Deborah Baic/The Globe and Mail
For a business founded in Paris, YellowKorner doesn't have a very French-sounding name. Then again, the intention behind this growing chain of photography shops has always been accessibility – to eliminate both the intimidation often inherent in traditional gallery environments, and the frequently out-of-reach expense of purchasing a limited edition print. Torontonians Blair Trudell and Bill Harlow were so convinced by this approach, first conceived by Alexandre de Metz and Paul-Antoine Briat in 2006, that they decided to bring YellowKorner to Canada. The first Canadian location, a 1,500-square-foot space in The Shops at Don Mills, opened on Aug. 15, and an Ottawa outpost is already in the works. Although largely unfamiliar with the world of photography, Mr. Trudell and Mr. Harlow are hoping to capitalize on Toronto's condo boom – and all those bare walls. They also hope to add more Canadian photographers to the company's worldwide roster as they expand across the country.
How does a litigator find himself selling art prints?
Blair Trudell: Two years ago, my wife and I were on our honeymoon in Paris and saw YellowKorner. I was totally blown away. I absolutely love art and it caters to people who love art and photography but find it inaccessible. I dropped about €900 ($1,100) for a giant-format piece called FIAC by Jean-Paul Espaignet. It was totally worth it.
Of all possible locations in Toronto, why The Shops at Don Mills?
B.T.: Well, first of all, I think it is an amazing place; it's been first to market for brands like McEwen and Anthropologie and offers something different than other malls. We didn't want it to be an obvious place – we wanted that French sense of discovery, a little bit off the beaten path.
I wouldn't call The Shops 'off the beaten path'…
B.T.: Okay, not entirely. But it is a place that people know but may not entirely know where it is. The other thing is, YellowKorner is about democratizing art; we want to make sure it's available to the suburbs and not just another Queen West gallery. It's also meant to be an environment that's not intimidating and The Shops offers a certain outdoor village feeling.
Are French founders aware that tastes are regional – that people here might gravitate toward different subject matter than Parisians?
B.T.: Definitely. You can already see it between the locations in Short Hills [New Jersey] versus Soho.
Where do you think Toronto tastes lean?
B.T.: I see a lot of the urban contemporary, cityscape stuff doing very well here. The real interesting thing will be to see how well our fashion does here. The sole Canadian on our roster right now, Kourtney Roy, has a lot of nudes and they're a bit abstract and cold but editorial. It does really well in Paris. Not as well in Short Hills.
Explain the local quota – is it like your version of CanCon?
B.T.: Our goal is to have 25 per cent of the prints from local artists within two years. It will take a bit of time and we're going to be very careful about how we curate. We will also try and do two events per month to engage the artists and the community – photography classes, for example.
Does this mean that Canadian artists will also be available at the worldwide locations?
Bill Harlow: Everything is universal, so a Toronto artist that we select will be imported into the catalogue and they can be in Barcelona, Paris or New York.
But artists place value on their own work. It's easy to wonder whether this is a form of selling out.
B.T.: The YellowKorner concept is threatening to some because it provokes the question of "what is art and how do you sell it?" But those questions are so esoteric. You're never going to figure them out. Artists need to earn a living. And the fact is, if you're stirred by an image, who cares. For a photographer, it's personally validating. And then you could argue the opposite – just because there's one of something doesn't give it more value. Look at the [Damien Hirst's] stuffed shark. It's really just a stuffed shark. I wouldn't go so far as to say we're anti-gallery, but we're trying to get away from that – because that's what makes art intimidating and exclusive.
Why would someone want to buy one of these prints instead of a poster of a photograph?
B.H.: Everything is printed in France. It's photographic paper, not a scanned image. And each one is individually printed.
B.T.: The paradox and irony of it all is that in many cases, the more visibility an image gets, the higher its value will go on the market. That's why you can't even enter that debate realistically – you're never going to figure out the logic. How much would the Mona Lisa cost if it were to go on the auction block today? And yet you can find iPhone covers and whatever.
But then in the age of Instagram, anyone can take a nice picture and turn it into wall art.
B.T.: So then you can come be a YellowKorner artist! Actually, I've thought a hundred thousand times, "Why don't I just go and do this." But the truth is, I never do. And although I was joking before, it's not like YellowKorner is only accepting professional photographers. We are hoping to set up a local curatorial art committee to help the selection locally, and then recommendations would be made to France.
Are you prepared for getting into the retail biz?
B.H.: I don't know what's gotten into me but it's going to be fun. We worked at the stores in Paris. It's exciting to watch people get grabbed by something. Blair sold a number of pieces to a couple from the Congo.
B.T.: We'll see. Talk to me in a year. But no, really, it's about a love of what we're offering. I have faith in it.
This article has been condensed and edited.