As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend is the culmination of NY's Affordable Art Fair 2009. I volunteered to sit with my gallerist, Muriel Guepin of Shop Art Gallery yesterday. I felt a bit of the magic as I watched some wonderful pieces find homes. I also met two of my own patrons, and got tons of feedback.I don't know if you've had this experience, but it can be awkward to pose as a gallery assistant while people casually talk about your work, not knowing you're the artist. I was impressed that people spent time reading every word I had stitched, laughed out loud at a lot of my less flattering dating moments, and brought their friends to see my work.
I tried to find ways to interject myself in conversations without being overbearing or feeling shy. It wasn't easy. In talking about my work, I generated so many new ideas. Thank you art fair visitors!
Seeing my work sell, and getting reports from Muriel about sales, has made me both ecstatic and sad. I will go so far as to say I feel betrayed by my own artwork. I started the hand stitched portion of "Were I So Besotted" because I was heartbroken. I have continued to stitch stories about men I have been involved with, all the while hoping one would materialize who would be a loving and reasonable partner. Seeing people identify with my work enough to take it home is wonderful. But I am reminded that my search for an emotional home in another person is not resolved. Each stitch I make is a form of wounding and healing fabric, just like dating and starting over.
The image above is the start of a new piece. "He Left Me Because of My Underwear," (or something like that).
Congratulations on your many successes and for your many sales! That is certainly exciting. Perhaps I love your work because I've been right there with you in the dating trenches. Seems like a never-ending war. We win battles. We lose battles. But in the end it seems like it just keeps going and going.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, to continue with that metaphor, I've conquered some territory for myself that I have hopes to occupy for a very long time.
Keep up the good fight and making awesome work!
Wow..that would be an interesting experiment of sorts. I'd love to eavesdrop on convos about my art:) Congrats on the sales! I think your work is easy to relate to, but at the same time, so deeply personal that I'm sure it's a give and take for you. You want people to relate and buy it, but you also want to feel that you're a bit unique in your pain too. Happy making...the piece above looks like the start of something great!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! to you both.
ReplyDeleteIviva- Quick question: I'm on the Baltimore Etsy Street Team and we run a favorite shop/ artist post on Mondays for the blog. I was wondering if it would be ok with you if I forwarded the review I did on your work to them to post. If you want to check it out first, the link is:http://baltimore-etsy.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for asking. I checked out the blog. It looks fun. You can definitely send them your review of my work. FYI - I had to remove from my Etsy shop some of the pieces you mentioned, since they are being sold now through a gallery. My shop is still active, though. Another web site address for me is http://IvivaOlenick.neoimages.net.
Thanks!
Iviva
Hmn...perhaps I'll edit my photo choices then, as they really want it to be an etsy shop. Thanks for the heads up and for permission!
ReplyDelete