So, in my last post I mentioned I was going to a new gallery (well, new to me anyway) to present some work - and it went fairly well. I actually left a couple of prints there for their inventory (look left to see one of them)The visit, however, really brought forth a lot of emotions and got me thinking about some things.
Most of you know that this blog and my website (again: http://www.sirinsky.com/) are all part of my master plan to "TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" (to quote 'Pinky and the Brain') Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but those two things, combined with a bunch of new work (hopefully) are meant to give me a fresh start in my art career. Or pick-up where I left off - it really depends on how you look at it.
Enter my friend Ara Lucia - whom I mentioned in an earlier post. She was my first gallery director after art school, and we have remained close friends ever since. Ara is a writer, director and artist in her own right - and once again, a link to her latest work is:
Ara has seen the progression of my work over the years and arguably knows it better than anyone else. She and I have frequent conversations about art, business, etc - and our free exchange of ideas has served us both very well over the years- it is a reciprocal relationship in the truest sense. Her honest feedback has proved invaluable time after time - and a couple nights ago, I needed her again.
The gallery visit is what prompted it. I walked in, and I found the work to be a mixed bag, which of course is subjective and typical of any gallery space. The staff was very cool and it was clearly a "happening" spot. But, it really felt like a community/neighborhood gallery in the every way - both good and bad. It was a bit grungy, the lighting was less-than-ideal, and the presentation of some of the work was not what I've grown accustomed to over the years. Some quality work to be sure, but it really brought me back to the kind of space I showed in when I was first starting out. This wasn't exactly what I meant by "a fresh start".
Was I being too elitist? They show some major folks every so often (though not typically), and they certainly seemed like a cool bunch of people. But I kept asking myself, is this the right place for me? Is this the kind of environment that is going to push my work to the next level? Does that even matter? After all, I spent so much time at a gallery where I was allowed to do whatever I wanted and I always knew my work would be shown. Maybe that was good enough?
So, I left the aforementioned prints there and walked out the door with the possibility of at least a group show down the road. And during my 30 minute car ride home, I starting thinking about this whole new initiative - the blog, the website, and what I am trying to accomplish. I needed to call Ara.
What ensued was one of those turning points in someones career. I know that one day I'll be able to look back on that conversation and say to myself, "that was where it all changed." The consensus was that showing was always a good thing (this new space included), but there is a definite kind of space that I need to pursue - a national or international space that represents a limited stable of artists so I can get some personal attention and really be pushed. I need a home.
She confirmed my suspicions that my newest body of work is what can bring me to the next level, and that I need to develop it more before seriously promoting myself again. She was blunt, like I knew she would be - and said "some of your other work was close, but not quite there. Right now, you are really onto something - and you need to focus on it." She should know - she owns many pieces of mine - including two of my latest.
Once this body of work is expanded upon, I'll have a whole new approach, thanks to Ara. Anyway, thought I would share, and give her hearty THANK YOU!
Scans for new work happening as we speak. Hopefully works in progress in the coming days.
Time to head home and get some sleep - the kids have been waking up at 5:30 am lately for some reason.
-Marc
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