FACING THE CROWDS
The Art Show Openings
It doesn’t
end with you working on your pieces,
each and every day, sharpening your “craft”( I so much dislike this word when
it comes to art), swimming in thick layers of knowledge, shedding some -acquiring
others, forming the bud taste for uniqueness…At
the end ,you have to face the crowds. Are they walking
alongside, are they ahead of you or way behind? You need to face them all,
wearing your own face , or wearing a grimace , the adjusted self , to match their level. Smile.
Why should
you panic, the ½ hour before the show opens and ½ before the first guests arrive?
You did your share , now it’s time to wait for guests and their reactions. Who
is going to be there for you and your efforts ? Who cares enough ?
Most of the
times it’s family and true friends, the ones who loved and encouraged you all
your life, even when you didn’t know
much about what you did as an artist , many
,many years ago. They are your rock, they love you
unconditionally, even if you will tell them that tomorrow you are done with
art, tired off all of it, and decided to move on, let’s say you want to start
to play tennis. They will come to the tennis court, cheering for you, you being
the worst ever tennis player.They don't care , they are there for you.They love
you too much to see it right, so their art opinion in art doesn’t count . It’ is awful
to say it, but it’s true, and you love
them too much to tell them that either.
Then there
are your students and clients, your peers , the people who understand your
work, genuinely love it, and you are grateful for their steady reassurance,
their benevolent coming and chatting , and they really are the salt and grain
of any show.
There are
also the new visitors, new clients who came in by chance, being there at the right moment at the right place , uninvited, and as happy to discover
you as you are to find them-the stars finally aligned
And , yes,
there are these rare moments when a well known art critic or a great artist you
really love and respect, comes in, goes around
once, then second time and they look at you and smile, they don’t have
to say a thing, you know- they know, and you are on cloud nine.
"Nebulae" Series ,Acrylic on Unstretched Canvas
This is one
of the reasons you get up each morning and go to your studio, you know, and
they know !!!!
