Last week I mentioned that I wasn’t a fan of abstract art (even though I will admit to having painted a few). You also may remember from a few posts ago that I am working on getting my art “out there” more. I have to admit that it is tough going. I have been warned that it takes time and effort, and I understand and accept that. I have been following the advice of many marketing “gurus” and am trying a variety of approaches. One of the key “aha” moments was when I read that most artists assume that everyone knows they exist, everyone knows they are selling their art, and that everyone will simply seek them out when they are looking for art. Of course this is silly, but I have to admit to being guilty of just that. Most artists are not interested in the business side of being an artist, and much prefer to spend their time creating. Makes sense. Most artists also think that “marketing” is sleazy, probably because a lot of it is. So I am trying to market without being sleazy. I hope I am successful at it, because it sure takes a lot of my time!
Now what, I hear you say, has this got to do with this week’s blog title? Well, as part of my marketing efforts, I have been looking at online art competitions and exhibitions, and have been lucky enough to have been selected for a surprising (to me) proportion of those that I entered. Very flattering! However, when I look at most of the other art there, I see abstract, surrealist, frankly weird and sometimes disturbing art. Case in point, this “Curator’s Pick” exhibit of mostly Canadian contemporary artists: https://www.gallea.ca/fr/expositions/exposants/curators-picks Very few of these could be considered “realist”, and even fewer would I consider hanging in my home. Is this where art is headed? A lot of people buy art to match their decor, and I can understand that, although I don’t remember ever doing that myself. I remember buying a couple of Rosamund prints when we were just starting out and had little money to spend on art. Even then, I remember hesitating because they were around $40 each, a total of almost $400 in today’s dollars. I still have them, and I still love them, even though I have gone through many sofas since! If you look at art available at Homesense or Home Depot (usually prints on canvas), again most of the images offered are abstract or abstractly rendered. Very little realism. Is this what people want today? Throwaway art? The right colors to match their curtains? I sincerely hope not. Because if it is, I’m barking up the wrong tree! What do you think? Is realism dead? Do you prefer abstract art? Is throwaway art the future? Tell me what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading! P.S. If you have friends who might be interested in following my artistic meanderings, please share this with them! Thanks!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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