Tuesday, March 6, 2007

QUEEN ( OR KING ) FOR A NIGHT

Have you ever attended an Artist’s Reception? There is a feeling of excitement anticipating the night’s festivities. The Gallery and Artist hope for customers and sales. There is no shortage of food and drink. Guests saunter about the room, stopping in front of each painting; they huddle in small groupings and murmur their observations. Communicating the underlying concept that motivated the Artist to create this body of work is the ever-repeating dialog. Who will break the ice with the first sale this evening?

Being in the spot light for a meager four hours is the culmination of hard work. Take it from an Artist; by the end of the party our hair has flattened our clothes droopy, we are pooped; despite the number of sales.

The “Reception” for my new works entitled LIQUID SYMBOLISM was March 1st, 5-8pm, in Palm Springs, California. Allow me, on behalf of my fellow artists, to educate you on the labors it takes that lead up to the Artist’s Reception.

Most Fine Art Galleries do not accept artists that are unknown to them. Exhibiting Artists have an established relationship with the Art gallery, offer a sales record and guest list. Planned a minimum of one year in advance, the date for the Reception is set. The initial meeting sets the groundwork for marketing strategies, time lines for effective public notice via mailings and press releases, and designated exhibition space is decided upon. The Artist and Gallery have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.

Unless the show is a “retrospect”, the Artist develops a new body of work. Artists test new products. Ideas are first thumbnail sketches, and then more refined sketches. Color palettes are thoughtfully chosen. What feeling and narration the artist wants to convey must come through the artwork. Shall it be soleful, provocative, or startling?

If you saw the movie “Jackson Pollack” you must remember the scene when he sat for days in an empty room in his apartment staring at a blank canvas. All the while, his mind was planning out the composition. He was working out the kinks in his head, developing the ultimate plan for the painting. Artists visualize final paintings in their dreams before executing the work on canvas.

Assigning a title to each piece is easier said than done. Titles can detract from the work and deprive the viewer of his own observations.

The professional Artist paints day and night. It’s our job, not a hobby. When we price a painting for sale we don’t consider an hourly pay…that would be depressing! Many times we price a painting based on what we want to do in the future, such as bills we need to pay and supplies we want to purchase. There may be travel and shipping costs involved. This is a difficult step. If pricing is too high or too low, sales will be affected. Pricing is a joint effort between the Artist and Gallery.

The day before the opening we hang the work, prepare our artist’s statement, and place the printed Tags that show the title, measurement, media, and price of the pieces. The lighting must complement the work. This takes hours. Of course there is always something that doesn’t go right and something forgotten…don’t tell me I am the only one who needs drywall bolts at the last minute. So the next morning its back to the Gallery for the finishing touches and photos of the show. Then back “home” to bathe, put on the perfect outfit, some lipstick (for me), and be ready to shine.

We meet and greet with the perfect smile. It’s not dissimilar for the Performance Artist who rehearses for the concert, recital, or play. Their Sold out performance and Standing Ovation is equivalent to the attendance and sales at Artist Receptions.

As Dr. Laura might say…Now, do the right thing – attend an Artist Reception AND purchase a piece of the Artist’s work.