Gray Skies, Smiling At Me

Hi everyone:

I'm writing this entry from the ark I built in my garage. Obviously this is a bit of an exaggeration - after all, everyone knows I don't build things. Create? Yes. Build? Uh..no. But, after 13 straight days of rain, I may need to learn. Anyone have a good blueprint?

Blogging music today- Interpol. Some argue they are nothing more than an updated, New York version of Joy Division, but I think that is a bit of an oversimplification. I happen to really like their stuff - well, at least some of it. Like many bands, I think their best effort was their first one - 'Turn On The Bright Lights.'

So, the problem with living in an area like the Lehigh Valley is that you are constantly running into people you don't necessarily want to see. In my case, it's old co-workers from Rodale - who constantly ask me where I am now, what I'm doing, etc. In NYC, this situation is not as common - you have millions and millions of people, so maybe you'd run into this every once in a while. But here, it's an almost daily occurrence. I'm sitting next to a former co-worker right now. I don't know her name, don't know which part of the company she worked in, but she is definitely a Rodalean. It's not that I mind seeing people from there - I actually liked most of the people I worked with, but after 8 + months of being unemployed, I'm getting kind of tired of putting a good face on my sob story. Plus, in this case, the other people sitting with this person are all decked-out in Nike gear, clearly having just worked out, and they are staring intently at me as I stuff my face with a full-fat orange scone. Awesome.

Anyway, onto art. In my last post, I mentioned a show that I was initially booked for, then never contacted about, for which I just found out a promo was mailed with my name on it. So, as promised, I sent an e-mail out indicating that I would not be participating and the reasons why. The response I got from the curator? "I'm sorry you're not in the show..... hope all is ok with you." Ummm...yeah...everything is fine with me, except that the reason I'm not in the show is YOUR FAULT!!! As predicted, she thinks the reason I'm not participating has something to do with me. Professionalism is simply too important to me, and I'm at a stage in my career where I am unwilling to put up with a lack of it.

In terms of new work, I'm still waiting for my scans back from Tom. In light our little "issue" of late, he can take as much time as he wants. I'll wait. A roll of newly processed film is also ready for me to pick up from the lab. I was starting to get irritated that it wasn't ready (well over 2 weeks), but then right before I called to put on my stank face, my wife said "oh yeah, I forgot, it was ready a few days ago." Grrrrr.

So, lately I've been having difficulty figuring out how and where to shop my work. Obviously, my relationship with Ken Jones is a great start - and it needs some time to grow. But, in the meantime, I can't sit idly by and rely on one channel to promote and sell my work. I've spent the last 8 + years of my career relying too much on one entity for this, and I've learned my lesson. And, since I'm not exclusive with anyone right now, I can do whatever I want. The problem is that I'm finding my work doesn't really fit into any standard classification - even by contemporary terms.

My work isn't right for most photography galleries because the photographic element isn't readily apparent - it's pretty subtle, and my work goes well "beyond the silver print." And, it isn't right for a gallery specializing in painting because, although much of it looks like painting or printmaking, it's photography and I don't want it "passed-off" as something it isn't. Mixed-media or printmaking galleries and dealers are probably a good fit in theory. But, which ones? Style-wise, some of the work is more abstract than others, so a gallery specializing in abstract work isn't a good fit, but one focusing on realism/traditional is not appropriate either.

Now, I know I said I would get much further with the body of work before I stepped-out to promote it, and I still have every intention of sticking to that plan. But, I can't help thinking about these things, and what I'm going to do when the time comes. Some groundwork might need to be laid now, and I'm feeling a little frustrated. Someone suggested looking overseas - which is a good idea, but I'm worried I might run into the same issues. Plus, where to start? This is why I need a really solid art dealer - someone who can work on finding exactly the right venues for me. I have a good business sense I think, I but I need someone who is entrenched in this stuff, has roledexes of connections, and knows how to utilize them. Ken may very well be the right person, but in case he isn't, I need to keep looking. Any suggestions - let me know!!

I leave y'all with some art - illustrator named Josh Cochran who I mentioned in one of my first posts. I own one of his prints already, and I'm thinking about picking up two more. This one would match up nicely with the one I already have:

Happy weekend everyone!

-Marc