Blue Sky In Winter
Robert Genn’s latest Painter’s Key letter is about Fighting After Show Blues. It talks about the feeling of let-down after mounting an exhibition. It is interesting to read this letter the day after two exhibit openings.
I will admit to having a love/hate relationship with openings. I am and always have been a horribly shy person. I dislike the spotlight. I am not comfortable in social situations. I prefer alternating between being with the company of an inner circle of close friends and family, and with being alone with my creativity.
I do okay when the focus of conversation is on my work because that is a separate entity to my inner self. Yes, anyone who is observant with my work will get a deep insight into who I am as a person, but that is beside the point. I can talk about my work. I can explain my process and talk about the technical aspects of my work. I can talk about little antidotes attached to specific pieces such as why it was titled what it is, or how the image came about, funny things that may have occurred, etc.
What I have a harder time doing is talking about what the image means to me, or why the image is important to me. That gets into the personal side and starts to focus on me. I am also horrible at initiating conversation. I am horrible at selling my work. I am horrible at small talk. I just don’t know how to do it.
What I love about openings is seeing how people react to my work. I love seeing people form emotional attachments to images; and especially when they really get the subtle messages behind an image…..when they see joy in an image that on the surface seems very sad; or vice versa. I am humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude when people respond favorably to my images.
I am even okay when people don’t like my work, or think it’s not a valid art form because I work digitally, or people that don’t allow themselves to enjoy the imagery based on personal biases of what defines art.
If I could I would choose to be a fly on the wall at openings……to be invisible to observe how people react to the work. I think it’s important for artist’s to know how people respond. At times it will provide confirmation and motivation, and at others it may make us take a more critical look at our work. In either case it can help us to keep moving forward…..to keep growing as an artist.
