ETGalleries is looking to change the way the art game is played.
By Elizabeth Joyce
“Artistic integrity is important to me. All along I’ve promised not to ever compromise because someone is famous or because there is a good chance I will sell his artwork. That is the least of my considerations.”
Edward Tarashchansky has his ear to the ground. Watchfully, thoughtfully, and painstakingly, he has crafted a business plan for a revolutionary art gallery that is poised to shake the foundations of the all too formulaic art scene of New York and beyond. His experience as a power player on the international stage has taught him the tricks of the trade, but his conscience and nuanced artistic sensibility counsels him to raise the standards of the game.
The art world, too often, is in the service of two masters: public demand and artistic credibility. It takes a multifaceted-and fresh-approach like Tarashchansky’s to break the mold. His new concept brings together different components, many of them aimed at making the average man or woman of taste comfortable in an artistic environment. All that is left is to find an investor (or group of investors) to bankroll his multi-million dollar vision.
“The idea came up from a very simple observation,” he says. “Many times, if you see people wandering into galleries who are not initially thinking about buying art or actively looking, most will stay there for five or six minutes, maximum, since they don’t feel comfortable.”
For Tarashchansky, the days of stark white walls, judgmental stares by icy gallerinas, and incomprehensible art babble are over. His plan lures in a wider audience and bewitches them with the honest beauty of his artwork and the comfortable and inviting setting that he provides.
“From the moment I started in September 2003, my idea was to promote artwork that is beautiful, objectively speaking, and artists who have real talent, especially when compared to the many artists that are far from being talented but are extensively promoted to the general public,” he adds.
Looking around at his peers, he is disgusted by some of the work that passes for art today. Tarashchansky feels that the public is exposed to too much bad art, that the market is saturated with talentless hacks that peddle substandard wares propped up by overzealous promoters. Conversely, his mission-his creed-is to present the public with pure art inspired by genuine talent. In this way, his gallery will be a breath of fresh air.
“Artistic integrity is important to me. All along I’ve promised not to ever compromise because someone is famous or because there is a good chance I will sell his artwork. That is the least of my considerations,” he says.
Tarashchansky scours the globe for promising artists. He has a warm place in his heart for emerging artists, but not at the expense of respect for established artists of quality. For him, anyone who can produce true beauty, regardless of his or her name or bankability, is an artist worthy of his blood, sweat, and tears. The product is more important than an established name within the art community.
This commitment to greatness in art comes out of a respect for the public and a deep concern for art education worldwide. He fears that the public mind is contaminated by bad art and knows that the solution can only come through proactive dealers refusing to sell anything but the very best.
He plans to make a splash first in Soho. Then, once his model is proven, once the city catches flame with his revolutionary ideas, he has plans for four satellite locations. For Edward Tarashchansky, the course is fully charted, the only piece missing from the puzzle is the eager investor who sees the potential in the synergy of artistic integrity and sound financial sense… and is willing to take the plunge.
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