“Afloat” Image. Ceres Gallery. New York. Solo Show.
Internet art. I hope this does not turn into a rant, although it might. I hope I can plainly deliver the message without getting wound up.
I have enjoyed my blogging immensely and I was thinking the other day about how much I appreciate seeing other people’s artwork on the internet.
Guess what? There are no politics. There is no sexism, racism, ageism. No concentrating on knowing the right people. Wasting countless hours on that. Maybe my remark about countless hours gives me away. A rant, after all.
Look at the work. What a concept! It’s not that I don’t like getting to know people in the art community. I really do. I like to know how they think, what they like, how they find time to work. Things like that. Where they work. And if they are collectors, I like to find out what makes them tick. How they think. Same stuff, without the artist questions. But…. Look….. At…… The…… Work!
I guess what I don’t like, is all the fluff around the person-to-person stuff. The “gain” that some artists acquire by the talking and smiling.
Art is a non-verbal visual discipline. A work of art does not come with an MP3 player containing banter and schmooze. Or does it? What do you think?
Hollis Hildebrand-Mills 
I sell my work through shows, mostly – street fairs, art in the park, etc.I have always liked it because, although most people don’t give me a glance, of those who do, many take the time to talk to me about my work as well as looking at it. It makes a difference to me to know that someone was interested enough to take the time, and that they got the ideas I was trying to put across. I’m also interested in what they see in my work – I learn I am making people think about things that I would not have anticipated. I find the same thing about blogging. I really appreciate it that people look at my work and take the time to comment on it. Even if I will never meet them, I feel a lot of gratitude for being able to communicate in this way.
So I guess I like both venues, but for the same reason?
I do like that the internet gives my work exposure and also I have been exposed to people I never ever would have met. All over the world! That is still a source of wonder for me!
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You bring up a very good point here. I do enjoy talking to my prospective customers/collectors and I do enjoy the feeling they give me when they “get” my work.So they give me back something. What I was saying, is that I am against the artist who relies exclusively on his/her charm to sell themselves into a gallery. The gallerist or other venue is guilty of falling for this, Instead of really seeing the work.I neglected to include the consumer of the work in my “rant.” As I told Jenny below. Thanks for the point of view!
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I go with the non verbal visual discipline. I don’t want to be talked into liking or buying something – I like to think I know my own mind!!
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You, Jenny, have brought to light, something I did not think of, which is extremely important here and
Claudia brings it up as well. That the consumer is involved in the schmoozing thing that goes on. Very good point. And I should have thought of that. My perspective was from the artist to the venue or gallery where the artist could be benefited.Thank you!
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