Before the exhibition was EVEN set up, it was a success!
A success because of a phone call I received a couple of days beforehand……
My contact at the library had rung with a piece of good news for me – she was setting up the programme of events for next year and when she got to the “International day for Women in Arts” she thought of me and said I was top of her list! And asked if I’d be interested in talking to a group at the library about my erotic art and taking along some pieces to show them. I said I’d be delighted to! She said that there would be a woman photographer, sculptor and textile worker there as part of the session, so it all sounds very upbeat and positive and I shall be delighted to be part of it!
And that was before I’d even set the exhibition up!
I set it up on Monday, on my own. I’ve set up exhibitions before, but they’ve been part of a group so I’ve not had to do all of it on my own before. When I’ve exhibited at Olympia for Erotica I’ve had a smaller stand and some help, so this time was more involved. But, other than the carrying in of the artwork (heavy even without the benefit of a hot summers day!), it was ok. And the caretaker was a great help in letting me stay after the library was shut for the night, which gave me the extra time to put up my title cards, and the bio about me and my work. I was weary though, when I got back home, mentally and physically. I’m delighted with the way it looks, it’s my first proper solo exhibition and its one I’m proud of. It’s a lovely light exhibition space and right by the front door so people can see it when they go on.
The decision about putting erotic art in was always going to be a moot point. I’d got the exhibition in the first place because of the brightly coloured vibrant abstracts I’d done. But, it’s still a public place that children can go to and its not appropriate for them to see erotic art. But the library knew that and left it to me to decide what I felt I was happy with. To that end, I decided that it would be better for me to show all that I do, and not just the erotic stuff, whilst making the most of my brightly coloured abstracts as I know they are popular, regardless of the subject matter. So I took landscapes, animals, still life and dancers as well as the more acceptable erotic stuff. Whilst I was setting up on Monday afternoon, a little girl of nine and her father passed by me. The child darted past each picture saying “I like that one, I like that one, I like that one” as she pointed to each in turn. All good, if she finds the art appealing. She said “Who painted all of these?” and I said “I did!” her father hadn’t heard me say that, and he replied to her “Lots of people, darling” and I turned to him and said “No, I did them ALL”. He looked taken aback and replied “In that case, you’re very talented” and I smiled at him in his understanding.
And later on, whilst I was putting up the brightly coloured erotic abstracts an older woman came in search of her husband who was looking at the art, and said to him “I like THAT!” and I turned and said a heartfelt “Thankyou!” as we made eye contact and smiled at each other. The art has valedation.
Yesterday when I popped in to see how things were progressing there were two youngish women there smiling at the “naughty picture” the “Tree of Life” picture that I’d taken as a framed print. It seems to be the most popular thing there, and they were smiling in understanding of what it was and what it depicted. The chief librarian was there, a man in his forties, and they pointed it out to him, and I smiled and asked him “Are you ok with hanging that picture in the library? Innocent eyes only see innocence in it, but adults see it for what it really is” He looked blankly at the picture and said “What? I don’t know what you mean” I smiled, and the two other women smiled and pointed at it. He still looked blankly at it and it was obvious that he couldn’t see it – one of the women pointed it out to explain it, and I smiled to myself. Children are obviously not the only ones with “innocent eyes”!!!!!!!