The astonishing success of Sundaram Tagore's art gallery
Want to meet him? Gotta wait for two-and-a-half years
http://www.pranaygupte.com
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Sundaram Tagore is a smart entrepreneur and art scholar. He's built up a flourishing business in New York, the Sundaram Tagore Galleries.
The galleries, in the tony SoHo neighborhood, feature works of both established as well as upcoming artists from South Asia, and others.
I recently wrote to Tagore to introduce a pretty well-known painter in Singapore, Parvathi Nayar. She is also an influential writer at The Business Times in Singapore.
Here's how Tagore responded:
"Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately, I am not able to see any new artists for the next two-and-a-half years. I am overbooked."
I was, of course, delighted to learn about Tagore's success, and wrote back to say how pleased I was that he was doing so well.
His second missive:
"Many thanks for your response. Yes, I am unable to look at new artists for the next two-and-a-half years. I already have a long waiting list of influential artists who I cannot accommodate in my gallery. This is typical among the successful New York galleries. There are far too many artists compared to the number of galleries. In many ways, it is similar to the film world. Many more people want to get into movies and only a very small percentage will manage it. I hope this explains the situation."
Hey, chill out, Sundaram. All I was trying to do was to introduce two talented -- and highly successful -- people to each other. I'm sure that, if she wanted to, Parvathi Nayar could say that many more people -- including owners of art galleries -- want their names to be mentioned in newspapers than newspapers could possibly accommodate.
One lesson I've learned in a long journalistic career is that, no matter how busy one is, you never turn down an opportunity for meeting new people. You just don't know what doors such meetings can open.
But who knows, that lesson might not be relevant to the art world.
The galleries, in the tony SoHo neighborhood, feature works of both established as well as upcoming artists from South Asia, and others.
I recently wrote to Tagore to introduce a pretty well-known painter in Singapore, Parvathi Nayar. She is also an influential writer at The Business Times in Singapore.
Here's how Tagore responded:
"Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately, I am not able to see any new artists for the next two-and-a-half years. I am overbooked."
I was, of course, delighted to learn about Tagore's success, and wrote back to say how pleased I was that he was doing so well.
His second missive:
"Many thanks for your response. Yes, I am unable to look at new artists for the next two-and-a-half years. I already have a long waiting list of influential artists who I cannot accommodate in my gallery. This is typical among the successful New York galleries. There are far too many artists compared to the number of galleries. In many ways, it is similar to the film world. Many more people want to get into movies and only a very small percentage will manage it. I hope this explains the situation."
Hey, chill out, Sundaram. All I was trying to do was to introduce two talented -- and highly successful -- people to each other. I'm sure that, if she wanted to, Parvathi Nayar could say that many more people -- including owners of art galleries -- want their names to be mentioned in newspapers than newspapers could possibly accommodate.
One lesson I've learned in a long journalistic career is that, no matter how busy one is, you never turn down an opportunity for meeting new people. You just don't know what doors such meetings can open.
But who knows, that lesson might not be relevant to the art world.