The Art of Getting Money

"Be one of the first 100 artists to connect with Basel Art Collectors during opening night!"

That was the first thing I saw in a little announcement on Facebook this week for Art Basel and it tickled my curiosity, so I read on...

It only takes a moment to make an impact,that can change your life. Be one of the first 100 to have an exclusive opportunity to reach VIP Collectors during the opening night of Art Basel Week. Each premium promotional package will be given to hand selected collectors and galleries with all artist information and a sample of their work.   Let us help you stand out from the rest of crowd with our elegant and eye catching designs. We will make sure your information gets into the right hands.

Not too shabby, lets read on...

 

Give us your best shot and we'll take care of the rest.
Premium Promotional package includes:
100 double sided color and uv gloss coating
Sponsored promotional tote
VIP presence during fair opening
                                                   $285.00

To reserve your place as the first 100, Artists please have ready the following information:
- 3 high resolution images of your best work ( include size,medium and title)
- artists contact information ( website, email, phone#, social media )

Sounds great! Now let me summarize this exceptional deal for you as far as I understand it:
You pay $ 285.00 together with 99 other artists = $ 28,500.00
100 sponsored (sponsored by whom... let me think.. oh yes 100 artists) promotional totes will be prepared each with 100 double sided color and uv gloss coated card with 3 photo's + info (1 per artist).

Ever carried a tote bag filled with a 100 post cards... ever took a look inside and read all the cards?

I thought so.

Let's say the person behind this offer is of good will and spends around $ 7,000.00 on the whole package, puts it all together and makes it look really eye-catching (after all he is of good will). What to do with the rest of the earnings? 

Maybe the person will pay for a stand at one of the bigger shows at during Art Basel. Yes, the 100 artists just sponsored a stand... they are mentioned of course, just take a look in the promotional tote. 

Any of the 100 sponsors who want to their work in the stand, they can always email them for the other exhibition opportunities (with a price tag) during Art Basel Week and put "Fair Opportunities" in the subject line.

I am almost sure they mean art fair and not "honest, upright, honorable, trustworthy". 

To me it seems that this whole offer has very little to do with art made by artists but everything to do with "The Art of Getting Money".... from the artists again.

 

I will normally not vent about these offers, but I know how hard it is to get into a proper stand during Art Basel if you are not represented by a gallery. Many of the hardworking serious artists will try to find other opportunities to be part of this important art week and pay big bucks just to be shown and hopefully interest a buyer, scout and / or gallery. 

Because it should be about ART.

Back to work...

After being idiotic busy with other things I am getting back on track by continuing existing projects and starting new ones. I am really excited about the Sincerity Project 2013 - curated by Jill Slaughter - in an effort to call attention to kids that age out of the Foster Care System at the age of 18.

As the Sincerity Project has "HOME" as its theme this year, a temporary house will be build at Gallery 18 in Pembroke Pines with 20 panels of 4' x 8' as it walls. Artist were asked to create an artwork on one of these panels which relates to the theme of this year or to aging out. The panels will be auctioned at the openings reception on June 7th. And I am honored to be one of the artists invited to create his/her vision on such a panel.

Having no real clue what 4' x 8' looks like, I went to Home Depot to check a panel of this size.... I imagine it was probably one of the first times anybody was laughing at wooden panels, as I did when I saw it: it's biiig.

Anyway... started to write down some ideas for the panel... made some rough sketches... and then last week the actual panel was delivered... and it came with a hole!!!

Panel after 1 sanding and 1 coat of gesso

I had a window panel and I knew that I had to literally throw all my ideas "out of the window" - every pun intended - because my initial ideas were for a horizontal piece and obviously one without a window. But after a hour or so staring at the panel - did I tell you it is biiig - new ideas started to bubble up inside me... and I went from OMG to Oh YEAH!!

And in the meantime I started and finished a super small painting, because you need to keep some sort of balance, on a 3.5" x 5" wood floor sample. It is one of my disturbed children, only less disturbed and it is called "Little Heat".

Transitions

At first - when I started working on these paintings - I wanted to create a series about people trying to find their balance in life. I got the idea when watching an old man, who could barely walk, literally swinging from one pole in the bus to the next until he reached the door. He was more in balance than the rest of us.

Nowadays a lot of people struggle with their balance in life and I am no stranger to that at times. But while working on the paintings, it seemed that they became more personal. I wasn't sure how or why but every time I looked at my work, it was as if I was telling myself something.

After a while it hit me: it was about me. I was the portrait of my transition from Holland to the US. Don't get me wrong, I have not regretted my move what so ever, but it did have an impact on me. I left my family, friends and my life as I knew it behind to start all over again.

The paintings are not sad - with their vivid bright colors - and it shows me finding a new balance here. Each one of them is a step towards the future. If you click here you can see the Transition paintings.

Click here if you want to know more about the presentation at the MOCA in North Miami.