For the past few weeks I have had my commercial head thoroughly screwed on. As a contemporary artist untroubled by the stigma that is ‘making a bit of money’, I have decided to thrust myself into the realm of selling my work at a stall on a bank holiday weekend. Well, sort of.
Bird’s Yard is an independent shop that showcases local art and craft in Sheffield, and as such, seems like an ideal venue for which to see whether the paints I make have any commercial value. Moreover, the event Bird’s Yard is holding – Named ‘Farm Yard’ – centres on the theme of food and local produce: Doubly ideal then, seeing as the paints I make are made from ground food, egg yolk and a bit of sunflower oil. I will be unleashing my paints onto the steely gaze of the general public between 12pm and 4pm at Bird’s Yard on Saturday 24th May.
As well as my paints, I shall be selling work made using my paints, as well as giving the public a chance to attend a paint making workshop – which will give people the opportunity to make their own paints from food.
I shall also be selling other food related goodies, including paintings of fruit that are sold like fruit – cheaply and with a discount for bulk buying. Not to mention prints of teabags for a little as £1; postcards of my work and two zines that detail my fascination with mould and my desire to create a cookbook.
As an exercise in aligning the status of art to the status of food, I’d wager that holding a stall at an event such as this gives the opportunity for food within the realms of fine art to collaborate with its tangible and real-life subjects. For art to fall seamlessly alongside that which it is depicting is able to at once ground artistic practice and allow food to transcend it’s physical properties. I want my work to depict and relate to the value of food. Therefore allowing it to integrate an event that caters to the needs of greengrocers, bakers, preserve makers, and food proprietors successfully addresses my needs in an identifiable way.
As previously mentioned, Bird’s Yard on Chapel Walk will host ‘Farm Yard at Bird’s Yard’ on Saturday, May 24, from noon to 4pm. Why not pop along and see what’s going on? It is free entry, after all.
