Restriction > Dilemma > Problem Solving > Development?
I’ve occasionally pondered what my work would be like (or even if I’d make anything) if money was no object. I’d have a bigger studio for sure. I’d exhibit in “posh” galleries. I’d possibly employ someone young to trot up ladders and hang paper…
Dream on! Haha!
What actually happens is that restriction and limitation are the prompts for development. I have on my table at the moment a large drawing on the very last piece of expensive paper. I really enjoy working on this scale, and given the studio and the ladder-trotting assistant, I would probably go even bigger. (There are ways I can do this… so maybe I should explore those. But there would still be an inherent cost that at the moment I can’t afford.)
The knock-on dilemma with large drawings is what the hell do I do with them when they are finished? Pile them up in the corner until I’ve fallen out of love with them and chop them up to make a book? Possibly. Get them mounted or framed to exhibit? Costs an absolute fortune and then takes up space to store. In thinking about a price for these two drawings, I’m probably, for the first time, breaking into four figure sums. Which is completely hypothetical because who on earth would buy them? I’ve yet to sell any of these drawings larger than about A3 size. But then I do feel I should feel free to make without the pressure of having to make work that sells. This thinking is problematic as I know that I don’t have to make a living from this. I have the luxury of alternative income. That’s a whole different argument and blog post. Maybe I’ll tackle that one when I’m feeling a bit more robust.
So what happens then when I’ve finished this drawing? I’m probably a couple of sessions away from finishing this one… but my mind is already looking to the next, and alternative strategies.
The answer lies I think in drawing on alternative surfaces. If I drew on prepared board I wouldn’t need to frame… I could varnish and screw it straight to the wall… maybe that’s the answer…
… in terms of material, there’s a physical link to the work with twigs, possibly a surface for them to be mounted on and with. Food for thought, brought about by necessity that wouldn’t exist without financial restrictions..
