Alan Neal (All in the Day) from CBC Radio One... we LOVE YOU.
Alan Neal interviewed: Adam Davidson, Michele LeCourtois, and Robin Lynch about the current show in the gallery - I LOVE YOU.
CBC has been so so so kind and supportive to the gallery over the years. I can not express just how much it is appreciated. Thank you again. Thank you for promoting Art and Culture.
The I LOVE YOU show just opened for showing yesterday. The gallery has 300 works. Yes THREE HUNDRED art works on display. It is a massive exhibition. There is so much to feast your eyes and fill your soul here in the gallery. The show is epic.
In the past I have had show titles: I Killed the Group of Seven, WAR, RAW NAKED SOUL, PORN is not ART / PORN is Art... some titles that are pretty heavy. But in January and February the Canadian Winter can be pretty harsh and cold. So I wished to soften the tone and put up 2,100 posters up... I LOVE YOU. Just to add some feel-good feelings in Ottawa.
Having 2100 I KILLED the Group of Seven Posters up with fake blood all over the city in the brutal winter... well... I LOVE YOU... might be a better choice.
I LOVE YOU... Isabelle. I wanted my eight-year-old daughter to see I LOVE YOU all over the city. That is why I titled the show I LOVE YOU. Last year, the show was LOVE. This year, I LOVE YOU. While driving in the car, Isabelle and I would race to see who would see ground hogs. For two months she can see I LOVE YOU.
The show does not have pretty pictures. Yes there are a few nice works in the gallery relating to the words I LOVE YOU. But my vision to allow artists to express and explore the complexity of emotions, the depth, hurt, risk, complication, intensity, anger, lust, passion, rage, hurt, tenderness, obsession, joy, love... love ... love.
I had over 150 artists submit. There was a lot of selection. So this month I included seven new artists into the show. It is not easy to refuse artists opportunity to share, show, sell their work. I find this aspect of owning and running an art gallery most difficult. I love Art. I am an Artist. And I have been rejected many times from being able to share my work with others. So I do understand rejection and the hurt. I find it very difficult to not accept every artist into the gallery.
On the other hand. This might seem blunt, harsh, unkind. I also find it most disrespectful when an individual (note the word individual - not the word artist) approaches my art gallery... only having worked some 50 or so hours, painted 10 - 15 paintings in their life... walk into my gallery and feeling that I should kiss their ass and bend over to show their art work. These individuals are deeply insulted when I politely encourage them to continue painting and develop their work.
Every month I receive approximately 100 submissions from artists all over the world. Some of the submissions are from professional artists who have been painting 10, 20, 30 plus years. These professional artists have dedicated their lives to art.
The word Artist is something I respect deeply. I am an Artist. I have been painting now for 19 years full time. I work an average of 80 hours a week on my career. The word Artist I feel needs to be respected much more these days. I find that word artist is so commonly used.
A person who paints some pictures, plays with some art materials... is not an artist. Just as if I put some slices of bread in the toaster... I do NOT call myself a Chef. Just as if I brush and floss my teeth... I do not call myself a dentist. Just as I put a Band Aid on the cut on my finger... I do not call myself a Doctor.
People Please respect the word ARTIST.
I LOVE YOU....
Patrick John Mills
2 comments:
I think you're way too sentimental Patrick. You should put your feelings aside. It's not being blunt, harsh or unkind to refuse someone that doesn't correspond to your level of expectations. As a gallery owner, you have a responsability towards the crowds who come to the gallery and to the collectors who buy works to show good art by serious artists. A gallery is not a venue for Sunday painters. They can participate to festivals in the Summer and share their art with their friends on Facebook alongside pictures of their cat. Your gallery is just not the place. Moreover, accepting them weakens everybody's work by lowering the gallery's reputation in everyone's mind. It also scares away serious artists that could have been tempted to join us. That's very expensive! It gives a very bitter aftertaste to those warm feelings!
Mathieu I really appreciate how well spoken you are. I also am a great fan of yours an Patricks complicity. Thanks for putting most of our thoughts in such great pieces. Cheers to you n Patrick.
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