It Pays to Advertise
~ by Beverly J. Koski
During the summer of 2008, New Yorkers were surprised to read "See the World through Ana's eyes". This message appeared on hundreds of hoardings, bus shelters, phone kiosks and billboards in heavy traffic areas. It was simple and eye catching in its white lettering on black. One could not help but notice. Curiosity was stimulated amongst even the most jaded. Searching the internet did not turn up any clues. Office workers quizzed each other.
Finally, in October, strikingly bright coloured reproductions of paintings replaced the simple ads over a text which read, "See the World through Ana Tzarev's eyes". Mystery solved. Ah, but who was Ana Tzarev? Nobody knew. What was known was that someone had spent a great deal of money. Most were eager to learn more.
Tzarev was born Marija Guina in Croatia 72 years ago. She had married, emigrated, raised a family, studied dress design, opened luxury department stores, eventually gaining global financial success. What she had not done was sold a single piece of art. But Ana is a retail animal and apparently possesses a large dollop of self confidence. On November 24, 2008 she opened the doors of her newly minted art gallery at 24 West 57th Street, New York City. It is a 14,000 sq. ft. space recently renovated at a cost of several million dollars.
The space faces the street with a two storey glass front through which pedestrians can see Tzarev's large scale works in six panels: "Rose Sky". Another piece "Annunciation" is priced at $ 700,000. A canny marketer, Ana has also self published lavish coffee table books and commissioned a British art historian, who writes glowingly of her creativity. Critics not on her payroll have yet to comment.
Will she succeed, translating her audacity into sales? If she does, she will become the first person in New York and possibly in the history of the art world, to have her work carry a price tag of $ 1,000,000 without first ever having sold a single piece of art.
Tzarev describes her work as "postcards for future generations". Presumably postcards on a grand scale. Interested reader may view her work at: .
~ by Beverly J. Koski, Duncan, B.C. November, 2008
