Gallery Life

About a week ago, I visited a couple of galleries, an opening or two.

I was struck by the uniformity of work that I saw at these other galleries; like the Art in the Park shows, much-of-a-muchness. It made me proud and happy to be associated with Patrick John Mills Gallery.

One of the things that really stood out for me is the difference in friendliness. No one introduced themselves, no one seemed to know that a new person had come to their gallery. In fact, an astounding thing occurred.

I was looking at a painting, getting a perspective, seeing it from different angles, when someone from the gallery picked up a large canvas from where it was stored behind a counter,  and propped it up in front of the art I was looking at. He never excused himself, nothing. I was standing in front of someone's work, looking at it, and he occluded it, covered it entirely, not caring that he'd obscured someone's work, not caring that someone was looking at it.

How sad for the artist, how sad for an art gallery patron.