Ok, so - I think I've been rejected by almost every gallery that is still managing to keep it's doors open at the moment... What a daft time to try and break into the market! But at the same time I have this "I told you so" feeling. I knew that this style and subject matter wouldn't go down well in South Africa, and being the mule that I am, I refuse to change what I'm enjoying and what I know works for me just because people are too intimidated by vaguely religious or even blatantly religious artwork. Come on! Rembrandt revelled in it - what are you so scared of??
So, I guess I'm destined to strengthen my character by watching everyone else sell crappy work while I slave away at my closet artwork. There's one more possibility which I'm reticent to even attempt, but I might have to just to appease the suburban mediocrity...
EPSAC is having an exhibition...
Now, let me describe an EPSAC exhibition: You have the hip artists - let's call them framer artists, because framers love their work and sell loads of it - they have fashionable "in" paintings that are the buzz of the moment, then you might have one or two who's who - the moderately well known artists, and then you have the garbage kitsch... oh my! These are artists (and I use that term with extreme generosity) with no formal training and no regard for technique. When I look at the work, I shudder as though someone has just walked over my yet to be dug grave, or dragged their nails across the chalkboard... It's the type of work you'd find an oriental or indian man painting in a large factory for very little money of a place he's never been to, but is trying hard to imagine it... (Somehow I think I've jumped on this hobby horse before...). And last but not least, there are the Sunday painters. These are people who view art as a hobby - like building model aircrafts or scrapbooking (Oh boy, I'm going to offend half my family with that statement). Their technique is equally horrifying as they transfer paint directly from a tube like making a withdrawal from an ATM, not even bothering to capture subtle nuances of colour by ACTUALLY MIXING PAINT!!
Now, call me a snob, but I cannot bare to put my work within a 5 mile vicinity of work like that. It messes with my karma and offends me horribly.
What a snob! No wonder I don't sell anything on a more regular basis!
