how to approach a gallery

September opens the art season, and for me, this is the real beginning of the new year. I admit, I’m more of a winter person anyway, so I tend to be more energized at this time. I love Fall and the changing weather. There are less distractions to pull me away from my studio and this is a time I’m more preoccupied with my work.

I recently went to Chelsea to check out the new season of gallery openings. It’s hard to believe how this area has expanded despite a bad economy. There are more galleries in the area than ever before. The boundaries of Chelsea are ever expanding. In the past I could see most of the art in one visit, but it will probably take at least three days or more now. There is just so much to look at. Many of the major galleries of the world have a presence here, which makes New York truly an exciting place for artists and art appreciators. I feel lucky living so close to it.

In general, I find the people at the front desks of these galleries to be friendly and easy to talk to. Many of the young men and women who greet the public are interns and are eager to share information about their gallery. It’s a good opportunity to find out what the gallery is about and whether they’re looking for new artists. My experience is they all say they’re not looking, but in fact are always interested in finding new art. One intern told me an artist has to find a way to get the gallery dealer’s attention. This is where the internet may come in handy. I noticed in one of the galleries the intern was scrolling through art websites. A good reason for every artist to have a website and a Facebook page. Also, it helps to visit the gallery often and talk to the people at the front desk. It can’t hurt to show an ongoing interest in the art shown there.  

When contacting a gallery, you should send an email with resume and attached photos of the artist’s work. They contact only the artists whose work they're interested in. This is a lot more economical than the old way of sending slides. My advice is to make a list of galleries that suit your type of work and go for it. 

trends in framing

When I go to the museums the first thing that hits me is the incredibly ornate, gold-leaf frames which often overpower the paintings. Many of these frames are a work of art on their own. Still, while the craftsmanship is inspiring, the combination of frame with painting is almost too much to take in. To my eyes they seem in conflict almost to the point where the painting loses it’s power.

So how did frames come to exist in the first place? They appeared three thousand to four thousand years agoon tomb paintings. Frames were used primarily as decorative borders in early Christian art using gold and gems in frames around the alters. Later the frames, while still ornate, were used to protect the art as well as decorate it. During the Renaissance,  frames were commissioned by monarchs indicating wealth and power. Later these frames were copied for the average person to use.

This made me think how a frame might influence the way a painting is received. When I first started doing watercolors in the early 1980’s, they were framed with double mats and wood moldings. Soon came the silver and gold metal frames which were easy on the eye and less expensive on the pocketbook. They moved away from the heavier moldings and had a cleaner look overall on the artwork. Acrylic paintings were framed with wood stripping around the edges. In the 1990’s simple oak frames were favored.

This brings me to the latest trend in the New York galleries today. Most of the work is shown in white frames. The larger the painting the heavier the frame. I admit to liking this trend very much. It enhances the art and gives the work a sense of importance. The way a painting is framed depicts the times in which it’s shown. For that reason alone I feel it’s a good idea to know what’s being shown in the galleries and museums. These institutions influence the way art is accepted and frames of a time depict the way the artwork is seen.

art and technology

I realize that as long as I continue to be an artist, I'm always going to be a student of one thing or another. The need to stay current means I have the obligation to my art to be constantly aware of what's going on in the world around me. I say this because the world I live in now has advanced beyond anything I could have predicted. I’m floundering in technology that continues to change by the minute. I once thought I wasperfectly fine without getting involved in all the new cyberspace thinking. It was confusing, to say the least, and took up too much time. The hours I could have been painting were spent on the phone with computer techs who, thank goodness, were very patient with me. In those days, I thought it would have little impact on my art. How little did I know.

I can't believe now I was so resistant. The fact is, for every new advance that occurs, more people are being left behind. I don't want to be one of them. So many of my artist friends have resisted the computer technology and I think this is a big mistake.

This leads me to the reason why I mention this. If my work is to have meaning in the future, it has to be current with new developments today. To be an artist means to keep my mind open and embrace change, if for no other reason than for my art. It's in the tenacious conquering of obstacles that allows the unexpected to break through. I feel this is an exciting time for artists to develop. Anything goes these days and it's the artist's obligation to explore the possibilities.

Yes, I'm often frustrated as I plod through programs like Photo Shop and Illustrator, but I'm excited to find new ways of developing imagery. I feel like a student again absorbing all these new ideas that open up my thinking. I even find the art supply store an interesting place of discovery. Each time I go I'm faced with new kinds of products that get me thinking about new ways of approaching my work. 

To be a student of art means there's still so much out there to discover and that after all these years is still what drives me.

inventive art

I’m a big fan of artwork that has a unique way of presenting itself. It’s not so much about subject matter as it is about the way the art is conceived. I want to be surprised by work that captures the imagination in a way I haven’t seen before. The biggest hurdle for the serious artist is to evolve past what is already taken for granted. But having said this, how is it possible in an art world where it seems everything has been done already, to come up with something never done before? 

I recently posted a picture on my Facebook page of an artist who used hundreds of Rubik’s Cubes to create large photorealistic portraits. The inventiveness of his incredible art caught me by surprise. The realistic images were not in themselves unusual, but it was the obsessiveness of the medium that made this work memorable. I’m intrigued to know when and how the idea to create portraits with the difficult cubes occurred? The hours it must have taken to manipulate the colors to line them up just right is pure innovation. On another level, the method used in creating this work defines the times in which it was created. 

To my way of thinking, an artist has to bring something more to their art than just technique. Every time I see artwork that wows me, there’s usually some unique personal element that makes it stand out. I would hazard a guess that the artist who did those Rubik’s Cube portraits might have been obsessed with the cubed puzzle as a child. But it’s the way he combined it in his art, that is where the genius lies. What an exciting moment it must have been to actually get this to work. I can only imagine the high that came with it.

I take from this the need to incorporate my own personal experience into my work. It has to be something unique to me. This has me thinking about my own obsessions, and yes, the fears that determine how I see the world I live in. Now, not only do I look forward, but also look backwards into myself in order to get to my own unique vision.  

time to just work

There are artists who move from one art class to another looking for shortcuts in various techniques. They are on the lookout for solutions to better their art. On some level I think it's great to keep your mind open to learning new ways of seeing, however, I find at some point seeking out another artist's methods can become a crutch. The way I see it, there's no easy way of becoming an artist outside of good hard work. This means hours alone in the studio pushing through the frustrations of finding new ways to advance my art.

So much of discovery is trial and error. Without the hours of exploration there would be no breakthroughs. There would be no innovation that allows art to evolve beyond what it already knows. I feel strongly, great art involves digging deep to get to that place where the process of creation becomes organic. It's that place where you become obsessed with an idea and can't let go of it. It's a journey to some unknown destination and you have no idea what you're looking for until you find it. I love when that happens.

Art is about discovery and problem solving. It takes tenacity and a determined commitment to put in the hours of work without distraction. The creative process can't be rushed, and there's no short way around it. The only way to make art is to be in the studio working. Original art needs to seed and grow into its own unique voice without the influence of an instructor.

Artists need the support of other artists. It’s my art friends who keep me informed and current. If I need an opinion I always know who I can go to, but nothing advances my art like putting in long hard hours. So I say, get into the studio, turn off the phone and get to work.