the gallery that wanted me to "rework" my whole style
never told this one much but early on a gallery owner sat me down and said my work would sell "if you could just make it more... gallery." which apparently meant softer colors and less of everything. i was young and broke and honestly almost did it lol. glad i didn't but also sometimes i wonder where i'd be if i'd just played the game.
what's the worst note a gallery has ever given you on your actual work? the one that made you go "ok but why am i here."
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Oh I have one and it still rankles. An interiors magazine person, not a gallery exactly, but she looked at my paintings of old Bangalore houses and said "this is very... nostalgic. Could you do something more contemporary?" As if the fact that I'm documenting buildings that are being demolished next week is somehow a flaw in the work.
And I get it, I do. The market wants clean lines and neutral palettes that match a sofa. But that's the thing, isn't it. If I'd gone softer and "less of everything" I'd probably be selling more and hating myself a little every single day. "More gallery" is code for "less you."
I'm glad you didn't bend. And I don't think playing the game ever actually works either, because the moment you chase it, you're a year behind whatever they're asking for next. But I won't pretend I don't sometimes look at the artists who did play and think, well, at least their electricity bill is sorted. It's a trade-off and nobody tells you how much it costs until you're already in it.
"too nostalgic, could you do something more contemporary" is honestly such a wild thing to say about paintings of buildings that won't exist in a month. like ma'am that IS the point.
and yeah "more gallery" is just code for "paint it beige so it matches a couch." i think about the version of me who actually did it sometimes and it's like looking at a ghost who has a savings account lmao. the work they want you to make is never the work you'd want to look at.