Today both Elisa and I attended a workshop on gallery relationships. Whilst mildly optimistic going in, I did come away - again - with a jaded feeling.
I can't quite pinpoint it but I do think it stems from the marketing blackhole we encounter whilst promoting our work.
With the last few shows we've produced booklets - often at great expense - as a marketing tool. These were sent to carefully selected galleries and curators with cvs, supporting letters and in some cases even with video walkthroughs as an attempt to 'make contact'.
Of all the books we've sent out over the last four years we have only ever received six acknowledgments... Importantly three of those were interstate.
Eventually you find yourself thinking that you might just be knocking on doors with bleeding knuckles whilst those behind the door are perpetually in the shower?
It also leaves you with the feeling that you are so 'insignificant' that you don't even deserve the courtesy of a simple note to say 'thanks but no thanks' or 'not interested ... P%#s off!' At what point do you concede that you're perhaps embarrassing yourself and really need to 'move on'.
With that in mind, I have seriously got to the point of wondering whether I should bother trying to show in Perth.
If one of my key goals is to get the stability of commercial representation, am I just wasting my time trying to accomplish that here? If Perth's commercial galleries and to some extent curators are seemingly disinterested what point is there even showing here?
I guess the key points are expense and audience.
It costs an extraordinary amount of money to put on a show so it is very frustrating when the very small audience you are trying to attract are seemingly apathetic to your efforts.
Equally trying to show over east has it's own 'extra' issues as well.
Ultimately, to feel that 'you don't belong' is a rather sickening feeling.
It has been a frustrating day so I am not sure how to go forward from here....
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