Primary Market Podcast

Primary Market Podcast
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A podcast for artists, gallerists and collectors about making it in the Primary Market. primarymarket.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Jared Buschang: A Painter Building His Own World in Cartagena

    FEB 17

    Jared Buschang: A Painter Building His Own World in Cartagena

    In Episode 10 of Primary Market Podcast, Topper Luciani sits down with painter Jared Buschang for his first-ever podcast appearance. After studying photography in New York and assisting artists in Spain, Jared pivoted fully into painting — eventually relocating to Cartagena, Colombia, where he’s spent the last decade building an art career completely outside the traditional gallery structure. In this conversation, they cover: * Studying photography at ICP in NYC * Interning at Def Jam and walking away from the music industry * Learning from masters like Willem de Kooning * Trading paintings for housing in Cartagena * Selling artwork to strangers — even on the subway * Using Instagram as a direct-to-collector platform * Pricing work sustainably outside major art capitals * Why he paints daily without over-intellectualizing the process This is a raw, unfiltered look at what it takes to survive — and thrive — as a working painter on your own terms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    48 min
  2. Ep. 9: The Most Famous Artist — Status Games, Market Manipulation, and the Future of Cultural Power

    12/21/2025

    Ep. 9: The Most Famous Artist — Status Games, Market Manipulation, and the Future of Cultural Power

    In this wide-ranging conversation, Topper sits down with Matty Mo—aka The Most Famous Artist—to unpack what it really means to be an artist in the 21st century. From childhood reinvention and Stanford-era status games to advertising psychology, market manipulation, and the delusions of the fine art world, Matty offers an unfiltered look at how art, money, power, and identity collide. The episode dives deep into uncomfortable truths: art as a financial instrument, the burnout of institutional careers, the myth of legacy, and why most artists are incentivized to fail. Matty explains how his practice evolved from direct-to-consumer art sales into real-estate arbitrage, small-town revival, and “new city” thinking—positioning art not as precious objects, but as a way of living intentionally. This is a candid, funny, and occasionally brutal discussion about fame, relevance, AI, cultural production, and why the future may belong to outsider artists, not the canon. If you’ve ever questioned what art is for, who it serves, or how to build a creative life without selling your soul, this episode is required listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 9m

  3. 12/13/2025

    Ep. 8: Freezing Time: Erik Sommer on Decay, Discipline, and Making Art Without Rules

    In this episode of Primary Market Podcast, artist Erik Sommer traces his path from playing drums in Duluth, Minnesota to becoming a New York–based painter, sculptor, and curator whose work explores impermanence, decay, and control over time. Sommer discusses his unconventional art education—shaped more by museums, studios, and the city itself than formal training—along with his early experiments using cement, found materials, and large-scale installations. The conversation moves through his MFA years, life as a working artist and librarian in East Harlem, early gallery representation, and the risks and rewards of saying no to the wrong opportunities. Sommer also reflects on curating through his project space Mott Projects, the changing art market, Instagram as both archive and tool, and how artists can build careers without compromising their values. Grounded, thoughtful, and deeply reflective, the episode closes with Sommer’s philosophy on patience, authenticity, and why making art—quietly, steadily, and honestly—still matters. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    57 min
  4. Ep: 7 — Taylor Morrison (@weopen): What Makes Art Matter—And Who Gets to Decide?

    12/06/2025

    Ep: 7 — Taylor Morrison (@weopen): What Makes Art Matter—And Who Gets to Decide?

    Episode 7 spotlights Taylor Morrison (@weopen), an emerging force in contemporary art discourse whose unfiltered critiques routinely draw more traction and eyeballs than many of the art market’s most canonized critics. From a basement painting studio in upstate New York to the global stage of Instagram, Morrison represents a new era in which the internet is leveling the playing field—allowing a sharp-eyed art lover from Troy, NY to influence taste and conversation at a scale once reserved for institutional gatekeepers. The episode explores Morrison’s unlikely path: skatepark outsider, quiet observer, product of a multigenerational art lineage, and eventually the creator of The Dungeon, his viral critique series. Morrison shares his philosophy of looking closely, judging art by the object itself, and resisting the pressures of hype, repetition, and market-driven taste. This conversation captures a cultural shift in real time—one where authenticity outperforms pedigree, and where a single honest voice can disrupt an entire system built on pretense. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 28m
  5. Ep. 6: Kiki Valdés — An Artist’s Story of Grit, Culture & Reinvention

    11/30/2025

    Ep. 6: Kiki Valdés — An Artist’s Story of Grit, Culture & Reinvention

    In this episode, Topper sits down with painter Kiki Valdés, whose journey through the art world has been anything but linear. Born to Cuban parents and raised between Miami and New Jersey, Kiki discovered drawing as a refuge—an early lifeline in classrooms where he struggled to read but excelled at making images that spoke louder than words. Kiki shares how comic books, cartoons, and the chaos of 90s Miami shaped his early style, and how mentors—from public school teachers to art-world icons like Kenny Scharf—helped him recognize painting as his life’s direction. He opens up about navigating a Miami art scene defined by gatekeeping, the surreal chapter of painting live in nightclubs to survive, and the twists of fate—like a landlord who collected his work instead of rent—that led to his first New York show at the National Arts Club. Topper and Kiki explore the deeper emotional landscape behind his work: the darkness that crept into early paintings, the humor he later embraced, and how smoke, nature, and memory began to populate the canvases. They also dive into the bigger questions:What is the art market really? How does an artist “make it”? How do you avoid losing your voice to trends, gatekeepers, or commercial pressure? This conversation is raw, human, and inspiring—a story of grit, culture, reinvention, and an unwavering dedication to making art on one’s own terms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    56 min
  6. Inside the Macedonia Institute: The Art Residency Shaping Contemporary Art

    11/22/2025

    Inside the Macedonia Institute: The Art Residency Shaping Contemporary Art

    In this episode of Primary Market, Topper Luciani sits down with Aidan Thomas and Devora Kaye, founders of the Macedonia Institute, one of the most unique and influential artist residencies in the U.S. They share how a chance upstate house purchase turned into a decade-long project hosting over 150 artists, building a print studio, fostering community, and creating a pressure-free environment for experimentation. We also dive into the realities of the contemporary art market, life as collectors, and what it truly takes to support artists today. If you’re interested in artist residencies, emerging artists, collecting, or the future of contemporary art, this conversation is a must-watch. #artresidency #macedoniainstitute #contemporaryart #primarymarket #artcollecting #studiovisi This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 3m
  7. Ep 4 — Freddy Husbands: The Geometry of Devotion — Lines, Labor, and the Art of Infinity

    10/17/2025

    Ep 4 — Freddy Husbands: The Geometry of Devotion — Lines, Labor, and the Art of Infinity

    In Episode 4 of Primary Market, host Topper Luciani sits down with Freddy Husbands, a Minneapolis-based artist whose mesmerizing works of intricate line drawings explore labor, flow, and the sacred in repetition. From his early years at an art-focused middle school to his experiments with massive hand-drawn works using Micron pens, Freddy reflects on: * The spiritual and mathematical resonance of sacred geometry * How the evidence of work itself becomes the message * His critique of art world gatekeeping and MFA elitism * The tension between authenticity and social media performance * Why great art is simply “doing it over and over again” This conversation moves fluidly between philosophy, craft, and hustle — revealing what it means to create something timeless in a digital, disposable age. 🎨 Explore Freddy’s work: freddyhusbands.com📸 Follow him on Instagram: @f_h_u_s_b_a_n_d_s🎧 Subscribe to Primary Market for weekly interviews with emerging and established voices shaping contemporary art and culture. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 2m

  8. 10/11/2025

    Episode 3: The Dark Side of Pop Culture with Brendan Donnelly

    In this episode of Primary Market, host Topper Luciani sits down with Los Angeles artist Brendan Donnelly — a cult-favorite creator known for blending subculture, nostalgia, and dark humor into fine art. The two explore Brendan’s journey from skateboarding and punk shows in 1990s Connecticut to his Hollywood-inspired exhibitions. They discuss: * How album art, Nirvana, and ’90s skate culture shaped his visual language * The origins of his viral vampire character * Hollywood’s seedy underbelly, parody pornos, and the myth of fame * The role of humor and death in art * Collecting vintage t-shirts, tabloids, and pop culture relics This is a deep, funny, and nostalgic conversation about the intersection of darkness, comedy, and American culture — told through the lens of an artist who never stopped being a fan. 🎧 Listen if you love: punk art, nostalgia, Hollywood lore, outsider creativity, and the weird beauty of American pop culture. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    56 min
  9. From Darkness to Canvas: Dylan Gallo’s Raw Artist Journey

    10/03/2025

    From Darkness to Canvas: Dylan Gallo’s Raw Artist Journey

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 14m
  10. Artist Doug Mccolough on Design and Craft

    09/21/2025

    Artist Doug Mccolough on Design and Craft

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit primarymarket.substack.com

    1h 56m
  • 10 Episodes

About

A podcast for artists, gallerists and collectors about making it in the Primary Market. primarymarket.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Primary Market Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Primary Market Podcast
  • Show Website
    Primary Market Podcast