Here is my advice for aspiring artists: make easy art. Small drawings or paintings that are all the same size, a whole show that can be shipped all together in one box, easily hung by anyone with an IQ over 90, and sold consistantly because they are not too "difficult" and you did not need to price them at $15,000 because they took 3 months of your life to make. Be sure that your work is framable and under glass, so that it will not get damaged when you exhibit it, and that it is easy to care for once it is purchased.
"Do as I say", as they say, "...and not as I do".
Needless to say, it was a grueling day. I got to the gallery at 9 this morning. We had 3 maintenance men and one engineer to hang the coat. I have hung this coat 20 times before, have devised a great system for doing so, and each time I hang it, some 60 year old guy tells me that he has a better way, and then I have to explain to him why it won't work. I am always very clear when someone requests to show the Defense Mechanism Coat that it requires a support beam or a doorway that will support 150 lbs, we need strong men for the hanging, I have a foolproof system, etc. Today, for the first time, the coat almost crashed to the floor. This was due to a unique set of circumstances in the space, and the fact that the men thought that it would be alright if the coat was lifted onto the hanger, rather than inserted into the coat while it is lying flat on the table, positioned correctly, and then lifted. I happened to be standing in front of the coat trying to ascertain why it did not seem to be hanging right, when I saw that it was sliding off on one side. I did what anyone would do, and grabed the coat around the "waist" and caught it, calling for the others to bring the table back to put it underneath the coat.
The rest of the installation went smoothly, although I did note that for someone who does work that is so often referred to as "feminist", I spend a lot of time ironing.
I essentially spent the first 5 hours ironing all of the dresses, while the amazing gallery directer and her equally amazing assistants, Jared and Christina, prepped the dress forms and hung them (addendum to the above advice, do not be a perfectionist and/or a control freak).
The later half of my day was spent sitting on the floor, weaving clothes into other clothes. We were able to fit two generations of the Bridal/Enmeshment Garments into the space, and I will be thrilled to be able to document it for the first time tomorrow. For now, a long hot bath, two ibufrofen, and bed. "Emerging artists" do not have to take hot baths, because a) they have 22-year-old backs, and b) if the gallery is making six figures off this show, let them hang it.
"Do as I say", as they say, "...and not as I do".
Needless to say, it was a grueling day. I got to the gallery at 9 this morning. We had 3 maintenance men and one engineer to hang the coat. I have hung this coat 20 times before, have devised a great system for doing so, and each time I hang it, some 60 year old guy tells me that he has a better way, and then I have to explain to him why it won't work. I am always very clear when someone requests to show the Defense Mechanism Coat that it requires a support beam or a doorway that will support 150 lbs, we need strong men for the hanging, I have a foolproof system, etc. Today, for the first time, the coat almost crashed to the floor. This was due to a unique set of circumstances in the space, and the fact that the men thought that it would be alright if the coat was lifted onto the hanger, rather than inserted into the coat while it is lying flat on the table, positioned correctly, and then lifted. I happened to be standing in front of the coat trying to ascertain why it did not seem to be hanging right, when I saw that it was sliding off on one side. I did what anyone would do, and grabed the coat around the "waist" and caught it, calling for the others to bring the table back to put it underneath the coat.
The rest of the installation went smoothly, although I did note that for someone who does work that is so often referred to as "feminist", I spend a lot of time ironing.
I essentially spent the first 5 hours ironing all of the dresses, while the amazing gallery directer and her equally amazing assistants, Jared and Christina, prepped the dress forms and hung them (addendum to the above advice, do not be a perfectionist and/or a control freak).
The later half of my day was spent sitting on the floor, weaving clothes into other clothes. We were able to fit two generations of the Bridal/Enmeshment Garments into the space, and I will be thrilled to be able to document it for the first time tomorrow. For now, a long hot bath, two ibufrofen, and bed. "Emerging artists" do not have to take hot baths, because a) they have 22-year-old backs, and b) if the gallery is making six figures off this show, let them hang it.
posted by Kate at 9:39 PM
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