the gallery that wanted to "grow" me and I should've run
gallery reached out a couple years back, seemed legit, had a space, had other artists I'd heard of. first meeting the owner spent 20 minutes telling me my work was "almost there" but needed to be more "palatable for collectors." wanted me to tone down the color and paint something people could match to their couch. i nodded along like a coward and then just never emailed them back.
still wonder if i dodged a bullet or fumbled a chance. what's the biggest red flag you ignored (or should've) in a gallery conversation?
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"Almost there", et toi, combien d'années de travail avant d'entendre ça d'un galeriste qui n'a jamais tenu un pinceau de sa vie.
You didn't fumble a chance. The fumbling was on their side, asking you to make your work smaller so it fits someone's decor scheme. I've seen what happens to painters who say yes to that, they spend years unlearning the habit of pleasing, if they ever do.
The red flag I ignored once was a gallery who kept talking about "the story" and barely looked at the paintings. Should have known.
"kept talking about the story and barely looked at the paintings", oh I know that one. I had a fella once, ran a little gallery out west, spent forty minutes telling me about his vision for the space and the narrative arc of the exhibition and the dialogue between the pieces. Not a word about the actual cuts. Not a single "how'd you get that texture in the sky there" or "that hare's got a good head on him." Just story story story. I walked out thinking grand so I'm a bit of scenery in your play, is that it.
You're dead right about the couch line too. That's the whole game isn't it, they want something that sits quiet and matches the curtains. And sure there's a place for that, I've nothing against a nice print on a wall, but don't come to me talking about growing my work if what you mean is shrink it.