Coyote Compromise

How far should someone go to make compromises to get where you want to be?

With compromises I mean, in my case, adjusting my work so people understand it, galleries can sell it, etc.

There are a lot of variables, especially with sculptures. Sculptures tent to be less common and most exhibitions, galleries, pubs etc. haven’t got the facilities to show them. It was more or less the reason why I made my second skull specifically for hanging purposes. This actually turned out very well!  Besides being able to show them, you also have to consider how easy it is to pinch them. They might have a shelve or a table to show them, but it means they are still not mounted on the wall like paintings.

The other more difficult compromise is how much do you water down your initial idea and craziness to make a bridge between you and the average viewer. Or even a jury of an art prize. If I would decide to compromise, it actually isn’t that easy. For example, I noticed I have blind spot for how people would view dead animals. Where I would always approach and examine every detail of every dead animal I see, most people would probably look away at some point, I have been told. I also thought everybody loves to have a skull hanging in their house, but apparently I am wrong. It doesn’t stop me making them, I just have better expectations about peoples view upon them.

I always try to keep making what I like and make more of that part of my sculpture range that are more understandable or more practical for showing.

The hardest bit is getting your work viewed, considered and chosen by curators and juries of art prizes. I have no clue what the average art expert would like about my work, mainly because I don’t know anybody in art. I started this by myself and developed a sort of creative island around me. I often hear  that a lot of people talked about my work during an exhibition and I consider that a good thing, but I still don’t really know why. If this is a positive reason, would that also help winning art prizes? Could well be that the general public has a different opinion from art experts. Also, a lot of very well known artists weren’t understood for many years before they were labeled as a genius. Uhum.....

It all comes down to having confidence and a fighting spirit if you have something unique. Even if you, in my case, no clue whether I have something different, special or uniquely rubbish maybe. In every profession, the future genius would have been seen as a outlier, weirdo, freak, in the past, but kept going until people started to understand and saw the difference they were making. Any compromise would make the difference less significant. So, how motivated am I?

One thing I do know, Wile E Coyote is my example; never gives up, always has a plan, many lives and considers himself a genius with regular self doubt. Let’s hope I have better luck!