So, I went to Dallas with my wife this past weekend to attend the Oil Painters of America's 25th Annual Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, otherwise known as "the big OPA thing". It was a great experience that I accredit to my wife entirely. We stayed in a hotel that was much more swanky than our personalities, ate a lot of great food, did a lot of sight-seeing/touristy stuff, and put on some nasty sunburns poolside. It was great.
I learned a few things at the exhibit. First of all, as I suspected, painting exhibitions of this type are essentially all the same, regardless of the size, prize money, "prestige and distinction"...lots of big paintings, lots of big egos, lots of big disappointments. It is what it is. It's par for the course, I suppose. Secondly, galleries are funny things. I've never seen so many expensive paintings in one place before. That is, I've never seen so many of these $10,000+ types of artworks stacked up against the wall, hung floor to ceiling, unframed and dusty, just waiting for a stray foot or loose nail to destroy them. It was a big show in a full gallery space, I know, but some gallery experiences make it very evident that your "art" is really just someone else's "product". I hope my painting sells...but there are a few hundred other overpriced wall decorations in competition right now. Third, I'm not super interested in a half page ad in a silly painting magazine or a hundred bucks worth of paint I don't care for. It seems like most "prestigious" art shows are offering prizes to the artists that, in all likelihood, didn't cost the organization a dime. Goods offered as prizes that were acquired in exchange for a sponsorship and ad space in the exhibit catalog is kind of cheap, in my opinion. I'm not going to pretend like I wouldn't have liked to win the $30,000 grand prize, but I knew that was a virtual impossibility. Prizes at art shows are as common as jackpots on slot machines...I'm not much of a gambler, but I like perusing the casino floor. Lastly, I discovered just how good some of these "acclaimed painters" really are. I recognized a lot of the names and even met a few folks whose work I've admired for years. Let me tell you, these guys and gals can paint a picture. Honestly, I was initially a little embarrassed of my work when I first saw it, hanging in between masterful paintings that had frames on them that probably cost more than my actual painting. But after processing what I saw for a few days, reviewing the catalog, and losing my self-disgust, I came to a conclusion that I've arrived at before...I entered a PAINTING show, not an art show. I saw some of the best work by some of the best painters across the country, but I'm not sure I saw a whole lot of "art"...after 30 minutes of studying the featured work, it all started to look the same. Please understand, I don't think my painting was very artful either, so I'm in the same boat I guess...just with lesser technical ability. I think I'm just struggling with the notion that a painter doesn't haven't to be an artist, or maybe more accurately, an "artist" doesn't have to make art all the time. And unfortunately, our abilities as artists aren't the focal point of "art exhibits". As a representational painter, I'm coming to terms with the fact that my paintings will be judged as paintings, not "artworks" in most of the venues I'll show at. Hell, I don't know that I've ever "arted" before anyway. But mostly, I'm coming to terms with the fact that my technical abilities will never reach the level of many of my peers, which can be frustrating when trying to create "art" to enter into "art exhibits" that are really just showcases of technical ability. It's like trying to be a poet when your only audience is simply interested in your rhyme scheme...is Walt Whitman really any more eloquent than Dr. Seuss? I don't know. All of that aside, I was really happy to see see Derek Penix win best of show for his painting. I don't know Derek, but his painting was my favorite. I can disagree with the judging of an art exhibit with the best of 'em, but this wasn't one of those times...Derek's painting was outstanding.
I'm not really worried about any of this...I'm just calling it like I see it. None of this really matters anyway and I'll probably change my mind tomorrow. I'm just thankful that painting pictures for fun has given me an opportunity to travel and explore this funky planet. Here's to Dallas...everything's bigger in Texas...especially the sunburns.
