March 30, 2008 12:15 pm
I knew it was my turn to blog but I didn’t know what I wanted to write about. Until today. I went to the gallery to drop off our promotional material and while I was there I checked out the current show. Great abstracts and lots of them. A woman came in and walked around the room touching some of the paintings then she went to the person who was gallery sitting and said, “Have any of these sold?” The gallery sitter replied “Yes, 4 of them.” She got up and pointed to the paintings with the red dots. The viewer looked perplexed. “The red dots mean they’re sold?” “Yes,” replied the sitter. ‘Why would anybody wanna buy this crap?” the woman asked. It stopped me in my tracks. Like deer in the headlights I couldn’t move. The sitter tried to explain but the woman was having none of it. She pressured the sitter further, “I could paint this crap.” Standing behind the partition I winced. I had spent the morning painting and trying to feel confident about my abstract landscapes . . . then the words I feared . . . “I could paint this crap.” Oy.
5 comments:
that's the thing about taking a chance and putting yourself out there in the world. every time I have sat in a gallery, it has been evident that EVERYONE has different preference, a different sensibility. Impossible to please everyone.
but in the end, it is good to challenge yourself and share your stuff with the world. no real loss and there is nothing like that deadline!
the painting is phenomenal by the way. N
I remember sitting a show for
my art club. I had a 4'x 3' painting
of a girl reading, which has since
sold for $1500. Two elderly women
stopped to look at it and said,
"who would pay that much for that?
Maybe she should learn to paint first!"
It was just ignorance, and doesn't matter in the long run. But people
who don't know anything about art
want highly realistic images. They
value work that is as close to
photographic as possible. You can't let that bother you, or
affect your work. Keep going women. You are great.
Your Toronto friend,
Barbara
Most likely in her mind she has just grouped that artist in with Mondrian, Pollock, Picasso...not a bad group to be part of?
A quote from a book I am reading, "There really is no such thing as Art. There are only artists." That makes you an artist but she is neither.
Looking forward to seeing show.
But isn't what that person was saying what "From Here" is: a viewpoint, a perspective, an emotional space? While it would be easy to dismiss this person, I think its because you have a need to show your work, and open yourself to that possible criticism, that you shame her and others who don't do it. Your painting looks amazing and wonderful, Shannon, I love it. Can't wait to see " all that crap!" If I could only have the heart to do something like it.
Thanks for all your comments. I feel better now . . . sort of.
Shannon
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