I have had my head down for a while working on a new body of work, so I haven’t been around much. I have been on the verge of writing a few times, and ranting about something-or-other often, but let the rants pass. Probably better that way – after a while the rants mollify into observations….
Twitter sometimes feels like being in a room full of strangers at a bad party: everyone is talking loudly at the same time, but no-one is listening to anyone else. Occasionally though, someone overhears your little voice above the throng, and is interested in what you have to say.
I have to say I get very irritated by the followers that drop off if I don’t immediately follow back. As far as I am concerned it is quality, not quantity that counts. What is the point of a Far East handbag manufacturer following me, and vice versa?
A big bonus is slowly building a network of interesting new artists – and their work – which I may not have encountered otherwise. Use Twitter as a tool, not if you are being a tool. Ahem.
Artspam
Like everyone else I get a fair amount of emails through my website from outfits that turn out to be vanity galleries and suchlike. This one gets a special award for a better opening gambit than most:
Dear Phil,
Just discovered your work for the first time to my shame. It’s beautiful, I love what you do, big fan!
I try to keep an eye on what works for me, so I’m a proper stats geek where my website is concerned. I was able to trace this particular email from a visit to my home page which then went straight to the ‘contact me’ page. Didn’t even glance at the portfolio. Cynical. I could have given them the benefit of the doubt that they saw my work elsewhere and fell in love with it …. except that no-one ever describes my work as beautiful. Not even me. Tsk.
Incidentally, one of the other ‘regulars’ is going out with renewed vigour (two, from two different writers in the same organisation, a couple of days apart): Dear Phil, I stumbled across your art on the XYZ website and was really impressed…. and: Hi there, (couldn’t even be arsed to type my name) I stumbled across your art on the XYZ website and was really impressed…. Tsk.
Out of the mouths of babies
I was very interested in what Susan Francis had to say about children and their relationship with (our world of) art. I have been to a few PVs and exhibitions in France lately, and I have noticed that there are many more children present than I would expect to see back in England. Just two points really, because I don’t know if there is a substantive correlation (or how art is treated in the French education system, or indeed if it is just my imagination): firstly, I have an impression that the French public are more comfortable with contemporary art, if not more critically engaged, than their English counterparts. Secondly, the children seem less disengaged. Any views on this?
