About Episode 69
In this episode of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha and Anna Walker Skillman, Co-Owner & Creative Director of Jackson Fine Art, have a behind the scenes talk about representing artists and connecting their work with collectors. They discuss the nuts and bolts of running a successful gallery amidst changing technology and perceptions about photography. Anna and Sasha also have an in-depth conversation about what makes a collector and whether or not photography collectors are an endangered species.
About Jackson Fine Art
Jackson Fine Art is a world-renowned gallery with a 33-year history of supporting artists and collectors. The gallery cultivates and guides both emerging and established collectors to the best fine art photography of the 20th and 21st century, across both traditional and innovative photo-based mediums. Working closely with collectors, curators, consultants, and designers, JFA provides expertise in a warm, welcoming space in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, GA. The gallery is led by Co-Owner & Creative Director, Anna Walker Skillman, and Co-Owner Andy Heyman, Founder, ASH IP& ASH Atlanta. The duo is celebrating twenty years of partnership in 2023.
In the spring of 2023, Jackson Fine Art expanded into a custom-built, 4000 square-foot gallery located directly across the street at 3122 East Shadowlawn Avenue. The new gallery retains the comfortable, home-like ambiance of the much-loved former gallery but now with expanded exhibition, office, inventory, library and meeting spaces to keep pace with the growing clientele and opportunity to exhibit large-scale works. The new space responds to the evolution of contemporary art. In addition to 9-12 exhibitions annually, Jackson Fine Art participates in international art fairs including: Paris Photo; The Photography Show (AIPAD) in New York; Art Miami; and Intersect Aspen. The gallery is a member of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) and Ms. Skillman is a former member of the board of directors.
Gallery Links:
People & Resources:
Cheryl Haines, Andy Goldsworthy, Todd Hosfelt, David Eggers, Michael Ackerman, Vaknin Schwartz Gallery, Tom Sachs, William Eggleston, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand, Yancey Richardson, Edwynn Houk, Fraenkel Gallery, Meghann Riepenhoff, André Kertész, Thomas Jackson, Mark Steinmetz, Mona Kuhn, Andrew Moore, Richard Misrach, Mary Ellen Bartley, Gail Albert Halaban
Artist Publications
Mona Kuhn: Works
Trine Søndergaard, 203 Works
Andrew Moore: Blue Alabama
What advice do you have for emerging photographers / artists?
Be involved in portfolio reviews. Photo festivals like Filter Photo, the Chico Review, Photo Nola, and many others are a great time to network within the photo community and offer in-person portfolio reviews with curators, publishers, and professionals across different corners of the industry. A more comprehensive list is on lenscratch.com
Visit art fairs to get inspired but don’t approach galleries at art fairs. It’s a great time to see what is out there and what particular galleries might be looking for, but it’s not the time to meaningfully introduce yourself.
Look for ways of publishing a book. Books are an excellent way to show your work. For gallery representation and exhibitions, be patient and know it is all about timing. Have faith.
Which book is a meaningful one you continue to revisit?
“I am intoxicated by Sally Mann’s artistic talented but when I read Hold Still, I was equally enamored by her written talent. They feel equal and I cannot believe I would say that because I think Sally is one of the most important artists of my lifetime. I would encourage anyone who has not read her book to buy the book, listen on audible as she is reading it but also refer to the written word in the book and photographic references. It is a southern gothic masterpiece in my humble opinion.”
Is there a photographer that has influenced you in your career?
“I continue to be inspired by Saul Leiter. I love the way he saw the world and was able to convey his world with both black and white and color work and his ability to show emotion and painterly compositions with film. He was an artist, documentarian, a lover of life — the daily life that he experienced in the streets and the lives of those he captured with his camera.”
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