Recently a couple of friends asked me for some
advice on how to get into a gallery and make a living out of art. They asked me
what art galleries I would recommend them to submit their work. This is
something I hear so often from artists to artists and the question, I noticed,
is often misguided. Instead of asking yourself how to get into a gallery, why
not ask yourself first of all, what kind of artist am I, what defines my work,
and I mean what really defines my work and sets it apart from the rest?
What qualities does it share with others? This is something you learn by
visiting art fairs, galleries, museums and open studios. Every artist path is
different because every human experience is different and there are different
sensibilities and different tastes and that is why it is very hard to even start
recommending galleries to colleagues and friends. And finally where do I wish
to have my work be seen? Then you can start thinking of galleries if this is
what you want. And I always have a strong desire to help others but I also
think every individual makes his or her own path and in the process discovers
that there are no written set of rules really. You write the rules and you
write your own story on your way and if you stick to it and believe it to the end
that is where success often appears. But there are a few hints that may be
common and agreeable among many of my artist’s friends in order to become
successful as an artist. Here are just a few to keep in mind before you ask
yourself where do I wish to have my work be seen and what art gallery is right
for me? :
1. Success, Define Success. Before wishing
to be a successful artist, you should ask yourself, what do you mean by
success? Is it having a solo show in an important gallery in New York, selling
your work at a global scale or just being recognized in your own city? Is it
about fame, money, live off your art or simply being able to keep it as a side
job? Define Success, and then you'll know your destination so you can draw the
map.
2. Find good role models and take a good look
at them. Look at art and visit museums, galleries and shows as much as you
can. Once you find an artist you really like, study him or her, learn about
their career, where they studied, where they have shown their work. How does
their work relate to yours? Do I identify personally with this artist and why? And
can I see myself taking a similar path? Why? Meet them personally if you have a
chance and listen to what they have to say. Like I said, everyone makes their
own path but it doesn't hurt to have some inspiration on the way and learn from
others different ways to walk.
3. Become a perfectionist.
Some artists reach a point where they are
completely satisfied with what they paint, sculpt or draw. These artists are
the ones that make a dozen or two paintings in a week and they all look the
same. They discovered a formula to repeat themselves and stop evolving. At this
point they stop being artists to become machines. A true artist strives for
perfection and tries different things in order to become a better artist.
His/her curiosity is that of a child, therefore he/she doesn't get bored and
every new blank canvas represents a new challenge and an opportunity to make
something new. Train yourself and work hard to become better and better each
day.
4. Stop looking at the art world as if it was
a reality show competition.
We live in a sick society that idealizes
competition and is obsessed with winning. Competition is a step towards violence
and war and if we kindle this feeling inside, we will always see everyone
around us as a possible threat. Instead learn, cooperate and help others
because by doing so you help yourself grow even more in the process. If you
really want to compete, compete against yourself, it will give you far better
results. Art is so subjective to taste that it makes no sense to compare
yourself to others so you better focus your energy and attention to making art
that grants you peace and harmony within yourself. As a consequence this will
be contagious and others will be positively affected by your art.
5. Train yourself with self discipline.
Instead of competing, it is much more healthy and
effective to discipline yourself. If you really wish to be good at what you
make, put some strong discipline into your work schedule. Avoid distractions
and things that might keep you away from making art at the time you have
assigned for creation. Keep a clean space or studio and make it a job. Once you
start treating your creative leisure time as a real profession, it eventually
becomes serious and people will eventually take notice and take your art with
more respect.
6. Learn everything you can about what you do.
Many artists are self-taught and it often shows in their work. Artists with
serious art training also show it in their work. But whether you are
self-taught or have some artistic training, never cease to learn everything you
can about your passion. If your passion is to paint miniatures with tempera,
then learn all you can about miniature painting in history, how to paint with
tempera paint, the many styles and schools, the pigments, the mediums, the
supports, the artists in history and their techniques, etc. By learning the
most of your artistic discipline you will be steps closer to becoming a master.
7. Be open but also careful to criticism.
One often hears in school that one must be open
to criticism and as much as I agree I should also add, be very careful with it
also. It is very easy to fall into the trap of listening to all advice and
criticism and abandon your own path in order to please others so be very
selective about what you take and what you leave. Pay careful attention from
who is it coming from. Ask yourself the following questions before you take any
criticism too seriously. Is this person a model I admire and wish to follow, is
he or she an accomplished artist? If it's a child, you'll often get the most
honest and straightforward criticism you can find. If it's an elderly person,
tradition will more than often strongly influence their judgment of art. Be
aware of the source and learn from everyone considering their own background
and accomplishments.
8. Make art with a strong sense of conviction
Conviction of what one does is one of the most
important qualities that accomplished artists can posses. Conviction comes in
time with experience in life and art coming together and justifying one
another. There is a sense of purpose in life that is expressed in art that
comes at a time when you discover what makes you, you. Make sure every line you
draw every thought, every part of your energy goes into discovering your true
nature because once this becomes clear, you become master of your own universe
and conviction is just a consequence of this self discovery. Once attained,
nothing stops you from doing what you do and in the way you do it. In time this
is the art that gets most rewarded.
9. Know what makes you different and use it to
your advantage
One of
the good reasons for joining a group and exhibiting with other artists, besides
making friends and sharing together, is that it is much easier to find what
sets you apart from the rest. If for some reason you feel isolated and as an
eternal outsider, don’t let this put you down. On the contrary, see what you
have that others don’t and use it as an asset. Many of the greatest painters in
history did not fit into the group but they exploited what made them different
and used it to their advantage. With so much competition out there, the more
you become good at something that everyone else ignores the more chances you
have for success. So stick to yourself and what makes you different may be your
most powerful weapon in order to stand out.
10. Make a
killer presentation and keep a strong presence
Preparing a very strong portfolio and an artist
website with your strongest work is no doubt one of the first things you should
do before approaching any art gallery or anyone interested in seeing your work.
Always carry business cards with you. Make these as professional as possible;
they should say loudly that you’re an artist without even reading them. Once
you get a very good artist website up and a solid body of work out there, make
sure you keep a strong presence on social media and artist portfolio websites.
Let the world know what kind of artist you are and what kind of art you are
working on at the moment.
11. Know your audience, know your place.
As in life, one must learn to recognize where one
fits, and where one doesn't. When I was much younger I remember trying to fit
in and be accepted into certain groups that were obviously very different from
what I now know who I am. Childhood and adolescent experiences usually teach us
that piece of information. We then find our clan or our particular group that
share our same interests and aspirations and we stick to this group. This is
human nature and it happens in religion, politics and art as well. Before you
start knocking doors on art galleries, you should know what kind of artist are
you and what kind of gallery is right for you. I wouldn't waste my time as a
pop surrealist painter trying to get into a conceptual art gallery and vice
versa.
12. Carefully
select your battlefields and get
yourself and your work out there.
Finally, be selective of your environments, where
you will show your work and how you will show it and participate in those group
shows, exhibits and opportunities that better describe who you are as an
artist. Don't waste your time participating in events that are not
professionally curated or have little to do with the kind of work you do. Stay
informed, meet people and find the right places for your work to shine. Being
out there is as important as being in your studio/cave creating work. We are
all social creatures and this is a big part of being an artist, like it or not,
get used to talking about your work and experiencing the world outside the
studio
