Its my great Aunts 86th Birthday and I went to visit her in her new rooms @ Helping Hand Aged Care Facility, whilst if you've got to be in one of the places, this is a really modern and dignified place to be and I'm glad she is being well cared for.
Whenever I visit ageing relatives it really hits home about where you are in your own life. What have you done? What is left to do? Which brings me to this years task for me. Because I've decided not to have a solo exhibition this year, I'm going to use this time to think about myself and what I paint about. I'm planning on entering a couple of art prizes ( I do with much in-trepidation), which will help me work through some of my ideas and also display my work in different contexts and environments.
Recently, I was approached by a post-grad student to be her mentor, it all has to be approved yet through the art school, so may or may not happen. Assuming it all does eventuate, I think this will be great for me as much as the student because I'll be able to put down and analyse my five year plan I have for my art career. (I am part way through my 10 year plan for my work career and that, I'm glad to say is going to plan). I find it really easy to apply these things in the workplace because there are set paths. However, in the art world, the goal posts are constantly changing and they are controlled by others i.e. your art dealer. Choosing the wrong art dealer can ruin your career, in the past I've been seduced by the so-called keen art dealer with a good reputation and I've been screwed over by non-eventuating promises (even if written down on paper!). These little interludes have cost me twice now and taken up about three years of showing in group shows leading up to solo shows, realising that they aren't going to happen, the back out and dumping the dealer. Now, whenever I discuss with a dealer who wants to represent me that it IS a two-way street and it is up to BOTH of us to perform...most of them don't like me saying it but you've got to make it crystal clear that its a business deal and it has to be in both people's interests.
2 comments:
Whilst in the past your goal posts have been controlled by your dealer, it sounds like there has been some valuable insight gained, whereby you are now adopting an approach to ensure that some of the control remains with you. Your art student is very fortunate; she should benefit a great deal from the experience you will bring to the mentoring relationship.
I know squat about the art world, but I enjoy hearing about it.
Good luck with your five year plan.
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