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Q & A
With Larry Winn

By Susanne Casgar
ABN Editorial Director

Meet Larry Winn, founder and president of Grand Image Ltd., a Seattle-based art publishing company, and partner with the Flavia Company, a Santa Barbara, CA, service-oriented art management firm, specializing in Flavia (as in the artist Flavia Weedn) brand consumer products. Winn is also founder of Winn Devon Art Group Ltd., a Seattle-based art publishing company that he sold in the late 1980s.

Q. Tell us about your start in the art business?
Mine is not a very glamorous story. I had heard about this guy in Chicago named Jack Newman who would consign $20,000 of framed artwork for a $5,000 deposit. Since that's about all the money I had, it worked for me. I opened a dinky, and I use this word loosely, "gallery" in Spokane, WA, and realized early on I was in way over my head. I didn't know anything about the business or the artwork. I tended bar in the evenings from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. to keep the doors open and my family fed. Recognizing that owning a gallery was not for me, I started repping for two publishers: Circle Fine Art and Fidelity Arts.

Q. You went from the stock market to art. What inspired you to enter the art business?
I was reasonably successful in the security business, but was becoming disillusioned with it. I didn't hate it, but on a fluke, I heard about the opportunity in Chicago that I mentioned at the beginning. I was inspired by the idea of owning my own business and dealing with a product that I loved.

Q. You've obviously been inspired by many dynamic people in this industry. Which five have been the most interesting?
"Interesting" is a curious word, and limiting this answer to five people is difficult. But six people that come to mind immediately are: Bruce McGaw—for having the courage to come out with a major poster catalog before that business model even existed in our industry; Craig Ponzio and Steve McKenzie—Larson- Juhl founder Craig and CEO Steve created the 500-pound gorilla in the framing industry and still maintained a conscience; Robert Sher—I admire and envy the generosity of his time and involvement in various industry organizations; and two names that are more recent to our industry: Jack Solomon, founder of Circle Fine Art, and Jules Katz of Fidelity Arts. These guys were true pioneers in the art publishing business, publishing artists such as Le Roy Neiman, Erte, Norman Rockwell and many others. Jules has been retired for many years and Jack is still active in S2 Corp. in Chicago. Then there are my employees. This may sound self-serving, but I have been blessed with some of the most talented and loyal people in the industry: Steve Lantz, Barb Adams, Buster Baba and Kelly Aust, all of whom have 15 years or more with me.

Q. Where do you look for new artists?
The usual places—the Internet, trade shows and gallery shows, magazines, etc. One of the benefits of being in the industry a long time is that one develops a reputation and we are often fortunate in receiving referrals from either artists or customers.

Q. Where have you had the most luck in finding talented new and emerging artists?
If I had the answer to that, I'd put up a tent and camp there year-round. There is very little luck involved, just a lot of hard work. We do have a tendency to focus on domestic artists. Even with the advent of the Internet, it is still difficult doing business internationally.

Q. How would you encourage collectors to trust their "aesthetic instincts" in choosing art for their homes or offices?
I see this as a process. If the collectors are neophytes, they should probably have some sort of direction from a gallery owner, art consultant or whomever to give them some sort of direction as to a menu of choices. From that menu, they can feel comfortable selecting what really appeals to them. I think the key is for the collector to trust the source of the artwork. If that individual's taste and integrity suits them, they will probably select the right works. As the collector becomes more exposed to artwork, the better his "eye" becomes. It's like reading—you start with comic books as a kid, and then your intellect ultimately demands more.

Q. Why did you choose the name "Grand Image" for your company?
The word "grand" was really the key. I love images BIG and on a grand scale. I also like the elegance of the word "grand." I like the word "image" as it defines more succinctly the business we are really in—selling images, licensing images and publishing images. I don't view our company as a pure "art" business.

Q. Tell us about your art collection? Do you have a favorite piece?
I would classify my art collection as good, but not great. I think that great collections are ones that have a real focus, and mine is far too eclectic. I have a lot of Dale Chihuly glass as I became friends with Dale about 25 years ago, and could afford it then. I own at least a dozen TL Lange paintings; two Tom Wesselmann screen prints; some original prints by Thomas Hart Benton and Lautrec; a steel sculpture by Texas artist Joe Barrington; random works by Donald Sultan, Malcolm Liepke and Douglas Morris; and, of course, some paintings by longtime GI artist Max Hayslette and Maeve Harris. I also have a lot of funky stuff that I'm not even sure would be classified as "art" and might be considered ephemera. And, I have photography and some unique mid-century furniture and first edition, signed books.

Q. If you could own any painting, which one would it be?
Any Botticelli—and if it's not available, perhaps a major Picasso.

Q. If you could choose any artist to paint your portrait, who would it be?
Lucien Freud.

Q. What is the best thing about living in the Northwest?
Certainly not the weather, but rather the environment and culture that has been fostered as a by-product of this wet topography. Because we don't have the sun and sand of say, Southern California, city activities tend to lean toward more indoor pursuits—books, theater, cinema, music, and yes, art. For a city the size of Seattle, it is astonishing the amount of artistic talent that exists and proliferates in this magnificent town. And the natural beauty of Puget Sound, the lakes and the mountains are stunningly beautiful. It is a real city, not a downtown area surrounded by suburbs.

Q. Where is your favorite place to vacation?
If this question was asked prior to 9/11, I would have said the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Because travel is such a headache now, I prefer our summer home on Lake Chelan, on the other side of the Cascade Mountains.

Q. Is there one piece of 20th-century technology that you can't live without?
You are asking me to choose between a telephone, cars, television and computers? Tough question. I guess I'll go with the telephone.

Q. If there was one thing in your career or personal life that you could go back and change, what would it be?
In my personal life, I would go back and spend more time with my family during the early years. In business, I would like to have learned earlier the power of focus and not to do too many things at one time.

Q. What CDs do you have in your changer?
Old-school-wise, I have "Midnight Marauders" by Tribe Called Quest and P.M. Dawn. More recent CDs include Lucinda Williams, Black-Eyed Peas and Elvis Costello's "Favorite Picks."

Q. What do you do to relax on the weekend?
Play tennis, read and watch movies.

Q. What is your favorite comfort food? Your favorite restaurant?
Steak and eggs over easy on hashbrowns is my favorite comfort food. I have two favorite restaurants, both of which are in New York City—Milos (uptown) and Da Silvan (downtown).

Q. You're an avid reader, I'm told. What is the last book that you read?
I just re-read the short stories of Flannery O'Connor and am reading Sid Fields' book on screenwriting.

Q. You're also a "Hoopaholic." Who, in your opinion, is the best basketball player that you've ever watched?
Same as everybody else—Michael Jordan.

Q. If you were to ask yourself a question that I haven't asked, what would it be? And what would be your answer?
My question would be, "why have you been blessed with such good luck in your lifetime?" Answer: I have absolutely no idea, but my hope is that there is a reason behind what seems to be random.

Q. Tell us the secret of your success.
Success is relative, I assume you mean business-wise. Three things come to mind: 1) Recognize that there are no easy deals. 2) Always do the right thing when making decisions, even if it hurts for the short term. 3) Persevere, persevere, persevere.

Q. What was the defining moment when you thought, "I've made it; I'm a success"?
I don't think there really ever was such a moment. It's like Irving Berlin once said, "The problem with success is that you have to keep succeeding."