What was the defining moment that propelled you to start your own gallery?
I was 27, had started a family, and was doing a series of terrible dead end jobs. I was trying to be an artist but came to the realization that I did not have the willingness nor the ability to live the solitary, obsessive life that I felt the type of art I wanted to do required. I opened a closet-sized gallery, sold everything out of my first show, and thought, “This is easy.” I did not sell anything else for 3 months, and was a day or two from going out of business when someone walked through the doors and bought a painting. I have been hooked ever since.
What struggles did you face when starting your own business?
The normal day to day struggles of finding clients, dealing with unscrupulous art dealers, placating egotistical artists, haggling with cheap collectors, the expenses of rent, shipping and insurance. The biggest struggle though was doing it on my own. I now have 5 people working with me. I look back and think, “How did I do that?”
What was the riskiest move you ever made?
Nothing seems that risky in my business. Sure you can get burned and lose money but in the long run it’s not brain surgery, and you are probably not going to really hurt yourself or someone else that much by selling or buying a piece of art. Financially, the riskiest move I ever made might have been moving into my new, much larger gallery space.
If you could change the past, is there anything involving your career that you would do differently?
I would have realized earlier on that no matter how much people act like they “know” art and they are the big authorities, it is a very subjective endeavor and my thoughts on the subject are as valid as the next person. I would have worked on my modesty concerning taking a few more chances, making myself more visible, and speaking up a bit more.
Could you ever go back to a “normal job,” working for someone else?
No. I got into this business because of the freedom to do what I want and that is what has kept me going. The art world is a little like the Wild West; besides the normal constraints of civilized business practices, we are able to make our own rules, define art any which way we want, move objects around the world pretty freely without a lot of tariffs or taxes, and not be tied down by many regulations.
What personality traits must a someone possess in order to do what you do and be successful?
Tenacity. Having a relatively hard shell when it comes to people being critical about your taste. A willingness to gamble. Liking and really enjoying people. Not being scared to fail. A love in discovering new things even though your first instinct is to stick with old pleasures.
In the beginning, if you could have had a glimpse into where your work is today, what 3 words describe how you might have felt?
OH MY GAWD.
Peter Alexander: Perception of Desire opens at Quint Contemporary Art Saturday, April 20th (6-8pm) and runs until June 1st.
Photo by Tim Hardy.
What was the defining moment that propelled you to start Subtext?
The feeling is exactly the same today as then. Do great work (the rest will all fall into place).
Projects: Underbelly, Craft & Commerce Expansion, Car 2 Go San Diego and Washington D.C., Delux Dog, Prana, Core Power Yoga (all West Coast locations)
What was the defining moment that propelled you to start your own business?
I was sitting with a friend in a café about 20 years ago on some barstools made out of rebar and thought the idea of the reuse of such a simple material was interesting. At the time, I was helping my brother’s construction company’s concrete division and thought, here is a ton (literally) of dropped material we typically threw away. So I began making all kinds of furniture and objects with the leftover rebar, and sold it mostly in resale stores. After a while, my objects were selling enough where I thought “what the hell, cut out the middleman and open a store.” So, I opened Basile Gallery in 1994 and offered a refuge for local artists to display their work along with my furniture and objects. After a few requests to custom build some pieces the projects kept getting larger and larger. After a while, the furniture gig took a back seat and I was just designing and building custom architectural details, furniture for fun.
What struggles did you face starting out?
In my early career, there was hardly an art community and even less of an art buying community. So for all artists it was difficult to get work and even more difficult getting paid enough to live. Now, as a designer and builder, the main issue has and will always be expansion. The amount of effort to have three to four businesses running simultaneously is difficult to finance and very difficult to manage. I have a hard time sitting still so the struggle always exists. It’s never easy.
What was the riskiest move you ever made?
I sold everything I had to start my business and had no fall back position, but the most risky is an everyday occurrence really. We are always taking risks with the projects we design and somehow figure out how to build. It’s a fun risk once you get down to it.
If you could change the past, is there anything involving your career that you would do differently?
Nothing, really. Everything that has put me in this position, no matter how difficult, was for a reason and I respect it.
Could you ever go back to a “normal job,” working for someone else?
I have been on my own too long, I can’t even imagine it.
What personality traits must an entrepreneur possess?
The ability to make quick, logical decisions. An open mind and consideration of all avenues, not leaving anything on the table. Approachable to all. I guess, be likeable (not sure if I fit this one). Stay in tune with what’s happening in your field, adjust and always redefine. Go with your gut feeling on the big decisions.
In the beginning, if you could have had a glimpse into where your work is today, what three words describe how you might have felt?
• Refined – Not over designed.
• Exhaustive – I have always believed you should think through every possibility until you have exhausted the idea. The tediousness of the action makes you certain.
• Crafted – All details, from design, to build, to installation, to function, to aesthetics satisfy the need for having it exist.
Projects: Puma Outlets, Puma SoHo, Sushilicious, Dlush, 900 F Street, Candela’s, Challenged Athletes Foundation
What was the defining moment that propelled you to start your own architecture firm?
My life is a string of fortuitous chance encounters. My friends have been the greatest help, defining me as an architect and referring clients. As long as I can remember I’ve been designing for “clients.” I’ve always loved trying to understand what’s inside people’s heads. My best friend helped me start, and the first day we picked up the business cards, with ink on our fingerprints because they were still wet, the very first person we handed them to hired us on the spot.
What struggles did you face when starting your own business?
There is an old saying “architecture is a great profession and a lousy business.” It’s true. We always struggled with the balancing act of running a creative practice as a business. I stopped trying to design buildings and started designing experiences. Now we focus solely on innovations to impact the client’s life. Life and business then got a whole lot more exciting.
What was the riskiest move you ever made?
I try to listen to my heart and follow my instinct. I don’t like to gamble. I like having all the facts and I really am risk averse, and as an architect, I think that’s a good thing. That being said, the riskiest move I made was trying to get into manufacturing. That didn’t go well. It just reinforced what I already believe: Focus on your strengths, not your weakness. I am way better at listening to a client’s needs and bringing that to fruition than manufacturing steel.
If you could change the past, is there anything involving your career that you would do differently?
Ask for help and listen more to the people around me.
Could you ever go back to a “normal job,” working for someone else?
This is not “normal”? We all work for someone else, and a job, or the gift of purpose, is the highest form of charity. We all exist at the bequest and benevolence of someone else. I truly believe this, and this is why I love working with clients. They are the reason for my existence, they are patrons. I love listening and trying to truly understand and bring their goals to fruition with the best possible outcome and the greatest good, given our constraints.
What personality traits must someone possess in order to do what you do and be successful?
Empathy. It’s the single most important trait in design and the second most important trait in professional life. The first is timing.
In the beginning, if you could have had a glimpse into where your work is today, what 3 words describe how you might have felt?
Thank you, Mom.
