Image: Gabrielle Jones, Chasm 1, 11, 111, 2009, Oil on canvas, 110x 83cm each
You know that saying - one door closes and another opens?
Well, the other day, I received a phone call from a gallery that was supposedly interested in representing me. Here's the back story: They were all smiles and professionalism when I first met the Director, the Gallery manager and checked out their new premises (they have a good, if slightly "loner" reputation and I loved their Artists Stable). Anyway, I signed up for a three month contract covering Nov, Dec and January: hardly bumper sales months at the best of times and I'm not sure the gallery was even open for much of that time.
After signing the contract twice (it was lost once - I should have been warned!), during my association with them I was told one thing by the manager and another by the Director regarding a permanent Gallery space, my work was hung at the end of a corridor with little overhead light, they used my painting in an ad with out crediting me, and distorted and cropped it as well. And they accidentally stumbled into my solo exhibition that they'd been invited to on the last day and barely looked at the work even then....you get the idea.
Well, you guessed it. The phone call was asking me to pick up my work as, although they'd had "a great response" to it, they couldn't sell it in this climate. AND they got the INTERN to make the call. How professional is that?
It was lucky for me, and I think the intern got a shock at how well I took the call - I was wondering how to handle it if they'd sold something and wanted more work, because I wasn't going to stay with a gallery like that!
So, with relief, I made the arrangements to pick up the work (at my cost, of course!) and then made a phone call to a dealer I'd been told about- who had just been looking at my work for a client. She was so excited she'd discovered me that she thinks I'll be their "artist of the year". That obviously remains to be seen, but it's a nice response, anyway. She said that every time she needs a new artist (because one of her existing artists doesn't fit the client's requirements) one rings within 24 hours. How's that for synchronicity.
Believe and ye shall prosper!
