energy into the world of online sales. He’s not a guy who bemoans what was; instead I see him working hard to bring something new into existence. With the changes of the last few months only accelerating the ongoing shifts in the gallery world, I thought it might be interesting to sit down with Daniel and see what he was thinking about right now.
AR – Hi Daniel, let’s start here. How have you fared since the worldwide epidemic began?
DM – We were fortunate to have eight years of daily online-selling experience with YourDailyPhotograph.com before COVID-19. Having thousands of collectors and data points to analyze what collectors are buying and are not buying online is helpful. You’d be surprised. For example, online, there is a distinct difference in sales between a horizontal and vertical photograph, if all other variables are the same. Also, some works that sell easily in person simply cannot be sold online.
While the business of running a gallery and selling art is a bit nostalgic and romantic, exposing artists to sell online is all of that, plus technical, logical, and strategic knowledge combined with lots of trial and error and patience.
When we started YourDailyPhotograph.com, we waited for over a month for our first online sale. When we sold seven photographs in one online transaction to a big Hollywood producer and collector, I was sure his credit card was hacked (it wasn’t), and I apologetically called him much to his amusement (he became a good client).
AR –So let’s talk about the on-line world. What do you see going on? Has anything surprised you as you watch that part of the business grow?
DM – I am always really happy to see little-known or unknown emerging photographers sell works on our platform. It’s not easy. Our collectors are really taking a leap of faith, but many of these artists deserve the sales. I have lots of letters from artists who from a single sale we created, committed more attention to their practice. That’s really gratifying. We’re always looking for photographer-artists with good material.
Sales are far more important for a young or emerging artist than contest wins. Selling work means you are a professional; entering paid contests keeps you an amateur. Of course, the tired but true Warhol quote comes to mind “Making money is art. And working is art. And good business is the best art.”
AR – I know you spent a lot of time in Russia last year gathering together a collection of the work of Russian photographers. Where have you been this year?
DM – I was hunting for Josef Kouldelka in Prague the first part of January. He’s a bit reclusive these days, and I missed him by a day. While there I discovered some really interesting photographers and bought some photographs. I’m always on the hunt for good material for our collectors. After that, I was in Sydney for a few weeks meeting with institutions and collectors. Then back to LA just in time for everything to close.
AR – And with the gallery closed, what have you been up to?
DM – I have been at our photo archive in the middle of America for the past eight weeks. There is little COVID, no rioting, but lots and lots of photographs. We’re remodeling our warehouse, and that’s a big project.
AR – What photo archive? Please explain.
DM – One of our projects is managing the repatriation of a large archive of photographs back to Australia and New Zealand. The archive was stranded in the U.S. when we bought and rescued it. Large is an understatement; there are nearly four million vintage photographs of all varieties. I believe that equates to 47 tons of prints. We are selling these prints to collectors, museums, and libraries. In May and June alone, we’ve sold some 9,000 photographs.
AR – How are you seeing other galleries deal with closures of their physical spaces?
DM – It didn’t help that a legion of companies and consultants came forward to take advantage of the situation, most with no practical art selling experience. I have seen ridiculous seminars and video conferences about “how galleries can present themselves online,” as if a cookie-cutter approach for everyone will produce tangible benefits. Just like the for-profit contest companies that prey on artists, others have touted their knowledge to help galleries.
The gallery business, especially in photography, is concentrated with older dealers who began selling photography 30- and 40-years ago. Little has changed in most photography galleries since the 1980s. In General, the gallery practice is very old-school in transactions, and most galleries were not at all prepared for a shift to online activities.
A successful online model is simple: Sell things collectors want for a price they are willing to pay. That’s the same for $500 or $50,000 pieces. Except the $50,000 pieces are a bit easier to sell.
AR – Why is that?
DM – A collector in the market for a $50,000 work of art already knows what they want, what it’s worth. A collector buying a $500 print may have more anxiety acquiring a lesser-known work.
AR – What do you predict for the next year relating to the fine art photography market?
DM – Well, I don’t know if it’s a prediction, but I really hope Paris Photo will be held in November, as we have an excellent booth there showing the works of Jacqueline Woods. It will be good to see all my masked friends.
Beyond that, unfortunately, several galleries will close; it’s a tough business. But the demand for quality photographic art will remain strong.
Daniel Miller is the founder of the collector service YourDailyPhotograph.com and owner of Duncan Miller Gallery in Los Angeles.
https://www.duncanmillergallery.com/
Tel: 310 453 1111
Email: [email protected]
Andy Romanoff words – https://medium.com/stories-ive-been-meaning-to-tell-you
Andy Romanoff Pictures – https://andyromanoff.zenfolio.com/
