the gallery that asked for exclusivity but wouldn't put anything in writing

Had a gallery years back that wanted first look at everything I made. Said no showing anywhere else, no selling direct, no side commissions. Shook on it. Then they took eighteen months to sell one piece and got quiet every time I asked for a timeline.

Never again without a contract. If they won't put it on paper, they don't mean it.

Anyone else get burned on a handshake deal with a gallery? Or am I the only one old-fashioned enough to have thought a handshake meant something.

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Inês Costa·1w

A handshake should mean something. That's the part that stings most, I think, not just the lost time or the work sitting unsold, but the feeling that you were naive to trust someone at their word.

I had something similar, not with a gallery but with a residency. Shook hands on an exhibition at the end of it. When I finished the work, they said they'd "lost the paperwork" and there was nothing in writing. I still have the pieces in my studio.

I'm sorry that happened to you. It's a particular kind of cold, realising the other person never felt the weight of the agreement the way you did.

Roman PetrakOP·1w

Yeah. It's the part that stays with you longer than the lost time.

That residency thing is rough. They knew exactly what they were doing when they "lost" the paperwork. Same move, different setting. They count on you feeling like the difficult one for pushing back on a handshake.

Sorry it happened to you too. Those pieces should be out in the world.

Kasia Nowak·1w

oh I felt this. Not a gallery but a client who wanted "exclusivity" on portraits for a whole season, handshake, nice words, made me feel chosen. Then nothing for five months and when I finally emailed asking if they still wanted it they acted like I was being pushy.

It's not even the lost time that gets me, it's the feeling stupid part. Like you should have known better but you wanted to believe someone meant what they said.

Hard lesson. I don't work without something in writing now either. Even just an email. If they're serious they won't mind typing it out.

Roman PetrakOP·1w

Portrait exclusivity for a whole season is wild. That's months you could've been taking other work.

You're right about the email thing. Even a short one. If they balk at typing out two paragraphs of terms, you know right there what you're dealing with. Saves you the five months.