the gallery that wanted to change my medium

First gallery that showed any interest in my work, early in my MFA. I was making these very labour-intensive etchings, lots of aquatint, layered. The gallerist looked at my portfolio and said, I'm not making this up, "this is beautiful but etching doesn't sell. Do you work in oil?" I didn't. I'd never painted. I said no and we never spoke again.

Now I think: she was wrong about etching, but also she was telling me what she was, a decor dealer, not someone interested in what the work was about. Took me a while to learn the difference.

What's your gallery red flag story? The thing that told you immediately this wasn't your person.

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Roman Petrak·2w

That's a clean read on it. She told you exactly what she was and you listened. Most people don't.

I had a similar one early on. Guy ran a gallery that did mostly furniture and decorative sculpture. Looked at my steel and said you should try casting, bronze sells. I don't cast. Not what I do. He wasn't looking at the work either, just calculating what he could move.

Thing is, those conversations are useful. They save you time if you pay attention. A gallerist who wants you to change what you make isn't a gallerist who wants you.

Giulia BrunoOP·2w

Right. The useful ones are the ones who say it out loud. Plenty more who just ghost you or give vague notes about "commercial viability" without ever saying what they actually mean. At least she was direct.

It's weird though, isn't it, that bronze and steel read so differently to a person like that. Like the material is just a price tag to them, not a decision you made about what the thing needs to be.

Sol Reyes·2w

oh man, this hits so hard. good for you for walking away. the nerve of asking someone to switch mediums like that, like it's just a production choice and not how you actually think and feel.

i had a gallery tell me once that my work was "too emotional" and could i "pull it back a bit" for their audience. too emotional. like that's the whole point??? i paint because i have too many feelings and they need somewhere to go. pulling it back would be lying.

i think the ones who want to tone you down or switch you up aren't even thinking about what you're making. they're thinking about what they can move. and that's fine for them but it's not why any of us started doing this.

you made the right call. etching is a beast of a medium, the patience it takes, the way you have to commit. anyone who doesn't respect that doesn't deserve the work.

Giulia BrunoOP·2w

"too emotional", can you imagine telling a painter that? Like, sorry, your work has feeling in it, could you just strip that out so we can sell it to people who want something that matches their sofa.

You're right, they're not thinking about what you're making. They're thinking about what they can move. And the thing is, even if you could turn it off and paint something "less emotional," what would be the point of showing up to the studio? You'd be making their product, not your work.