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QUESTIoN AND ANSWER:
Question from Alex Hackett graduating from oxford Brookes
University with a BA Hons in Fine Art, to artist Rich White.
Question: What can I realistically expect to achieve/be successful in, in terms
of residencies and shows, as an emerging artist?
Answer: my practice is quite specific – I rarely make work unless I have an
exhibition or event to show at and the work is made on site for the location
it is to be shown in. So the bulk of what I do consists of applying, promoting,
planning, and more applying. Then, every now and then, I actually make
something. last year I applied for approximately 70 opportunities. Eight of
those applications were successful – that’s a hit rate of 1 in 8.75. for each
of these I spent approximately four days building or making each work (not
counting thinking time, which is very important), making drawings, CAD
models and photomontages to test ideas, site visits and material hunting.
That’s 32 days out of 365 spent making work. of the remaining days, about
half are spent working on other jobs to support myself; I’m an assistant to
a small number of sculptors, technician at a gallery, and do other freelance
creative jobs when they arise. Excluding weekends and holidays, I spend 152
days selling myself and applying for opportunities, and 32 days making work,
or thereabouts. I am a responsive artist – my practice requires an external
impetus, such as a commission or exhibition. This provides the inspiration for
the work – the purpose to create.
QUESTIoN AND ANSWER:
Question from Barbara Witkowska,graduating from Staffordshire
University, in BA (Hons) Fine Art, to Ceri Hand, gallerist.
Q: How I can approach galleries and get them interested
in my work? What makes an artist an attractive ‘product’
for a gallery to represent?
A. research which gallery
programmes fit with your work; know
your context – attend previews, read
magazines, go to art fairs and biennials; apply to as many
contemporary prizes, residencies, open exhibitions as
possible; don’t wait to be invited to exhibit, DIy; utilise
diverse distribution platforms; make sure your CV has as many recognised
exhibition venues/ awards/ prizes on as possible; build your database –
know which press, curators, artists to align yourself with; keep your website/
blog up to date; make lots of work; take risks; get framing/installation advice;
take good documentation photographs; be patient!.