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Author Topic: Peter Lik, master salesman, does it again  (Read 36151 times)

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Hobostocker

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« Reply #25 on: December 12, 2014, 06:40 »
-1
Marketing expertise, in my example, far outweighed the quality and uniqueness of his images. He was a master at that and it got him fame and some fortune.

it's a gray area.

as much as many will agree that the top photographers aren't doing anything exceptional to justify their market value in the end it's all a matter of giving buyers an emotion and a feeling strong enough to justify the sale of an overpriced product and this is very hard, god knows what goes on in the head of a buyer when he looks at a LIK photo compared to when he looks at a 1$ micro image ... ?

i think 99% of his marketing is because of the way the product is presented, just as Apple and anybody else is doing with boutique stores, pricing their products at sky high levels and attracting like a magnet the kind of buyer with deep pockets and a big ego, i mean we should not forget that there are even buyers who love to spend more just to show off they can afford it, or for vanity, or out of boredom, or because whatever other silly reason that we poor devils can't even imagine .. a billionaire won't even think twice about spending a few millions on art pieces and to give a sh-it about what we're discussing here.





« Reply #26 on: December 12, 2014, 07:15 »
0
Mantis, from your post I can not quite understand who died in that diving accident?

The guy who was not a great photographer but a great marketer and his son.

Hobostocker

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« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2014, 10:20 »
0
it seems Lik is being bashed also in a large-format photography forum by other pros :

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?118502-6-5-Million-for-a-Peter-Lik

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2014, 11:19 »
+5
it seems Lik is being bashed also in a large-format photography forum by other pros :

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?118502-6-5-Million-for-a-Peter-Lik


For $ 6.5 millions I think that I could accept to be bashed all the rest of my life :D

« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2014, 11:48 »
+3
The Guardian article is pretty nasty - I can sense the bitterness and jealousy of the author. You can have an opinion but why get so emotional about it?
As to the outrageous price for the pic - well good for him, but it's all about who you know and who you ... you know:) His biggest sales are to the same "art collector".
Looking at his photos, some of them are nice enough, some of them are the most mediocre sh*t. Nothing blows my mind though. Which brings me back to the "who you know" comment;-)

Hobostocker

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« Reply #30 on: December 12, 2014, 21:45 »
+1
For $ 6.5 millions I think that I could accept to be bashed all the rest of my life :D

but their theory is that it's a money laundering operation or a PR stunt to raise the value of his works since none of his photos has even been sold for a high price in auctions like Sotheby's etc

and they rightfully point out that his 4000$ prints can hardly be sold on art brokerage sites for more than 1500$ ...

Hobostocker

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« Reply #31 on: December 12, 2014, 21:56 »
-1
The Guardian article is pretty nasty - I can sense the bitterness and jealousy of the author. You can have an opinion but why get so emotional about it?

i think it's all about money, unlike the other top photographers LIK is selling his stuff primarily by himself with his own gallery, he's not dependent on the art critic and art gallery mafias and that's why they're mad at him.

the art mafia is pushing obscure stuff like Gursky or even selfies like Cindy Sherman, Lik instead is selling images that are easy and commercial for everybody especially those outside the art world.

while we all agree his stuff is overphotoshopped and overhyped how can they justify paying millions for a Gursky ? Gursky is shooting food in supermarkets and a river in the countryside, Sherman is shooting selfies with a Polaroid, Jeff Wall shoots random people on the street with bad framing and bad focus .. the list goes on.

modern art is 99% mumbo jumbo and they know it.

this sh-it will never fly outside of the West and only recently this virus found fertile ground in Asia but just because of the big money involved in the industry.



« Last Edit: December 12, 2014, 22:02 by Hobostocker »

« Reply #32 on: December 12, 2014, 23:06 »
0


the art mafia is pushing obscure stuff like Gursky or even selfies like Cindy Sherman, Lik instead is selling images that are easy and commercial for everybody especially those outside the art world.

while we all agree his stuff is overphotoshopped and overhyped how can they justify paying millions for a Gursky ? Gursky is shooting food in supermarkets and a river in the countryside, Sherman is shooting selfies with a Polaroid, Jeff Wall shoots random people on the street with bad framing and bad focus .. the list goes on.


Lik should join FineArtAmerica - his stuff would actually do well there;) But instead all these photographers are providing an important and essential service to really rich people (with or without the help of art mafia) - giving them yet another opportunity to brag how much money they can throw away... someone has to do it, right? Otherwise all these obscenely rich people may just go suicidal since they wouldn't know what to do with their lives... :P

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #33 on: December 13, 2014, 03:46 »
+3
^ do you really think that when you sale a photo $ 6.5 millions you need to be on FAA ?

Hobostocker

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« Reply #34 on: December 13, 2014, 04:34 »
+1
Otherwise all these obscenely rich people may just go suicidal since they wouldn't know what to do with their lives... :P

art is a luxury and in part an investment so they get an artwork they like and the option to make some profit after a few years, i can't blame rich people for diversifying their investments i would do the same.

i don't think they go suicidal, i've met a few rich people so far and eventually they get bored easily but they all live a nice life in general, what is killing them is that sooner or later they tried every possible pleasurable thing, eaten the best foods, traveled in the best places all over the world, attended the most exclusive events, dated beautiful models, tried any drugs and any kind of entertainment, they reach the point where they ask themselves what's next and what's the meaning of their life.

it can be shocking for us to read about people paying crazy money for a Ferrari or for a painting but these things become more valueable over time, they're not like a toyota camry or a 10$ stock image.

anyone becoming a millionaire is not a fool and you can bet he spends his money wisely, if someone really paid 6 millions for a Lik there must be something dodgy going on behind the scenes.

« Last Edit: December 13, 2014, 04:37 by Hobostocker »

« Reply #35 on: December 13, 2014, 11:39 »
+2
^ do you really think that when you sale a photo $ 6.5 millions you need to be on FAA ?

Sigh.... was a joke...

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #36 on: December 13, 2014, 12:35 »
+1
^ I have been fooled! :D :D

+1
« Last Edit: December 13, 2014, 12:38 by Beppe Grillo »

« Reply #37 on: December 13, 2014, 12:47 »
0
Why? He has managed to brand himself so that buyers have a high perceived value of him and his work.

I'd love to be my own brand where I could command that kind of money.

I also think it's a good example that images still have plenty of value to the right buyers and not every photo should be free or $1.

Maybe Peter looks at people like us and thinks "I can't quite imagine how he manages to get people to pay so little for his images"

They buy the name and for investing, not the art that hangs on a wall. Mounting or print on metal makes some buy. Man with pinhole truck makes albumin printsinside. Novilty status or saying I have a Lik on my wall.

Hobostocker

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« Reply #38 on: December 13, 2014, 23:48 »
+1
interesting story from a famous landscape photographer who worked in a Lik gallery years ago :

http://scottreither.com/blogwp/2012/06/11/peter-lik-gallery-photographer-my-story/


he confirms all the criticism against Lik and in the comments section he warns readers that private sales for crazy prices are usually BS.

he also fully agrees that Lik's 4000$ prints will never be worth more than 1500$ in the secondary market, let alone his prints sold for almost 30K $ and that calling a 950 batch of prints "limited edition" is a joke.

so, is this 6 millions $ sale a total scam ? is Lik a con artist ? i say yes because that's the way it is in our society, scams and ripoffs are the norm and not the exception.





« Reply #39 on: December 14, 2014, 02:26 »
+2
Few days ago I heard about Lik and told the story (big sale) to my husband. All he said: "why wouldn't he (Lik) buy this picture from himself or ask some friend to do so and give him money back, just to make the internet storm on his name, to get more fame, popularity?"

Next day whole internet started to think the same way... So, looks like he was not the only one who doesn't believe this amazing value and huge sale? ;) To be serious... This sale just doesn't make any sense... What kind of sale was that? What did buyer get? One and the only one print in the world? License, rights? Did he buy it from Lik or from another colector? Etc...

About images, they are ok... Many are fine or very nice but I've seen much more amazing images in galeries of photographers that are unknown and full of modesty...
Lik is good actor as well as photographer ;)

Dook

« Reply #40 on: December 14, 2014, 06:01 »
0
That theory can't work, because in US you have to pay taxes, which are huge on $ 6.5 millions.
Anyway, I'm more and more disgust towards human beings behaviour and humans in general. Nothing is good for us. Nobody is good for us. We critic and spit on the best among us. I'm just recalling all the crap we said about Yuri Arcus here. And now Lik. Can't we just respect somoones success, qualities and skills?

Hobostocker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #41 on: December 14, 2014, 08:35 »
+1
That theory can't work, because in US you have to pay taxes, which are huge on $ 6.5 millions.
Anyway, I'm more and more disgust towards human beings behaviour and humans in general. Nothing is good for us. Nobody is good for us. We critic and spit on the best among us. I'm just recalling all the crap we said about Yuri Arcus here. And now Lik. Can't we just respect somoones success, qualities and skills?

but Lik is asking for it.

Claiming to be "master photographer" and writing in cubital letters in his blog "Lik makes art history", hiring pushy salesmen in his stores, selling 4000$ "limited editions" of almost 1000 copies that cost him a pittance ...

as for Yuri i've nothing against him and i like his works, no idea why he's been the target of so many debates here.


« Reply #42 on: December 14, 2014, 08:54 »
+1
That theory can't work, because in US you have to pay taxes, which are huge on $ 6.5 millions.
Anyway, I'm more and more disgust towards human beings behaviour and humans in general. Nothing is good for us. Nobody is good for us. We critic and spit on the best among us. I'm just recalling all the crap we said about Yuri Arcus here. And now Lik. Can't we just respect somoones success, qualities and skills?

I think you could probably write it off as a business expense if you bought your own work...

Dook

« Reply #43 on: December 14, 2014, 11:10 »
0
I agree with both of you. I just was in a bad mood, had to write it down.  :)

« Reply #44 on: December 14, 2014, 13:29 »
0
Did you see this: http://www.lik.com/thework/aviator.html ?

I wouldn't hang this anywhere in my home even if he paid me. And people actually give money for this, and good money.

L to the f*cking ol.


I just wonder where that air museum/boneyard is - looks like you can get some nice angles on that F-16 there.    (Most air museums have all the planes too close or with crap in the backgrounds that makes them too hard to shoot nice images at).   

As far as Peter himself goes - he is the photography world's equivalent to Thomas Kincaid.    More power to him in my opinion.   Just goes to show its all about the marketing.   I expect he will eventually have franchise galleries in every nice mall in the US just like Mr. Kincaid did.

« Reply #45 on: December 14, 2014, 18:10 »
0
 art  -  in all areas: movies, music,  novels, poetry, photography... etc. - is at very low level - in recent decades... nothing new...


Hobostocker

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« Reply #47 on: December 14, 2014, 22:15 »
0
art  -  in all areas: movies, music,  novels, poetry, photography... etc. - is at very low level - in recent decades... nothing new...

because they made an industry on it and rejected anything truely artistic.

true art is not even produced any more in many cases, music for instance, as there's not enough critical mass of potential buyers or consumers or monetization ways to justify the production costs.

who's going to invest 5-10 yrs of his life to master a skill that can NOT be monetized in any way ?


« Reply #48 on: December 14, 2014, 23:40 »
0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhein_II

Andreas Gursky sold this photoshopped crap for $4.3 million in 2011.

Perhaps this was a publicity stunt and Lik is just keeping the scam rolling forward. He is greedy and narcissistic enough to go there -- kinda like Lance Armstrong -- the money and fame gets so addictive that you lose contact with reason and reality.


« Reply #49 on: December 15, 2014, 02:49 »
0
art  -  in all areas: movies, music,  novels, poetry, photography... etc. - is at very low level - in recent decades... nothing new...

because they made an industry on it and rejected anything truely artistic.

true art is not even produced any more in many cases, music for instance, as there's not enough critical mass of potential buyers or consumers or monetization ways to justify the production costs.

who's going to invest 5-10 yrs of his life to master a skill that can NOT be monetized in any way ?

yes -of course - art is a mirror of society, if this today could be called  a society at all - no moral (aesthetics) - just greedy run for MORE MORE MORE money - but something will change sooner or later - this is unsustainable - so much people become very very poor and very few get richer and richer - it can t last forever



 

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