Shownotes
Michael Facchinello + Artists of Altamira Gallery
Michael Facchinello is the Founder & CEO of Altamira. Altamira is a platform serving contemporary artists from around the world, empowering them to make a living and fostering community between artists, critics, collectors, and fans. It brings artists, fans, and critics together in a space without gatekeepers and pretension. Before starting Altamira, Michael launched, managed and grew 2 offices for a top national design firm working with folks like Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver Public Art, SendGrid, and Jake Knapp (the creator of the design sprint).
Also, we featured a panel of artists who are on the Altramira gallery platform:
Gina Werfel - Gina is an Abstract artist whose work is vibrant and emotive while still clearly defined. Her training includes Columbia University (MFA), New York Studio School (Certificate) and Hamilton College (BA). She was a Professor of Art at the University of California Davis. A few of my favorite works by Gina:
Bruce Dean - Bruce is a striking and emotive painting focused on figurative surrealist work. Over the course of his 40-year career, his work has evolved almost as much as it has been featured. He has participated in numerous museum shows and featured in multiple magazines and in the press. A few of my favorite works by Bruce:
Marlene Llanes - Marlene Llanes is a surrealist artist who paints intriguing images that evoke a sense of peace. By creating unusual combinations of everyday objects with natural elements, Marlene’s works take the viewer to a grounded fantasy. Marlene graduated as a graphic designer from Universidad Vasco de Quiroga in Morelia, Mexico. In 1998 Marlene was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the USA. She earned a master's degree in Fine Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design. A few of my favorite works by Marlene:
Transcripts
Tap into your most original thinking, organize your ideas, and create the opportunities to launch your creative work, unlocking your world of creativity with bestselling author and brand innovator, Mark Stinson.
(:Welcome back friends to our podcast, Unlocking Your World of Creativity. Miss the podcast where we talk to artists of all kinds about not only their creative inspiration, but how they gain the confidence and the connections to get their work out into the world. And sometimes that's the unlocking part. We can have great ideas, we can have great creative work, but how we get it out into the world can often be a challenge. And there's lots of creative ways that we're learning on this podcast to get our work out into the world. Today we're talking with Michael Passione of the platform and the gallery, online gallery, I guess I could call it Michael, the Altair Gallery. And we also have three of the artists who participate on Altair. And we're going to be talking to them about their craft, their work, and also how they use this platform to get their work out into the world. So Michael, welcome.
(:Thanks so much. Yeah, very excited to be here.
(:Absolutely. And welcome Marlena Janni.
(:Thank you. And thank you for inviting, inviting me, both of you. I'm really grateful and honor and humble that I got invited. So thank you so
(:Much. Thank you. And Gina Weel, welcome to our show.
(:Thank you. I'm looking forward to this conversation.
(:Yes. And Bruce Dean is with us. Bruce, welcome.
(:Thank you. And I wanna say that I really enjoy Gina and Marlena's work as well, so I'm proud to be here with them. I, I appreciate it
(:Very much. Well, I think this is one of the benefits of having this kind of a panel and a kind of a cross pollination of ideas and styles, and we're gonna hear about all of those. Well, Michael, perhaps we can start with you and this TIR concept. Uh, tell us a little bit about how you developed it and where we stand now with it.
(:Yeah, so tir, it's funny that you say, uh, having a cross pollination of different styles and artists, TIR is really all about that. Uh, we're a communal marketplace for art artists, their critics, collectors and fans. Uh, we facilitate community around art to provide education, so social proof, um, emotional connection and seamless transaction, all in one place. Uh, and we really aim to democratize the art world, opening it up to anyone who wants to participate in it. Um, as far as how it developed, uh, I, my background is in building software, and I've just always been surrounded by artists. And I looked down into the, the world and, and didn't see a place where online art could, could really be sold in the way that catered to art, uh, in the way that it should be. Art is d or purchasing art is different than purchasing a pair of jeans.
(:And so, uh, there needs to be, and in my opinion, there needs to be more interaction, more opportunity for sort of, um, thought and dialogue going into that, um, purchase. And so, Altair really is different than other marketplaces for art online, because we really focus on community. Um, we built it as social commerce, which means there's a lot more interaction taking place. Artists are commenting and critiquing each other with work. Critics are, are doing the same. Um, and collectors are, are sort of following along with all of that, and in some cases contributing their own thoughts, um, asking questions. And it's just a much richer interaction, um, more akin to what you might get in person as opposed to online. And we think that's just a, a much, much better model for it. And that's kind of where we're at. Um, we're, we're early on. We launched one year ago, um, almost on the day. Um, and I think rather than me continuing to, to go on, um, would be I'll turn it over to the artist and then sort of get outta the way as
(:Much as possible. Well, I love this, uh, convergence though, before we do that of social and commerce. You know, that certainly you think of a gallery, uh, you know, the, the brick and mortar gallery as a place to mingle and talk and, you know, peruse the art and enjoy that setting. And yet you don't always have a chance to, especially maybe for the entry level collector or for the average art efficient auto to really feel comfortable talking about the process of buying and and selling art.
(:Yeah. And we think that's one of the, the main problems or pain points that we're solving for. It's intimidating to go into a gallery as a collector or, or as, as just a buyer if, if you don't have the, the golf to call yourself a collector and sort of ask questions with confidence and to receive their, the answers with confidence as well. Um, there's, there's been quite a bit of research done around what's preventing people from purchasing art. There's a huge number of people that say they wanna buy it, even people who think it's a good long-term investment, and they don't. And, and the reason given is just the lack of confidence. And so by having this neutral third party validation where critics are writing about artists, people that aren't the sales people are giving their opinions, it one allows for a different way of learning about art, a different way of participating in the conversation, like you mentioned, where it's walking into a gallery, um, but in a way that's not high sales pressure and, and sort of, uh, is very trustable because it's not
Yes. Well, very good. Well, let's take some time to talk to the artists. Michael, thanks for curating this conversation and bringing together, uh, various styles. Let's start with you, uh, Marlena y uh, tell us a little bit about, uh, the genesis and, and the basis of your art. It's been described as surreal, but it does, uh, evoke a certain different emotion. It's, it's bright and friendly, not the kind of scary, surreal stuff maybe that we imagine.
(:Yeah. I really like just admire nature in general. So that's where I get my inspiration from. And then I also think, um, of the fact that my paintings will end up in somebody's house, and I always think, why would I wanna have hanging in my house? I don't wanna have something depressing or creepy or scary hanging in my house. I wanna have something that lifts my spirit, so I want the same experience for whoever wants to buy my painting. So that's pretty much it.
(:Absolutely. And there is a certain fantasy piece to it, but, uh, maybe you can describe a couple of scenes.
(:Um, think, I don't really intentionally say I'm gonna create fantasy per se, but I'm, I like to combine, like I said, nature with objects from real life. And I guess that turns out into like a fantasy world, like the painting that, that you're looking at. I know in the Paska people won't be able to see anything, but, um, this painting that I have right here, um, it's a cloud in just a normal looking landscape. Um, but I guess the fantasy part is the ladder where you can climb up into the cloud and only that there's more ladders on top of the, of the cloud. And that can take you even to a higher place if you're spiritual. I'm not necessarily a hundred percent spiritual, Um, and I'm not gonna rub it onto people's faces, whether you have to miss spiritual or not, But there is something out there, we don't know what it is. So yes,
(:Whatever, whatever that idea spiritual sense is. Absolutely. And what were some of your influences as you were developing your craft and studying and continuing to practice? Who were some of your influences?
(:The surrealists, um, Great Ali, Um, um, well, pretty much all of the story is that mm-hmm.
Yeah. And I, I was thinking of Magrid and, and Dolly when you, when I first saw some of your work. And yet, uh, as you said, the, the nature and the brightness and the positivity does come through.
(:Yeah. Also remedials battles, I wanted to say. Yeah. And also for new artists that I admire, I, I wanted to say, this is, well, maybe not a coincidence, but, um, your name, I mean, what's Bruce
It's a nice side benefit of both Theara platform and, uh, you know, maybe the podcasting world. And so we meet
(:Each, So he's not one of, I wouldn't say influence, I'm not copying you, but, um,
(:Please do.
(:But he, he would be one of my influence now. Yes. One of contemporary artists.
(:Oh, that's terrific. Well, Gina, maybe, maybe we could come to you. Gina Wfl is, uh, terrific, uh, from the standpoint of not only your own art, but also, uh, you've taught art and how do you, I guess, explain the principles of art. Uh, and yet people can have their own style, their own fingerprint, their signature style.
(:So I love teaching people that have no background in art because they bring, I don't know, a sense of discipline, a sense of freedom. You know, I, I'll get students who are biological science majors, and the first day they meet me and they say, Professor Wek, I don't know how to draw a straight line. And I'm like, Don't worry,
So, yeah, I, I'm a swimmer except I'm in New York for the past month, so I haven't been swimming. I've been walking 10 miles a day. But, um, for me, so my background comes out of Plen air landscape painting, where I would go all over the place looking for motifs. And ironically, when I moved to California 20 years ago, at the time I had been living in Connecticut and I was working with reflections in water. And what I liked best is when the wind would come up, or the tide if I was in a title thing, and it would just screw everything up, you know, it would just disintegrate. And I got taken on by a gallery in Los Angeles, and I don't know how the other artists feel about relationships with dealers, but I had a very intense relationship with this guy. And he goes, I love your landscapes.
(:They're beautiful, but I'm not gonna take you on until you move into abstraction. So I just dropped everything. And the guy turned out to be a little bit of a creep and, you know, closed his gallery three years later. But in the process, I met some other really great mid-career painters, and it really just opened me up. And I realized that critics in the past had written about my landscapes that the landscape was just an excuse to explore the language. So getting back to your comment about no straight lines, I want my work to float. I want it to feel like you are swimming, or I, I'm up on the 15th floor here in New York, and I, the clouds the sky. It kind of feels like I'm in that loading ambiguous world. And somebody said to me, What's the difference between painting landscape and abstraction? I thought I could do away with the horizon. I don't have to ground myself. So anyway, so there is a kind of structure though behind that, all that swirling and organic stuff. I'm very much about thinking about the grid or thinking about the rectangle as a force field, but you would never know it, looking at the work.
(:It's so good. Well, and I appreciated the comment about, you know, I, well, I really love your work, but I want you to do something else. Uh, is that an expression of your work? And a great compliment, but, you know, I want you to do something other than what you're doing.
(:Well, I think it was really a provocation, and just when I was in the process of moving from Connecticut to California, I had just started dipping my toe into more abstract work, but I was scared to death to show it. And then my next show in New York was half abstraction, half figuration or landscape. And I thought, I'll just, I'll be like a slide rule going back and forth, you know? And then this dealer came into my life and he is like, you know, you've gotta take a stand. You've gotta be
Of their interpretation. Yes. Yeah.
(:Yeah.
(:I love that. So, Bruce, let's bring you into the conversation. Bruce. Dean, your work is also on the surreal side of life, Very emotive. Uh, I wouldn't call it light and eerie though. Uh, how would you describe it?
(:Uh, an effort to be light eery? Maybe? I'm,
(:I'm not sure
(:Actually. It, it is so new to me. Um, I went in the opposite direction that Gina did. Uh, for 40 years. I was an abstract painter. Wow. And I, uh, I visited my daughter for the first time. She was living in Rome. I visited her in Rome for the first time, my first time in Rome. And I went to the cathedrals in the museums. And I came back at a, completely changed my word. My work began to be influenced by Renaissance painting. Uh, before then, my favorite painters were Richard Diebenkorn, for example, who has a connection at Davis, I believe. And, um, Mark Rothko, I, I, I swore by Mark Roth. That's, that's what I was aiming for. Uh, even though I started my career as an illustrator, um, because I didn't know what else to do when I got out of art school. Um, and it was rather naive because I showed Polaroids of my work to people.
(:It was kind of funny, but they believed in it. And I got jobs, and I started working as an illustrator. So I was trained in doing figurative work. But I think when it came to deciding what figurative work, what do I wanna say, what do I want it to look like, Uh, perhaps it was just the time when abstraction was so important. Uh, but also it was my feeling sort of naive about what to paint. Um, I finally asked, uh, an art consultant if she wanted to sell my illustrations that I still owned. And she said, Well, no, but I can sell that piece on your wall. And it was an abstraction that I'd done for myself,
Well, I was just about to ask you about birds
That has been suggested. Absolutely. That might be where that,
(:That's my, See that there, Gina, this is the, uh, viewer's interpretation probably had nothing to do with person's inspiration,
(:But when a viewer tells me that, it becomes my interpretation as well.
You'll take it
(:At. Absolutely. So
(:That's interesting. I have learned from some of the people that have reviewed my work on Almira, uh, John Crowder, one of your, your writers suggested that, uh, perhaps these birds, being in these odd places, these places where they don't belong might be a reaction to the pandemic. Maybe it's me saying, this is familiar territory, but I feel unfamiliar in this place in some way. And so I wasn't sure why I was painted them, to be honest with you, but I've sort of adopted that as a possibility. That could be it. Yeah. But I do find that they're compelling for me. I wanna
(:Do more. Well, they are, and the work is beautiful. Thank you. So maybe we could, uh, keep with the artists here for a second, but describe to us, as we've said about social and commerce, how these things have come together for you and maybe what benefits you've seen on the Altair, uh, gallery site and platform. What does it mean to you as an artist? And Marlena, maybe we could start with you
(:More, the interaction. Um, like Michael mentioned, it's more interactive. Um, people can make comments. And the critics. I wanted to say, Michael, that your critics are amazing, the way they write. They're so talented. I'm always so impressed. Um, so them writing about my work, it gives me like a different insight, like, um, oration of what I intended, intended, I'm sorry to convey. So that's one thing. And then also comments from just regular people. That's also very interesting. And the social part of it that you can just really easily connect to Twitter or Instagram or, Yeah, I think it's, it's really great. So the interactive part of it, and the amazing critics that, I don't know if you're hiring them, do they get paid? Cause they're doing an awesome job,
(:I'll be happy to pay them by the way. Just, just just let me know.
(:Well, I'm on a couple of other online galleries, and, um, what I love about Altair is that interactive quality. I mean, I just went to a zillion in person openings in New York last week, and, you know, just the crush of people. The, the social aspect had been missing for my, from my online galleries until Michael came along with Al Jamira. So, um, it, that interactive quality is, is really important. And just, I think just the sheer range of work. Um, you know, some days I'm like, Oh my God, you know, um, I don't like what I'm saying. And then other days it's like, Wow,
That's good. Bruce, how has it, uh, influenced you and helped you?
(:Well, it's, it's a very different experience than anything I've experienced recently. Um, I began my career showing illustration, but ultimately showing art in galleries, uh, that was an important thing back then. I would have my, I would have a group show or, or my show written about by a critic on Altair. I find people writing about a single painting. They get, they delve into it. They consider it, uh, they have people responding to their particular response. Uh, I'm learning from it. I really enjoy that aspect of it. I also think Michael, maybe coming from the world, he's come from, uh, your understanding of the internet and all those things, I think that you better understand how to get us out there, how to have more people look at what we're doing and think about it. Uh, every comment I get that's not from a critic on al, or writer from T on Alara is from an artist, it seems. And that's really gratifying. I, I love hearing other artists say, say something about my work. So, um, I think eventually it'll become a great sales platform. Uh, but right now I like it for just what it is for me. It's, uh, it's, it's having people see my work and understand more about it.
(:Yeah. So Michael, I think we're hearing this, uh, visibility certainly, but the empowerment, you've really also created a different kind of financial model, uh, Visas, Avi galleries, and maybe you could explain that a little bit.
(:Yeah, of course. Uh, so galleries have, physical galleries have really expensive real estate. Um, the easiest way to be successful as a physical gallery is having expensive real estate. And so, uh, they have to pass that cost along to the artists that they represent. Uh, there, there are, in some small cases, apparently galleries that will take 30% from their artists. But I've only talked to artists who have worked with galleries who take 50%. Um, and more and more I'm talking to artists who, the gallery isn't necessarily selling the work. The work might be in the gallery, but, um, a lot of the, the sales are coming through their own marketing efforts, whether that's on Instagram, uh, or what have you. And so we looked at that and said, What, what's the lowest amount that we can take and be economically viable? Uh, and that's 10%.
(:Uh, and so that's, that's what we take from artists is 10%, meaning artists keep 90% as opposed to the 10%. Um, and we just think that's a, a better way of doing it. Uh, there are some platforms that artists can sell on, and, and those are typically around 30%, um, that aren't Alara, I should say. And, and I think they looked out and were like, Okay, physical galleries are taking 50%. So what's a, what's a number that anchors down and is demonstrably different, but it's still the highest amount we can take. And so that's kind of the different approach. And, uh, from a business standpoint, it's a long term view as opposed to a short term one. Um, we think that over the long run, if we are the best place for artists to, uh, to sell their work for them, to market their work, build their sort of following credibility, reputation, then we'll be really, really successful. As opposed to what is the, the fastest way we can extract value from everybody? Um, and that would be the short term view. So we're just trying to take the long term approach. Yes.
(:And Gina, I wanted
(:To add, Go ahead. Wanted to add one thing really quickly, and that is, I, I'm very glad that we found each other Michael, but I, I would imagine if I were a young artist right now, how remarkable would be to begin with something like your platform, I think it's, it's, uh, it's a great thing for people my age, but also for young artists coming involved.
(:Yeah, that's great. Well, Gina, I was wondering, I guess from the standpoint of the artist brand, you know, it's, it's not only a creative pursuit, but it, it's a livelihood, it's a business. And so, you know, does this model, uh, change things from your artist's point of view? How relevant is it?
(:Well, you know, first off, Michael, I think when you and I first had our first conversation probably a year ago, you know, I was astounded that you could make this model work with a 10% commission, because the online galleries that I have, and private dealers and galleries, it's all 50%. So, Bravo
And, you know, so having literally just experienced this and all the artists that were in the art fair and the dealers were meeting for drinks in Brooklyn tonight, and I, I'm really curious, like, how do they feel this shift worked for them? And anyway, Michael, it's made me think you are so damn creative A month from now, you're gonna come up with some new
That's good. Well, and Mar Marlena, uh, looking ahead for you, what's on the horizon? You know, we've been talking about horizon lines and landscape, and I just realized I, uh, used it in a different context. But, you know, looking ahead for you and your craft, but also this business kind of venture on Altair, how do you see things going forward for you?
(:Um, to me, I always see life as a learning experience. So I don't see like, uh, there's this goal that I have to reach. Um, to me it's just continuing to grow and grow and grow and get better at what I do. Get better at selling with the help of people like Michael with Altair, and just continue, keep trying. If there's something new that comes, I'll try it. So maybe it's not very ambitious, but to me, I don't know. I think I'm at a point in my life where I, that's how I see my life. Mm-hmm.
Wonderful. Bruce, how are you think seeing things in the future? What's next for you?
(:Well, I just got influenced by Marlena speaking a moment ago.
See. Wonderful word
(:Isn't. Yeah. Uh, I was just gonna say, Bruce, that's the joy about being an artist. We're we're lifetime learners, I guess. And you know, like if you stay stuck in a certain mode of thinking or making you get bored, Right?
Right.
(:Well, Michael, you're the artist that, uh, they're learning and growing. How are you an TIR are gonna continue to learn and grow? What do you see out there?
(:Yeah, we, we have a sort of a two things. One, a long backlog of continued innovations and feature improvements on the platform itself to help further connect artists, critics, and buyers, um, and more rich ways and in ways that help artists sort of grow their brand and, and collectors find art that they love. Um, but I think that the second thing more concretely is the pink price and prize, which is a prize that we've created at Altara, um, to, uh, award the, the best artists who is on altara and, and who's posted on Alara. Um, which we will award that in February to participate. You just have to sign up on Altara as an artist and, and post some work. Um, it's, it's a little different than a typical art prize in that one part of it. The first half of how we get the finalist is all made up of popular votes.
(:Um, part of all Tamara is an up voting system, kind of like Reddit. Um, and then the second half we do have, uh, a, um, group of jurors who will be evaluating those finalists and pick the, the final winner. Um, among them we've got, uh, somebody who used to work for MoMA. We've got, uh, our resident critic, John Crowder, another, um, art podcaster named John Dalton. And then, uh, a, a critic who writes for, um, I think the Huffington Post and, and also has a npr, um, affiliate. And we're also in talks right now with, uh, a museum to come on and, and be a title sponsor for partner for that. Not sponsor. Shouldn't miss me. Those are the, and, and I'm really excited about that because I think that helps get the word out for artists. Um, it, it helps bring more eyeballs from collectors. It also gets more artists onto the platform. And, um, as, as I know this podcast is about how do you create and how do you promote. Um, we, we think that the best way for us to promote is through the community, through things like this. But, um, each artist knows five collectors with the thousands of artists we now have on the platform. If they, each artist were to tell those five collectors to come check it out, we now have a ton of collectors looking at everybody's art.
(:Fantastic. Well, what a great conversation. I've really enjoyed this and, and the creative simulation, and I know the listeners have too. Michael, thanks for coming on and telling us about Altair.
(:Of course. Thanks so much for having us, Mark,
(:And thanks Marlena and Gina and Bruce for telling us all about, uh, your creative inspiration and how you, uh, execute and promote and market your own artwork. Thank you. And thank you. Thank you very much. I enjoyed it. Yeah, likewise. We're gonna continue these panel discussions. I, I really like the interaction. It sounds like, uh, this even a forum for you guys to talk to each other, Michael. Think, think about a weekly series where we have a Zoom call where, uh, the artists can talk to each other. That's a free idea done for you,
Perfect. Perfect.
(:Listeners, you, I hope you've enjoyed this panel discussion as much as I have. My guest has been Michael Fashion of Altair, along with artists who are on the platform, Marlina, Ganas, Gina Warhol, and Bruce Dean. And they're, uh, links and coordinates are all in the show notes. So take some time to look at the artwork and look at the stories behind them. Uh, we've laughed about some inspiration that sometimes comes out, uh, but there's a lot more behind. You'll even read about how Michael, his aunt owned a gallery when he was a kid, and that helped inspire him for a love of art, even from a young age. These are great stories and we love to bring those on this podcast. So until next time, I'm Mark Stinson and we'll continue to unlock your world of creativity. We'll see you next time,
(:Unlocking your world of creativity with bestselling author and brand innovator, Mark Stinson. This program was produced by BSB Media creators of leadership stories unlocking your world of creativity and the peace room.love
