Car Boot Sale no easier to access than a gallery..

This seems the right blog as visual art is close enough to animation. Thrown out of the Art Carbootfair today. Letter on facebook group was truncated. I am in rave mood I suppose.

So copy below=

Hello Wendy

I am still thinking about ways to work on photography and video around visual images. More on this later. Meanwhile here are the facts as I see them about earlier today.

I had spoken to you on the phone last night about wanting to video for YouTube and stills for Flickr on the Art Carboot Fair in Exeter. You said that you did not want this to happen as you had your own plans. However I did not think i had explained myself very well so wanted to talk to you in person. Today I paid a pound to get in, asked to speak to you but you were not then available. I spoke to a couple of people with exhibits, then was able to speak to you. I pointed out that I intended to blog in text, reporting what I observed and thought. You asked me to leave as you did not want to encourage such activity. I asked what you would do if the Express and Echo or BBC wished to report the event. You stated that you were yourself the effective reporter for the Express and Echo as you would be writing their story. You then refunded me my pound admission but refused to sign a reciept as proof that I had entered the event with reasonable grounds for the conversations with people also attending. I then left.

If there are nay of the facts above you think are untrue, please let me know as soon as possible.

I am trying to explore ways in which online media can be used to promote local events. I have done video on other occasions at the Castle and other places. I don't do interviews or photograph images unless the people involved give permission.

But I think there are some policy issues that are worth looking at. Many music performers now accept that Youtube video appears of their performances. Visual artists are less relaxed about this. I am not sure whether the artists have the same approach as the management from galleries. The "carbootsale" suggests some informality but my guess is that few galleries would have an image rights policy as controlled as yours. May be wrong about this, photography is quite rare.

I am also quite concerned about the Express and Echo. A few years ago they had exclusive image rights on the Ice Rink in the castle. They did not give permission for others to do video. Some video did appear on YouTube but very casually. As local news adjusts to online technology there may be subsidy for local newspapers that also start to do video. My own view is that this should welcome links between news organisations and other contributions, including YouTube and bloggers. When the Express and Echo makes arrangements for exclusive image rights it may not be moving in a sensible direction. Online, some brands benefit from a more open approach.

Hope you will reconsider your policy on a future occasion.

Will