Fay

Bright

Weak Dollar=New Art Market

I am a full-time emerging artist. In March 2008, before the financial meltdown, I had a solo exhibition at a small Chelsea gallery. My prices were very reasonable, very affordable. Despite my misgivings, I was pressured to raise my prices so that the work could be taken seriously. Apparently, at that time anyways, the price tag had to exceed a certain magical number in order to be desirable.

The show did sell out, but the economy shifted—er, collapsed. I was worried about selling work (my main means of survival), especially with the new higher price tag.

I am now in Paris, with a new solo exhibition opening next week and an art fair next month in Lyon. The weak dollar is my friend, believe it or not: once the price in US dollars was translated into Euros, my prices once again became very modest. Apparently, in this new economy, artwork has to be priced under some magical number to be sell-able.

44, rue Barbet Jouy, Paris, France