Equinox is almost here and thus my favorite time of the year. The last of the art fairs for the season fades and me still wishing I had an e-trike...difficulty walking is the reason. So many tents, so little time. Luckily two art friends had booths directly across from the other. I got to introduce them. One is Katie Hoffman, and the lovely little piece you see right here. Yes, that is me in my 24 hour Church of Elvis tee-shirt. Katie made an interesting comment saying that the problem with selling a piece is that no one ever sees it again... (I may be paraphrasing) and I replied, surprised, "What do you want buyers to do? Post the pictures on social media?" and she said "yes." So I am. Here it is Katie, just for you. The other friend, Dan Oakleaf, has just wonderful work but I'm a little shy posting about my entire art collection. Just buy art from living artists.
In the meantime the funeral extravaganza for QEII is being recorded while I type this. I'm hoping her funeral will somehow spell the end to the archaic notion of "Monarchy" - an obsolete notion that humans can be chosen by the deities to 'rule' over others. Nope. They just folks and too many of them married cousins and amassed fortunes through war. Don't get me wrong, I liked QEII, she was raised in the way and took to it: Duty, Honor, Service.... and I liked her little dogs. But now that her very long reign as a well-paid figureheadedness is over, will we be seeing the Queen's art work? I hope not. I really am not into "hollywood celebities" or former US presidents showing their art work and having their celebrity sell it for them. Except Jim Carrey. I like his style. But, I want artists to sell their art work. Again....you should buy art from living artists.
This reminds me of something. You Artists out there. Make arrangements for your Art and your other stuff (papers and thoughts and whatever) so future art history grad students can find the stuff and write papers with illustrations about you and your art. My college art friend Michael Payne, now dead, had purchased all the art work of his drawing mentor when she died, childless, sibling-less. (trust me on this - having kids is no guarantee your stuff will be saved.) All her wonderful drawings and paintings would have gone to a freakin' land fill were it not for Michael!! To trash art is just not right. I've watched too many art friends vanish and their work as well: Bert Marsh - western art and wildlife work about which I could not say enough good, died unexpectedly and too soon and his siblings, I guess, divided up his work and never seen again. I had wanted to write a book about his life and work but could not get his sibs to send photos. blah blah blah. See...it can be too late sometime.
Then there was David - a disappointed drunk maybe but he died apparently happily on a beach, had loads of great art work and he collected other work as well, even some of mine...sadly, however, the pieces he sent to ME for "safe keeping" did not include Provenance so now I own wonderful work by "Anonymous the Younger"- paintings, sculptures. etc...Not really complaining, but still.....
I am lucky to have some of David's work, too, but back in the day we were not bright about business, so no receipts or letters or anything to show we didn't just rip off each other's studios. Frankly, I do wish I knew where the pieces of mine he owned ended up/ Don't let this happen to you.
It is unwise enough to skate through your days thinking you'll never get hit by a bus or killed by some asshole's stray bullet without you having NOT made a will or advanced directives for yourself and loved ones, and further- to not take care of your ART's disposition is a real waste. At least keep a journal and express your desires for your art therein. I'm not sure of some parent's scheme of numbering their possessions and have those correspond to their offspring - this goes to George,#3- works, but do something and soon. And if you are going to leave it all to your dog or cat, at least have a designated human to help oversee it all, and include some finances as well. Though we can't all be like Vance Kirkland or Clyford Still, with warehouses full of paintings and money to build your own museum, we should never have our art go to a land fill. (Hear me, O unknown painter who screwed all your stretcher bars together into a giant block of abandoned inspiration of paint on canvas, left on the curb for the garbage but I was lucky enough to find it and rescue it first even if I've been painting over it because what the hell, art supplies are expensive. I name them "unintended collaborations" and would probably have given you more credit had I known who the F you were.)
Celebrity and selling their art... Back in the 1970s-1980s, John Waters of Hairspray and other moives fame and I lived in the same apartment house. It was a older, stately, building built in the late 1800s overlooking a large lake and park where I played tennis every day. And, it was famous for its self-service elevator at the end of a long (30 feet or more) narrow entry hall. At best, the elevator could accomidate 3 large men. Now, for a short story before the art. Late one afternoon after playing tennis I was closing the elevator door when I head a call, "Hold the Elevator". When I looked downt the hall, John and Divine were had justed entered the hall. So…