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Imagine is set in the Suffolk village of Long Melford.
This is an attempt to record the daily trials, tribulation and pleasure of running an art gallery.

Tuesday 30 March 2010





Another piece of work for the exhibition turned up to day from Jennifer Collier,
she does make the most unusual things.
Once we had a childs dress from her which was constructed from tea bags.
Now that's something that the English would call art,
we do like a drop of tea.
It was a really beautiful object, displayed in its case it would have been impossible to discern what it was made from. There were times when it was about to sell when I would proudly explain that it was "made from tea bags" and the prospective buyer [idiot] would exclaim
"tea bags"!
Then dismiss it as being something unworthy and would leave.
It takes all types.
Jennifer is very talented and her art always finds a place in my heart.
It is nice to come across things that are so innocent and which are made for their own sake.

The number of times that I have had the words from the '10cc' song run through my mind
"art for art's sake, money for gods sake".
I'm sure that they never owned a gallery but they certainly understood what I often feel.

Anyway, Jennifer has made the most unusual wall piece [as you can see]
with pictures tumbling out of the pages of an old Alice book.
She will be making something else, as today I sent her a pile of pages from several antique
'Alice's Adventures' books.
I have no idea what I will get in return [maybe abuse, but I doubt it]
but I do know that her resulting art will be very unusual
I would show other pieces that we will have but they are stuck in "customs" at Heathrow airport. I think at the moment someone is trying to work out how much IMAGINE are going to make from this. When they have decided we will get the tax bill and end up thinking
"why did we ask for this work".
It's a money world, well at least it is for everyone else.
Let this be a lesson, I was instructed by an artist recently to forward something to America,
I was told to value it at £30, send it as a gift and not to insure it.
Two days later it was in California, meanwhile I have been waiting for a piece of "ART" valued at £150 which was insured and has been in customs for a week.
Good to know the boys are on the case.

Talking of which, America, customs, transit and the like I want to mention the art of
Michael Parkes.
I mentioned a while ago that I was interviewed and vetted for suitability to sell his work.
Well, apparently I am suitable and will shortly be the only UK gallery to represent his work.
I have had over the last week or so been asked to make a selection
of his pictures that I would like to show.
This has been an awful task [nice but awful] as I wanted so many.
Today I think I have made my final selection, so I have requested them and with luck after
a few weeks sitting in customs they might make it into the gallery.
Remember, "you are not artist's", but gift suppliers.

Here are some pictures.
Obviously the first two are by Michael.
The other two are of Jennifer's wall piece that arrived today for
ALICE.

2 comments:

  1. Looks like the "Alice" show's going to be a lot of fun, John.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is all looking so wonderful John....what a stunning exhibition it will be!

    ReplyDelete