Vincent The Painter
Written By: jonny.gotham
Date: July 21, 2007
Comments: 0
The gallery goes dim, flashes from a strobe set the mood, and then a strong, firm beat sets the tone and intro for the evening. The crowd mumbles in anticipation (they have yet to see a piece of work from this famed artist), but if he lives up to half the hype they’ve been hearing about in those art circles they consider themselves members of, it will have been well worth the wait. His humbled voice comes over the speakers… “I just want to thank you all for coming… I hope you enjoy the show.” The music cuts to a startling silence just before the room lights up, there’s a short pause for the awe, and then the music fills the room again. For a solid minute, everyone just stares…
It wasn’t quite that scene today, but hopefully… someday. Scratch that, definitely someday if I have anything to say about it. Over the years, I’ve collected a great number of friends and met an even greater number of acquaintances with tremendous creative talent, working in the various mediums of music, film, design, or in today’s case… paint. With each new talent, I’m reminded of those childhood dreams of making fine art that would be shown in galleries all over… back when I used to spend hours upon hours drawing whenever I could find a pencil and paper. Sadly, I gave up serious drawing many years ago (nearly a decade), but that dream of a gallery showcase hasn’t escaped me.
A GALLERY? SAY WHAT?
Yes, an art gallery. I’ve spoken about the idea to numerous friends of mine over the years, although the cost has always been the largest hurdle. The cost of the physical space, operating measures, prep time, launch party (oh yes, the vision is grand), and promoting it… it adds up to quite a sum.
That has been a barrier for years. A frustrating one, I might add, because with all these talented people, and my proclivity for wanting to helping people (at times when they don’t even ask — a huge problem I’m working on), it’s difficult to watch these talented people just fall to the wayside… Anyone who works in the creative field knows that it is extremely difficult to break into, which is most likely the reason for so many people relegating art to a hobby. Admittedly, there are boatloads who simply aren’t good enough — whether that is a product of their lack of passion and tenacity, or simple lack of talent, but I also think there are a great number of artists who fall in battle simply because life beckons, and it doesn’t take the purity of art as currency or collateral.
…there are a great number of artists who fall in battle simply because life beckons, and it doesn’t take the purity of art as currency or collateral.
And it is with that battle, that I introduce my friends. All that talent, and they are are all fighting furiously trying to make something of their art. I respect that… I respect that a lot.
After so many years of watching them stumble and fall for their craft, take blow after blow dealt by the life and the “real world” (whatever the eff that is), I simply decided to switch my brain over, and use the rules and tools of the “real world” to try and make things happen for them. I have to skew some of my models and theories a bit though to make it work, but I’m confident that in the end, it can work.
Normally, outsourcing is a de facto way to help with cost–effectively achieving a business goal, but there is another method where it is better to bring things in–house. So, while I can’t afford to rent a physical gallery and its related upkeep, nor can I spend the time to search out and pitch artists to new spaces for free… I can open my own gallery. It won’t be traditional brick and mortar, but with some ingenuity, I can make it just as effective, if not more. In this case, I’m working off ideas that have been done before, and leveraging what is nearly zero overhead with maximum exposure, and opening my own artist gallery — an online one. It’s something I’ve kept pretty hush–hush as I’ve recruited various artist to feature… and the concept is still a ways off on the timeline (read: after I launch my new portfolio), but I think it’s time to let the word out, and start some buzz.
Why spend the time on this project? It’s pretty simple. I have a lot of people who are great creative talents, but are stuck splitting their time between day jobs and their art. They all have a common thread: lacking the resources to simultaneously create their art and properly promote themselves, as well as lacking physical space to showcase their talents. Without real spare time to dedicate to simply working at their craft and promoting it as needed (again, the art vs. life, rent, expenses, etc.) it’s a constant battle for creation and exposure. And a big part of success in this game is exposure. Beyond that struggle, another reason why I’m doing it is because I simply do not like the idea of these people being stuck with their day jobs 10 years from now. I would rather have them doing what they love, and slaving away at that.
Thus, rather than have them all fight it out against the world themselves, I decided to join the ranks, and turn the game upside down. I’m going to try and approach it differently, working as a collective to make things a success. Why should they have to beg to have their work exposed, when it should be the other way around? I’m sick of my friends starving for their craft, whether metaphorically or literally, so I’m joining the game, both for them and myself.
Why should they have to beg to have their work exposed, when it should be the other way around?
BUT WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
I guess nothing comes for free. Eventually, I want it to be a highly respected, premier thing — my little artists’ gallery, and that’s how I’m treating it. When it starts, I will be sole judge, jury, and executioner for what enters and showcases at the gallery (artist wise, not piece–by–piece), but I don’t expect it to always be that way… The goal is for the gallery to work with the artist’s best interests in mind, always showcasing artists who have the utmost talent and passion for their art… and exist for as long as I can reasonably sustain the project financially.
Some argue that me fronting the money to do this is kind of nuts, given my own financial constraints. There is definitely truth in that. I like to think though, as the project progresses, the artists will help me out with the growing costs (hosting, software licenses, domain name renewals) as much as they can, and if they get really big, they’ll make a donation back to the project to help out future artists. Giving back — name of the game.
It’s good for everyone, too — having more art in the world. I like to think that by allowing these artists to showcase their work and working hard to hopefully provide other benefits (such as helping them get exposed and shown in various physical galleries and exhibitions), I’m helping them have a better chance to end up doing what they love for a living (cheesiness aside). Quite simply, it’s just a good thing. It makes me feel good, knowing that my friends are creating things and doing what they love — rather than data entry in some conglomerate corporation.
Of course, there are benefits for me aside from my idealistic artist gallery version of Feel Good Inc., although they are completely secondary to my primary goal. If things go as planned, someone will inevitably ask who started the whole thing, and that’s going to expose me (good or bad!). Hopefully, that exposure will be good, and it will lead me to contracts with greater creative freedom and carte blanche art direction on projects — and I’m all for that. In the end though, as many of my close friends know, I’d prefer to just stay in the background — known and yet anonymous at the same time, and at all costs, push attention away from me, and towards the work itself…
SO VINCE WOULD BE…
Vince currently is an artist working at Starbucks. I’ve been known to venture to the trendy coffeehouse for multiple green teas before I begin work in the evening, and everything started upon one coincidental visit. After ordering (as I had done many, many times before), the cashier quizzically asked, “Are those all just for you?” I responded with a simple, “Yeah, I have a lot of work to do tonight.” Follow up? “Oh, so what do you do?” To this day, I believe he asked partially because everyone working at Starbucks is required to be friendly and start conversations with customers to make them feel welcome, and partially because it’s gotta be strange to see a guy come in day after day, always by himself, and always ordering three iced green teas and a cup carrier… I know I’d ask — what kind of person does that?
After the common introductions, I revealed my work as an independent graphic and web designer, and he told me about his aspirations as a painter. In subsequent visits, we talked in passing and one time Vince asked me about possibly designing a site for him to showcase work, wanting my business card and portfolio — but as things have been going, my portfolio currently being built as well as my entire brand identity — I never had anything for him.
We discussed things on and off as I would come grab my green teas, with me eventually mentioning the gallery concept to him. He was interested, and I was happy that this idea in my head was appealing to not only friends but this stranger/artist I had recently met. Months progressed, and eventually, they held a make–shift art show at the store. I received a quarter card flyer hot off the press, and scheduled the date in my calendar.
Fast forward to today, where I entered the store ready for a 3 hour observation of this artist and his work. I brought a whole kit of tools: notepads, sketchpads, camera, laptop, etc… and being as stealth as I could be, critically reviewed Vince and his work to see if I all the talking was worth it… Not in a snob way, but I had to assess whether he was someone whose work I could stand behind — to see if the art was as good as I had hoped, and if he could walk the walk. While some may argue how I might be qualified to examine and critique art, I have to honestly respond — I don’t care. For this gallery to work, I’m going to be spending a great deal of time to make it good, and for me to make that investment, I need to know the artist is worth all of that.
So is Vince worth it? Yes, he is. He’s got potential, talent, and passion in spades. I can’t help but see the irony in me trying to make this grand gallery, trying to effect change and do something great in the art world, and one of the first people I want to showcase has the name Vincent. I’m going to take it all as a good sign… hopefully, he will too.
His art is shown in the pictures throughout this feature (the ones that are not his, I have blurred out), a blend of street art roots with his own evolving style. Today, I watched him meticulously paint the lines and forms for his latest work, and it didn’t take long before I knew the guy loved being an artist. Maybe it comes from the people and friends I grew up with, curiosity, or environment, but there’s something you can see in someone when they’re a true artist, and seeing that today was another good sign.
He works on a simple, portable wooden easel, on varying mediums of canvas to straight wood to aluminum. Black hat and shirt, simple wooden palette and brushes, he is a clear example of how art isn’t so much the tools you use, but the vision.
We spoke briefly, with me snapping pictures left and right, discussing different art forms and about the gallery. While doing what he likes style–wise, staying true to a street art tradition, he mentions that he is branching out into other types such as portraits. It will be exciting to see what he comes up with. After a few hours, he wrapped up his gear, I packed up my kit, and a nod and handshake later, everything was over.
FUTURES
What does the future hold? I don’t know. I don’t know if Vince will want to show his work in my gallery, and I don’t know if the whole idea will even work when it’s launched.
I was excited to see the work today, however, and even more excited at the prospect of things to come. Only time will tell I guess…
Hopefully you’ll enjoy the work as much as I did today.
If you are interested in contacting Vincent for an exhibition or for more information, please leave a comment below, and I’ll be sure to get the information to him (as I don’t really want to post his email out for everyone to see without his permission).