where are the buyers?

Pricing work for an exhibition is a tricky thing when one isn't currently respresented by multiple galleries around the country. Under those circumstnces, prices are already pretty much set in stone. In preparing for the Carnegie show I asked a number of artists, friends and family members what I should do about prices since my last exhibition of similar work was Nov-Dec 2001. That time period was a high water mark for art prices among journeymen artists. Times have changed, the art market has changed and discretionary money has all but evaporated. Everybody told me to price the work as giveaways. I listened and agreed. I made the decision to price my work, both new and old, as low as possible. I wish the buying public had a better understanding of what it costs an artist to produce a new piece of work. There are materials and actual studio time of course. But there is so much more...... the thinking and evalutaion time, the conceptual time, the creative day dreaming time, the editorial assessment, the search for an appropriate title, getting pieces photographed and framed, packing and shipping costs as well as making arrangements for delivery and installation. I am beyond being frustrated by having sold only 2 pieces from the show despite lots of excellent publicity during its long run and the fact that the most expensive new work is only $900. The same work in 2001 would have been at least twice that price. Despite this dire economy one would think that with such bargains to be had there would be more buyers. I don't see any jewelry stores closing so there is disposable income somewhere. But where are the art buyers?