Holos Gallery of San Francisco was founded by the author in February, 1979, for the purpose of displaying
and selling holographic art. In the eleven years between 1979 and the author's sale of the gallery in 1990, a great
deal of knowledge about and experience in selling holographic art was acquired. Based on this experience and
continued research since the sale of the gallery, an analysis of past, current and future trends in the holographic
art market is discussed.
Of course, some larger works are definitely giftware, such as many mass produced 30x40cm film holograms, and some smaller works could be considered "art," for example the four by five inch three-color reflection holograms by Lon Moore. These types of exceptions are consistent, however, with a method of definition that relies primarily on attribution of the work to an artist (as opposed to the anonymous company name identification) and size, price, artistic intent, and rarity of the work. The judging of the aesthetic content of the piece is simply too subjective a criteria to be appropriate to this presentation. For example, is a representational image of a soup can fine art (ala Warhol and Oldenburg) or simply a technical accomplishment (difficult though it may be) of little or no artistic merit?
There are many reasons for this early lack of success in selling holographic art, one of the most important being the old cliche, "We were ahead of our time." A vast majority of people entering the gallery in the late 1970's and early 1980's were seeing holograms for the first time. I am a firm believer in the axiom that people fear the unfamiliar, and holograms were totally unfamiliar to a majority of those visitors. Often their initial reaction was that this was some type of trick or gimmicky new fad -- certainly not something that was part of their everyday life or that they knew how to relate to in any meaningful way.
Compounding this problem was the ongoing perception that art should be bought as an investment, a concept that was even more in vogue in those days of high inflation and early "Reaganomics." Not only were my customers totally unfamiliar with the art form, but I was unable to provide them virtually any of the types of data that support perceived value in the traditional arts. There were no auction records as a basis to compare and justify prices. There were precious few reviews and critiques to help establish artistic merit and intent, and most of the criticism that did exist was quite negative anyway. There was no historical basis for predicting future increases in value for those concerned with the appreciation of their "investment," and there was no perceptible resale market that could offer potential customers any type of liquidity. Thus, many of the subtle "tools" I had read about as techniques for selling art were completely unavailable to me.
Another major problem at the time was the undeniable paucity of good quality holographic art works and artists. Technical constraints were (and still are) most formidable, and the equipment was much rarer and difficult to come by. Thus, too often a "good" hologram was simply one that was bright and of decent quality. There was too strong a reliance on the novelty of the three dimensional image, with too little attention to aesthetic content.
With so few artists at that time having the knowledge and/or equipment to make holograms, it seems in retrospect that there was little chance that one of them would have been a really great and inspirational artist capable of igniting the art world (and my customers) with his or her talent and vision. With tens of thousands of painters and sculptors in the world, odds were good that a few could be brilliant, inspired virtuosos. With perhaps only 20 or 30 dedicated full-time holographic artists in the world around 1980, what were the chances that one of them could be holography's Rembrandt or Da Vinci?
Certainly the big breakthrough, in my opinion, was the sudden appearance in the early 1980's of millions of holograms on the covers of National Geographic Magazine and the Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Granted these were not "art" holograms, nor were they intended to be. Yet they served to bring holography, for the first time in history, into almost everyone's life on a day-to-day basis. All of a sudden, gallery visitors would look at our hologram displays and comment, "Oh, those are just like the cover of the National Geographic I got last month," instead of saying "What are these things? They must be some kind of fad or trick!"
A related factor that aided in raising public consciousness was the growth in venues where the public could see and experience holograms in person. Galleries and museums dedicated to holography began to appear with a certain regularity, and holographic novelties and gifts were introduced into general gift markets outside of specialty stores. Traveling holography exhibitions came into vogue and attracted excellent attendance at a wide range of venues. "Mega-exhibitions" -- large group shows featuring wide ranges of at least some very high quality holographic art works and displays -- appeared for the first time and were often catalysts for an explosive growth in the public's awareness of holography, especially in Europe. Such exhibits served the added important function of providing often life-sustaining income to both the holographic artists whose works were purchased in good quantities to grace the exhibition walls as well as to early holography companies and distributors whose goods were sold for profit at the ubiquitous "gift shop" accompanying the exhibit.
The 1983 "Light Dimensions -- The Exhibition of the Evolution of Holography" at the Octagon Gallery of the National Centre of Photography in Bath, England, for example, caused an absolutely incredible explosion of interest in holography throughout all of Great Britain. The association with the National Centre of Photography, combined with the attendance of Princess Margaret at the opening, created an almost overnight growth in the respect and credibility accorded the holographic medium in that country.
Thus, the critical process of exposing the public to holography and thereby transforming the frighteningly unfamiliar into the everyday commonplace had begun, and this subtle change was of utmost importance in helping the public to accept holographic art. With these new assurances of validity provided by large, well-known, trusted institutions, people could begin to accept that holography was a viable means of expression. It became much easier to "validate" the medium in the minds of our potential art buying customers as well.
Concurrently, of course, we must give tremendous credit to the dedicated holographic artists, technicians, and researchers who were working so hard during this time period, often with little or no recompense, to better the art and science of holography. Technology provides the fundamental palette upon which the holographic artist relies, and important improvements during this period in holographic technologies gave artists more and better tools with which to experiment and create. New methods evolved for making multi-color images, brighter images, new types of animated and moving images, collages and multi-media creations, and generally larger images. Mass production techniques greatly improved and proliferated as well, unleashing a torrent of new holographic stickers and novelties into the public domain.
Furthermore, equipment did become slightly more available, and more and more schools and universities were adding holography labs and instruction to their programs. While many of theses labs were in the Physics Departments, some did find their way into Art Departments as well. The addition of holography programs by such prestigious institutions as London's Royal College of Art and The Art Institute of Chicago was quite noteworthy. The association of holography with such bastions of the classical arts helped tremendously to further validate the nascent art medium while also providing a new talent pool of practitioners trained in both the classical arts and the technological side of holography.
Let us certainly not overlook, too, that we were all coming to understand that a high quality, very bright holographic image did not necessarily equate to "good art." Throughout the 1980's holographers were learning to shed their reliance on the medium's novelty and to pay attention to the form and content of the artistic statement being attempted. Bright and colorful was more and more becoming a means to an end as opposed to the end itself, and thus the technology began to assume its proper function as one more tool for artists to use to create art.
Though at first it may seem trivial, there was one other technological improvement during this period that deserves mention, and that is that we were able to obtain new and better light sources throughout the 1980's. Certainly one could not ignore lighting when educating prospective customers about holographic art, yet in Holos Gallery's earliest days the only really decent, commercially available light we would recommend was a "framing projector" that cost over $125 and required the installation of expensive tracks in order to function. By the end of the 1980's, however, a whole new generation of small, inexpensive, quartz halogen spot lights emerged. Finally, we had good, effective lighting to offer our customers that did not cost more than the hologram they were thinking of buying.
The concrete result of all of these factors was an appreciable improvement in Holos Gallery's sales of fine art holograms. Our finer and more varied inventory of art works meant a much greater chance of finding a piece that would satisfy a particular customer's tastes, needs, and budget. Finally, too, we could recite a list of accomplishments for holography and convince the customers that they were at the least making a reasonable investment in a new form of art. We found that we were not only selling more art works, but they were commanding higher prices as well. For the first time, we were beginning to sell holograms I had purchased in the late 1970's for several times their original cost. Thus, I could honestly tell my customers that some works were truly appreciating, though I was always cautious not to guaranty anything!
An important factor over which we have no control is the general economic climate. As we moved into the 1990's, the U.S. and much of the world moved into a recession. As people found themselves with less discretionary income, sacrifices had to be made, and the choice between food on the table or a hologram on the wall was pretty easy to make. As this is one area over which we have such little control, it bears little further discussion. It should merely be noted that sales in all types of art have levelled off at best, and the record art auction prices of the 1980's have not yet been matched in the 1990's. Let us simply try to lay the groundwork today to best attract the art buyers of tomorrow, as the world's economy improves.
Economic factors have also contributed to a decline in the number of new hologram galleries opening and the number of holography "mega-exhibitions" being assembled. We cannot deny that these two areas were prime markets for holographic artists to sell their holograms. Any new entity preparing to enter the business of displaying holography to the public had to buy holograms to fill its walls. Most of these entrepreneurs were savvy enough to realize that the best and highest quality holographic art works available at the time would offer them the best chance of attracting public attention, good publicity and possibly reviews, and the word-of-mouth advertising so crucial to survival.
Thus, we were all more than pleased to offer our best hospitality (and holograms) to any visitors announcing that they were planning to open a hologram gallery or exhibition, whether they were from England, Japan, California, or any where in-between. We must realize that with the current slowdown in the start-up of new display holography enterprises, a sales void has been created, and there is no strong base of dedicated individual collectors to fill the vacuum.
Another current problem is that most art holography is still presented to the public primarily in dedicated medium-specific venues. The problem here is, as mentioned earlier, that hologram galleries cannot survive on sales of holographic art alone. Thus, non-subsidized gallery owners eventually face the reality that they must augment their income, often by adding holographic "giftware" to their merchandise selection. We are all coming to realize the damage this does to our attempts to promote holography as art, and I readily confess that my gallery was one of the prime offenders in this regard. Holos Gallery, being one of the first of its kind, became a model for many of the galleries that came after it. Holos' formula of art holograms in one area and giftware nearby was often copied and seldom questioned, as it was thought to be a necessary means of survival. However, this arrangement has in the past and will continue in the future to limit the growth in the holographic art market.
The problem is that the art works and the novelties become too closely associated simply by virtue of physical proximity in the gallery environment. The fact that I knew the "art" was on one wall and the "schlock" was on another was not often perceived by gallery visitors. Thus, the novelties and their presence ruined the atmosphere that experienced art buyers expected to encounter. It made it obvious that the gallery could not survive by selling art, which in turn could not help but force art buyers into second guessing their own buying decisions. The subtle but damaging implication is that this must not be good art and certainly not a good investment, since it does not sell well. Granted there is the exceptional art lover secure enough both financially and in trusting his or her own instincts to go ahead with a purchase, but this remains the exception. We must accept the fact that the majority are followers, not leaders, and they will usually require a much different atmosphere than the conventional hologram gallery can provide before they will make the higher priced purchases.
Indeed, considering some of the developments in the past year alone, holographic artists may have little or no choice in the matter. Holos Gallery, one of the most well known and oldest galleries that featured holographic art and artists on a regular basis, has, under its new ownership, dropped its rotating exhibitions of fine art holography and has become little more than another Haight Street earring and gift boutique. Light Fantastic, the famous London hologram gallery, has closed its doors completely. Should this inauspicious trend continue, the holographic artist wishing to display his or her works will simply have no choice but to seek out more conventional venues for exposure.
Exposure to art marketing and business techniques can only help one to better prepare for presentations to gallery and museum personnel and gives one a much better idea of what they will expect as well. Simple yet important details should be known and in place in order to make the professional type of presentation that offers the best chance of success. The look and content of resumes, how reviews and letters of recommendations are composed and presented, and how slides or videos of the works are photographed and displayed are important and should not be considered unworthy of attention. Take time and care with all of these details, make your entire presentation highly professional, and you will find the people you approach more willing to listen to what you have to say and to look at what you have to show. We all wish that the art itself could stand alone, but that is most often simply not the reality. In such a highly competitive world, you must make your best effort in all areas of your presentation.
Knowledge of contemporary business practices in the arts is also essential when you do find the gallery owner or agent that is willing to consider working with you. A good dealer should work hard on your behalf and will help validate what you do to the outside world. When considering entering into this type of relationship, however, such issues as exclusive versus non-exclusive representation, what type of exposure and exhibitions you are to receive, who pays for the exhibitions and how much, how the unique display and lighting requirements of holography are to be dealt with, what other services or remuneration the owner or agent will provide you in return for his or her representation, and how and how much the owner or agent is to be compensated must all be negotiated and thus should be familiar concepts to the artist. Do not be surprised, for instance, if the price you are used to seeing your works sell for increases two-fold when your work first appears on the gallery walls. The gallery owner must recoup his or her expenses and cover overhead, and a decent mark-up on your art work is the only way to do that. Remember, however, this higher price may not necessarily be a detriment to sales. To some customers' way of thinking, the higher price equates to higher quality art and actually helps legitimize your efforts.
Gallery exhibits are an important addition to any resume and may help holographic artists gain entry into the important realm of museums. The two venues do have their pluses and minuses, yet each offers excellent opportunities. Museums have large followings and are typically not concerned with selling what they exhibit. Thus, museums will sometimes be more apt to try something new, especially those museums with a track record of presenting new media. As such high visibility locations, however, they can be inundated with information and proposals, and one often needs a "connection" to get in the door. Such connections should be cultivated whenever possible, but the lack of one should not stop anyone from trying.
Conversely, galleries may be much more receptive to your art work if you can list some museums that have shown your work. Gallery owners know that a record of prior exhibitions can aid them in their efforts to sell and market your work to their clientele. Galleries that feature multi-media and innovative art forms of all sorts are probably the best to approach. They have already demonstrated a more open, forward looking state of mind and have probably cultivated a more open-minded clientele as well.
Indeed, the gallery's clientele is critical to its (and the artists') success and one of its most important assets. Successful gallery owners work extremely hard to build up a clientele through the years that will trust that owner's taste and judgement. We must garner the respect and attention of such owners in order to have a chance of reaching their prime customers. Such customers will be tremendously more inclined to seriously consider buying your art if they see it on the walls of a gallery whose owner they have come to trust and respect.
Gaining such knowledge accomplishes several things. For one, it allows us to converse with the art establishment in its own language and with the appropriate historical and contemporary references if needed. We cannot deny that there is a stereotyped image in the art world of the holographer as a technician, and we must work to change that stereotype. To further that goal, we may need to swallow just a little of our pride. Thus, I am not adverse to recommending that holographic artists read the art periodicals and literature, familiarize themselves with the contemporary art scene, and incorporate some of these elements into their holograms.
I myself find it completely inappropriate for me to be telling any of the many, many fine holographic artists in the world what to put in their holograms. Simply in the interests of a shared common goal to change widespread misconceptions, I am hinting that we may want to add more contemporary elements to our contemporary works. Granted, holographers may never wish to play by all the rules of the art establishment, but we still need to let them know we understand their game and are at least willing to be in the same ball park.
I would like to add as a brief aside that these ideas and concepts are stated eloquently and in much greater detail in the recent "Report of the International Congress on Art in Holography" produced by Doug Tyler and Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame, Indiana.1 To those of you that have not yet seen and read this excellent document, I strongly encourage you to get it and read it carefully. This publication offers the opinions of respected art curators with backgrounds primarily outside of holography. I believe much of what they say reflects views shared by their contemporaries in the art world, and so we can learn a great deal from their perceptions of how holography must change in order to integrate into the larger world of art.
These curators stress that holography should engage in the issues of today and should attempt to find its own place in the current multi-media mix of film, video, audio, computer graphics, and other new art forms. They stress that without a knowledge of and concern for the current modes of presentation and fashion in the art world, holography will find little acceptance. This does not mean holography should abandon what is uniquely holographic. Rather, holography should use its uniqueness to interpret the contemporary fashions of art in its own distinct way. Distasteful as these ideas may be to some of us, they do tell us some important points of view from the contemporary art establishment with regards to how to improve the acceptance of holography in that community. While I do not agree, I will note that some might view these unwavering curators and critics as our enemies. Yet one must know as much about the "enemy" as possible in order to best survive and eventually triumph.
Mention is also made of the numerous logistical problems associated with displaying holography. We must give thought to overcoming these problems and minimizing their importance. Artists such as Steve Weinstock who have skillfully and tastefully incorporated lighting into their holographic displays offer one successful approach. The problem of documenting one's work, too, is extremely difficult in holography. Video and stereo photography should not be overlooked as useful tools for minimizing some of these problems. Such technical issues, however, are merely roadblocks that will be put up by those looking for excuses. Artists that can successfully incorporate some of the forms, colors, and content of the contemporary art scene into a cohesive and impressive body of work will find that such minor technical obstacles will not impede their success.
Without the expense of advertising, however, every artist can and should mount a simple but effective public relations campaign. The cost is close to nothing and is thus within the capacity of all artists. Create or borrow a list of local and national media, art critics, gallery owners, and museum personnel, and keep the list up-to- date at all times. Then, make up brief but polished press releases for any and all of your activities, and send them to everyone on your list on a regular basis. A few years later when you feel you are ready to knock on their doors, your name and activities will already be familiar to them, and you should receive a better reception. Also, if we all make this effort together, shear volume will indicate to these people that there is something happening here that they can no longer afford to ignore.
Notice that I did say to include critics on the list, as we must get over our fears of the dreaded art review. I will not enter the debate of whether a bad review is better than no review at all. If we disdain all critics, however, we will never have the opportunity to get a good review either. In any case, we must be willing to listen to what the critics tell us, and in some instances we will find we can prosper from the publicity they provide.
Several artists I spoke with also mentioned that they were having good success with commission work, and this is another area that will greatly increase public awareness about and acceptance of holographic art. Sally Weber's numerous outdoor installations come to mind and provide an excellent example of what can be accomplished in the public sector. Thus, holographic artists should learn how the system of awarding public art projects functions and should be sure they are plugged into the system. When requests for art in public spaces appear, holographic artists should be prepared to submit sound ideas and proposals. These corporate and government funded projects are a good opportunity for exposure and income.
In the long run, our belief will be contagious. No one will take holographic art seriously if its practitioners cannot demonstrate, at all times, a strong and inexhaustible faith in the holographic medium. With continued dedication, hard work, perseverance in the face of adversity, a strong consensus of shared goals in the community, and above all a one hundred per cent faith in what we are doing, success is only a matter of time. I hope and believe that the information I have presented herein will help make that time come sooner than later.
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