Q: Where do you want your work to go in the future?
Barbara’s studio
A: Recently I answered a question about why I create, but now that I think about it, the same answer applies to what I want to do as an artist in the future:
~ to create bold and vibrant pastel paintings and photographs that have never existed before
~ to continue to push my primary medium – soft pastel on sandpaper – as far as I can and to use it in more innovative ways
~ to create opportunities for artistic dialogue with people who understand and value the work to which I am devoting my life
The last has always been the toughest. I sometimes think of myself as Sisyphus because expanding the audience for my art is an ongoing uphill battle. Many artist friends tell me they feel the same way about building their audience. It’s one of the most difficult tasks that we have to do as artists. I heard Annie Leibovitz interviewed on the radio once and remember her saying that after 40 years as a photographer, everything just gets richer. Notice that she didn’t say it gets any easier; she said, “it just gets richer.” I have been a painter for nearly 30 years and a photographer for 11. I agree completely. All artists have to go wherever our work goes. Creating art and watching the process evolve is an endlessly fascinating intellectual journey. I wouldn’t want to be spending my time on earth doing anything else!
Comments are welcome!
Posted on February 8, 2014, in An Artist's Life, Art Works in Progress, Black Paintings, Creative Process, Inspiration, New York, NY, Pastel Painting, Photography, Quotes, Studio and tagged agree, Annie Liebovitz, answer, answered, anything, applies, art, artist, audience, battle, bold, building, completely, continue, create, devoting, dialogue, difficult, doing, early, earth, easier, endlessly, everything, evolve, existed, expanding, fascinating, friends, future, innovative, intellectual, interviewed, journey, last, life, medium, myself, notice, ongoing, opportunities, painter, painting, pastel paintings, people, photographer, preliminary, process, push, question, radio, recently, remember, richer, saying, Sisyphus, soft pastel, sometimes, spending, stage, Studio, tasks, time, toughest, understand, uphill, value, vibrant, watching, wherever, work. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Rave ON .
Hi Barbara:
Thought-provoking topic. Traditional methods of audience development i.e. private and public exhibitions locally and distant do yield results. However not as much as one desires. Something that does work well is serving on boards, committees, etc that are not necessarily art related. Once members discover your are an artist they often are anxious to see your work, ask to attend your studio and shows, tell others even though they may not have been interested in art. The other approach is not to work too hard at building but more so servicing well the audience before you. Repetitive sales can add up!
Best regards,
Bruce