Art. Someone's Gotta Do It.
Art Prague 17, 2018
Clam-Gallas Palace
Part the 1
On reflection I am as happy as an artist probably gets.
Seeee,
I sold some paintings
I received a bunch of compliments
I engaged in meaningful discussions about art
I met well respected artists, curators, gallerists and collectors
I made some lovely new friends
I performed in a collaborative, Obejvak happening/video piece
I drank many beers and wines with my fellow Obejvakians
I have watched strangers scratch their chins, laugh out loud, photograph, smile, muse, like and share my stuff
And I have noted with some interest and pride that my core audience are teenage girls!
Part the 2
Art means patience; in its creation and reception. Here's to my favourite galleries and artists represented at ArtPrague 17. The ones which caught my attention and caused me to slow down and look beyond the physical.
For the bold, big, brassy, metal, wooden bastards
&
Ondrej
For the lush Lubos Plnys, Jan Svenkmajers, Jiri Kolar, a 1.5 million koruna crucifix chair
&
Nadia
For her courageous, gorgeous, positive abstract expressionism and Mickey Mouse ears / black hills
&
of course Erika & Zejiko :-)
For Ozlem Akin's incredible imagination and dark, delicate, secret stuff in boxes
&
Matous & Ozlem
Gallery Kunstraub99
For the Flaca!
&
Barbora
Part the 3
7 days is a long time to spend in a gallery. Every nuance of every reaction of every word spoken and unspoken sinks in gradually until your brain feels as worn as your legs.
This in effect is my performance. When you present a song, or a play, or a film the audience has time to allow you to work on them. To guide their response. A painting is like a thump in the mouth. There is no gentle delivery. To attempt to soften the blow with an 'explanation' is, more often than not, like rubbing salt into the wound rather than rubbing lotion onto the aforementioned punched gob.
Perhaps it's best not to be there. To stay in the kitchen, as it were, like a proud chef.
If a compliment is passed on, all well and good, if it isn't then you don't have to watch the disinterested face of the young Austrian gent wading bored through the Obejvak room and exiting with an audible 'Schiesse!'
Erika Vrdoljakova actually overheard one woman say of her beautiful abstract expressionist paintings, "My six year old could do that!"
"Yeah, but YOU couldn't!" Erika wanted to tell her.
"And my six year old daughter could come up with a better tired old cliche than THAT!" I once read.
Anyway, back to the teenage girls....
There is clearly an eighteen year old goth inside me, trying to get out. So many things beginning to fall into place :-\
Thank you, Art Prague
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