Swagger. Is it in you? by William Dolan
There is a somewhat common thought that if the work is good enough, success will come to an artist. Of course, without ongoing and untiring promotional efforts, this will not happen. However, there is something else that is missing from all this. That missing element is what I call swagger.
Swagger is an artist’s brand; his or her image. Having the proper image instills confidence in people. It tells others that you know who you are and what you do is important. This is infectious. People will believe whatever you have to sell. It’s not a new idea, but it is something that artists ignore or rather, shy away from.
Artists are generally quiet, introspective people. These people do not naturally have swagger. They are generally self-conscious. Consequently, artists, ironically wind up at the bottom of the art world food chain. Unfortunately, those that are higher up the art world food chain use this to keep artists in their place. This feeds the doubt and insecurity that artists seem to be born with. The artist begs for recognition and is happy with any recognition, thereby denying him or herself an important roll in art.This idea of swagger, by no means is anything new. Politicians rise to power with it. Wars are started with it. Brain surgeons have it. Airline pilots need it. It is necessary to overcome fear and get the job done. It’s essential to anyone with anything to sell. Artists need to sell their work, so they need it as well.
I have read in a couple of places, advice for graphic artists that it’s important to have a “look” (an important part of swagger). This is something I noticed in my corporate career. Almost all of the ad agencies we dealt with had someone on the team that had a certain presence, either a creative or the account rep. At one company I worked for, the account rep had a Hugh Grant look and persona going. Women in the office would swoon over this guy. He was British, wore nice British-cut suits and seemed to be somewhat stand-offish. At another company it seemed I was meeting with guys with shaved heads, British accents and cool glasses. In all cases these people had credibility the minute they walked in the door.
This also works for artists. Think of the most successful artists and in most cases they all have a certain presence that commands respect. They have swagger. Those that don’t have some sort of mystique instead or a combination of both. A recent article in Proximity discusses the importance of the attraction art lovers have to artists. The collector buys the art of a particular artist, not based on the merit of the work but because they are buying a piece of the person that created it. I feel that without swagger, there would not be that attraction.
So what is swagger? It’s a combination of look, confidence, outspokenness and perhaps arrogance. To the levels that these ingredients are mixed in one’s swagger determines whether the artist is a leader or an asshole. Both can achieve attention in the art world easier and faster than the stereotypical quiet artist type.
Is it in you?
Category: Essays 37 comments »
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
YES!
I am working on it, anyway, and I have been working on a post on Joyce Owens_ Artist on Art blog that will complement this one about the artists’ personality. Decided to save it and put up some comments from a pained artist, and my comment on a thriving artist who has survived some unbelievable pain.
Each artist who reads your post and hopefully mine, who is not naturally outgoing, will be helped!
I have named the artist with Swagger “artist-entrepreneur” because this guy (and they seem to be mostly guys) are able to sell themselves to sell their work.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Thanks Joyce! I look forward to reading it. It’s a shame that personality is often more important than quality of work. I think you’re right about it is mostly guys that have the swagger. As for women artists, I wonder how much sex appeal plays into a career.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:18 am
“Sex appeal” works many ways. I remember asking my mother, when I was in college, why she thought gay men liked me so much. She said they like you for the same reason other people like you. Gay men like to be around attractive women, too, and they appreciate talent, etc. (You know what a mom would say).
I don’t know if women have any advantage because of their personal attractiveness. It is not evident when so many exhibitions seem male heavy, unless it is a women’s show.
(Don’t have stats on this, but that is my perception).
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:42 am
Good article Bill.
Swagger can be very effective in propelling one’s career. It can also be detrimental if one buys into their own swagger a little too much.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Good points Joyce.
“It can also be detrimental if one buys into their own swagger a little too much.”
– I don’t know about this, especially for a nobody starting out. I think it can be detrimental if one appears to be faking it. However, I guess it can lead to self-destructive behaviour, which can either mess up relationships. I wonder how important Picasso would have been had he been more humble.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:43 am
Yes, I was referring to self-destructive behavior. Drugs, alcohol, etc…
Speaking of women, sex and swagger, Amy Winehouse said it best: He’s tried to make me go to rehab – - I won’t go, go, go.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Swagger also gives one the opportunity to reinvent (or at least exaggerate) their own past.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
“Swagger also gives one the opportunity to reinvent (or at least exaggerate) their own past.”
–This is marketing and may be important if one is moving up in the art world. The artist needs to be bigger than life, if he or she wants to be on a certain level where they are admired by collectors — people, who themselves have risen above the crowd or were born there. If someone has past that isn’t that exciting, it may help to beef it up a little. It adds importance to the artist and the output of that artist. It’s similar to padding a resume.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:34 pm
If one sets out to make art in order to gain recognition, status, and respect in the art world then your notion of swagger is certainly a critical component to success…You mentioned Picasso, but one can add Pollock as well as many others, whose eminence is due in no small part to their image or persona…Whether this reflects their true worth is more complicated question, at least to me…There’s no question that to put anything out into the world for others to judge or be effected by takes copious amounts of ego, but the link between that and a public personality is not necessarily a direct one…There are tireless self-promoters and scandal mongers whose work isn’t worth the material it was made with, but at least as many quiet solitary types who don’t court attention and probably don’t deserve any…The notion that a collector’s buying a piece of you when they purchase a piece has always bothered me because it implies that the work needs to be propped up by something extraneous in order to make it of value…I understand that behind the scenes, as in the ad agency examples mentioned, much is determined by surface perception; ultimately though, I’d like to believe that the work should speak to the viewer directly without being sweetened by status-seeking or cache…This is undoubtedly a naive and idealistic view but it would be impossible for me to keep going without it…
July 24th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Ideally, a collector buys a work of art because it speaks to her or him on the same level that the artist created it. However, I don’t think that most people get it. Therefore, something else has to be in play, either the persona of the artist or the importance of the art object.
July 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
“There’s no question that to put anything out into the world for others to judge or be effected by takes copious amounts of ego, but the link between that and a public personality is not necessarily a direct one…”
this, i feel, becomes less relevant of a thought process with each successive post-internet-birth generation. While before the internet, promoting yourself and your wares may have been a more ‘obvious’ and ‘unique’ occurrence, leading to a perception of ego, that is just not the case with the 30 and under crowd.
promotion is second nature – things like social networking and blogs exist purely to promote their creators, yet non of the stigma, the ego label, accompanies (most of) these. My generation is the first of the ‘content producers’ for the internet. Youtube channels post tens of thousands of new videos every day, every hour. promotion is no longer ego, it is an absolute and inescapable requirement, if you dont want to be swept away by the new world superhighway.
That said, the swagger now has a digital component that can shape, and destroy, the artist image. while a blog can be useful to promote an artists existence, the same blog, if not very carefully crafted, word by word, can alternately destroy the prestige of an artist. Im sure you can recall a person you thought highly of, and then not so much after seeing the pictures of them trashed on their myspace.
this went a bit rambling – anyway, great post mr dolan, this site is really one of the best in the midwest for solid art talk.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Thanks, James. Self-promotion on all of the social networking sites, as just a normal part of life is an interesting phenomenon. Do these translate to real-world success? Is there a difference, especially where the art world that the artist participates mainly exists online (Youtube, Flikr, etc.)?
It also brings up the question as to why an artist wants recognition. Is this all just a cry for attention? I think, though, it is that we all just want to leave a mark on this world. The internet gives everyone the opportunity too, especially for those that never would have thought of themselves as artists had they been of an earlier generation.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am
The internet has definitely opened up communication between artists, curators, gallerists and collectors. Instead of mailing a letter we email, instead of slides we email jpgs and our Web site link. Things are more immediate but the overall game is still the same though.
James: “swagger now has a digital component that can shape, and destroy” – - so true.
The personal blog craze has introduced a lot of horrible artists to the art world. The “painting-a-day” phenomenon makes me insane.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
One important reason to have swagger, that I didn’t mention is that everyone else that an artist deals with will have swagger, from the dealer to the curator to the collector. If you have swagger, you’re better able to deal with those that don’t have your best interests in mind. It’s a way of keeping your guard up.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
You are so right on your last comment, Bill. There are plenty of curators with plenty of swagger out there – -
July 28th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Regarding Mr.Beckman’s Brave New World:
Thought I’d fire up the old quill pen and say that what concerned me had nothing to do with the newer delivery systems created to break down all barriers, if you believe half the absurd claims out there…It’s more about whether a personality dictates worth in some way or not…No matter whether conveyed by blog or carrier pigeon, what matters to me is the message not the messenger…The example of seeing someone’s drunken photos online lessening one’s opinion just saddens me, because if the work is worthwhile it makes little difference what personal flaws mar an artist’s personality…Finally, I hope that terms like ‘content producers’ was used for comic relief because taken at face value they belong to a future world I want no part of…
July 29th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Great thread here…. Louise Bourgeois was once asked what important quality a young artist should have to succeed….her answer was “good looks”…for those of us that look like gas pipeline construction workers, Swagger will have to do. One hopes that making work that is too good to ignore, will get us somewhere…but I’m not sure.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
In the looks department, all you need to do is get some black in your wardrobe and some funny glasses. Ink, jewelry, cool facial hair/haircut are optional.
July 29th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Don’t forget the hat. There are a lot of hipsters out there with hats. I have one myself…mine is more Edward Hopper-ish like his self portrait – -
July 29th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
How could I forget the hat!?
Unfortunately for me, the only hat I feel comfortable in is a baseball cap, which doesn’t work for swagger. I do have the funny glasses, though.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Going back to the internet talk…the internet is a powerful tool that lets us communicate and promote ourselves (world wide) like nothing before. And swagger plays a role in one’s use of the internet…their Web site, posts, comments, etc.but the internet is still not devoid of garbage in garbage out. As Dmitry said, it still comes down to the actual work (or talent) of the individual.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:36 am
Great conversation!
Listen, I know that I have gotten jobs because someone thought I was attractive.
With the art, I am with some of the contributors, I sure think in the end it is the art first, the artist’s brain second… or maybe first since the art comes from the artist’s brain.
“Sharing” is the word that I think of with the internet, but “promoting” in not a dirty word either! Thank goodness we can show our work internationally, on a daily basis, through the internet. (I am not under 30, btw.)
Please take a look at Joyce Owens’ blog when you can. It’s on the blog list!
July 31st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Joyce…always promoting yourself…ah ah!
July 31st, 2008 at 12:22 pm
…and I have 5 large canvases on display in the lobby of Prudential Plaza, 130 east Randoloph through the fall, and although I am not that cute, the paintings are some of my best….so have a look if you can.
July 31st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Ted, nice. How did you land that gig?
July 31st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Cool Ted, I’ll be downtown next week and will check it out!
July 31st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Susan at Flatfile arranged it for me. She saw the work on my website after a friend sent her there. Thanks in advance for having a look.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Ted, If you like, email a jpeg of your work (with caption info and where it can be seen) to me, owensart@yahoo.com and I will post it on my blog!
Yeah, Norbert, through a long process I have learned to speak up and intelligently respond when opportunity knocks as have you, apparently, he-he! I guarantee you I am not the best or close to it.
What artist does it best? Who is the best self-promoter in Chicago? Should we have a poll? It used to be Ed Paschke, I would say.
Read my story on CAR (visual art section) http://www.chicagoartistresource.org .
The Dept. of Cultural Affairs asked me to write this a couple of years ago. Here you can learn more about how I operate.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
OOPS. http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org
“artists” needs to be plural.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
“What artist does it best? Who is the best self-promoter in Chicago? Should we have a poll? It used to be Ed Paschke, I would say.”
Self-promoter evokes a carnival barker…someone who is constantly selling their wares. I know Joyce doesn’t mean it like that but I do know of some artists who are constantly in “self-promoting” mode ( I get that way myself sometimes) and I actually know an artist who sells his stuff out of his van.
We all self-promote (we have to do it!). Some just choose to do it in a more sophisticated manner.
I think it is fair to say that Ed Paschke was Chicago’s biggest name artist. Now, I think Kerry James Marshall fills that spot. I would not consider these two artists as self-promoters in the “carnival barker sense” in any way…but they are accomplished and talented and with big reputations.
August 9th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Thanks Joyce very much. Will do so today.
August 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
“and I have 5 large canvases on display in the lobby of Prudential Plaza, 130 east Randoloph through the fall,”
I love how the grays have a translucent feel — kind of a dance of sheer veils. There is a real elegance to the work.
I also like your price points. It shows dignity and class.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Bill
Thank you!
August 17th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Ed and Kerry may be promoters in a way (although I’ve never really felt that) but they both certainly have the REAL thing there behind their stances. Damn good paintings.
August 21st, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Your work looks great at the Prudential Building, Ted. Congrats.
September 28th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I forgot to add — I’ve got the jacket.
I hope to see you guys and gals on THURSDAY OCTOBER 16 from 7:30 – 11:00 pm (or so) at “the Sharkpit” (Wesley Kimler’s studio), 2046 W. Carroll
Chicago, IL USA 60612
Shark phone: 312 942-9078
See you soon!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Probably the most important thing about swagger is that it shapes the impression that viewers have of an artist’s work. You could take the same work presented by three different people and you would get three different perceptions of the work. A meek shy person could show the work and it would be seen as amateurish. If it were shown by one that radiates importance and strength, the work would be regarded as important. If a raging pants-pissing lunatic showed the work, It may be regarded as the product of a genius.