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T h e
U n c e r t a i n t y
P r i n c i p l e
FOR GLASS ARTISTS TREFNY DIX
an d B e n g t H o k a n s o n , fin d in g a
g r o o v e in th e p a st fiv e y e a r s h as
b e e n a c h a lle n g e . T h e t w o m et
in N e w O rle a n s in th e m id-
1 9 9 0
s an d la u n ch e d a h o t sh o p
an d g a lle r y b u sin e ss in N e w
Y o r k state tw o y e a rs la te r. U lti-
m a te ly , d e m a n d fro m re ta ile rs
w a s so g r e a t th a t th e lo g ic a l
n e x t s te p w a s to e x p a n d . B u t
th e y d id n ’t w a n t th e h e a d a c h e s
th a t c o m e w ith e x p a n s io n , so
th e y m o v e d to N o r th C a ro lin a
in
2 0 0 7
an d fo c u s e d o n th e ir
w h o le s a le b u sin e ss in ste a d .
T h e n th e e c o n o m y cra sh e d
in
2 0 0 8
, and all b e ts w e r e o ff.
N o w th e y ’v e re s ta rte d , ag ain ,
o f f th e b e a te n p ath in C o lo r a d o .
(S e e p a g e
6 2
fo r th e ir s to r y .)
H o k a n s o n an d D ix re p r e -
se n t o n e p rin c ip le in a tro u b le d
e c o n o m y : W h e n th e g o in g g e ts
to u g h , th e to u g h k e e p m o v in g
- so m e tim e s lite r a lly .
T h e s e are tim e s th a t tr y a rt-
is ts ’ so u ls - an d th e so u ls o f g a l-
le r y o w n e r s an d a rt d e a le rs to o .
W e are in th e m id st o f a “ g re a t
c o n s u m e r b u s t,” sa y s th e
N e w
T o rk T im es;
A m e r ic a n s u su a lly
c u t th e ir s p e n d in g b y a b o u t
3
p e rc e n t in a re c e ssio n , b u t this
tim e s p e n d in g is d o w n a lm o st
7
p e rc e n t. A n d n o w o n d e r :
W e ’v e e n te re d a fr o n tie r o f
h igh u n e m p lo y m e n t, b a n k ru p t-
c ie s , an d h o m e fo r e c lo s u r e s ,
and n o b o d y re a lly k n o w s w h a t’s
o n th e o th e r sid e.
T h e n o rm al re a c tio n to su ch
u n c e r ta in ty is n o t a c tio n b u t
p a ra ly s is. H u m a n b e in g s are
stasis s e e k e rs . (S o m e are also
sta tu s s e e k e r s , b u t th a t’s a n o th -
e r c o lu m n .) W e w a n t e q u ilib -
riu m in o u r liv e s , an d m a n y o f
us are re lu c ta n t to ta k e a c tio n
w ith o u t it. Y e s , w e are ratio n al
b e in g s , th in k e rs an d p la n n ers.
B u t w e are also a n im a ls, and th e
p rim itiv e , an im al p a rt o f o u r
b rain s o fte n o p e ra te s fro m fe a r,
in te r p r e tin g u n c e r ta in ty and
d iseq u ilib riu m as th re a ts to o u r
s u rv iv a l. W h e n th e w o r ld is
c h a o tic , it fe e ls m o re n a tu ra l,
sa fe r, an d w is e r to w a it th an
to a c t. It ta k e s c o u ra g e to fig h t
th a t an im al u rg e .
I th o u g h t a b o u t th is as w e
w e r e p u ttin g to g e th e r th is
issu e , fo c u s e d o n th e m a rk e t-
p la ce . F o r p e o p le w ith a s tro n g
n e e d fo r sta sis, th e m a rk e tp la c e
o f r e c e n t y e a rs h as b e e n a tria l.
A lo t o f us lik e c la r ity , fo rm u la ,
an d c lo s u re , an d th is e c o n o m y
has b e e n fie n d is h ly u n re v e a lin g ,
in d ecip h e ra b le , and in co n clu siv e.
A n d y e t. I t ’s p o s s ib le to se e
o p p o r tu n ity in u n c e r ta in ty , n o t
sim p ly d a n g e r. A r t d e a le r T o m
G r o tta has seen o n e se g m e n t
o f h is c lie n te le - c o lle c to r s -
w a n e ; b u t as h e d e v e lo p e d h is
“ d ig ita l p la c e m e n t” s e r v ic e ,
a n o th e r se g m e n t, d e c o ra to rs ,
h as e m e rg e d (p a g e
2 2
). L o n g -
tim e g a lle ris t G a rth C la r k to o k
a y e a r to e x p lo r e o p tio n s , le a p t
in to th e a u c tio n b u sin e ss, and
fo u n d h is b u sin e ss th riv in g
again (p a g e
4 4
). A n d H o k a n so n
and D ix are s e iz in g th e o p p o rtu -
n ity to c h u c k th e p ro d u c tio n
w o r k th e y n e v e r lik e d m u ch
to b e g in w ith .
I re a d r e c e n tly th a t th e r e ’s
m o re in fo rm a tio n in a S u n d a y
e d itio n o f th e
N e w T o rk T im es
th an w a s a v a ila b le in th e e n tire
1 5
th c e n tu ry . U n fo r tu n a te ly ,
th a t d o e s n ’t m ak e th e rig h t
c o u rs e o f a c tio n a n y m o re o b v i-
o u s th an it e v e r w a s . T h e tr ic k
is to p u t fe a r a sid e , c o n s id e r
p o s s ib ilitie s , an d k e e p tr y in g .
0 1 0
a m e r i c a n c r a f t
o c t / n o v n
Photo: Mark LaPavor
