Art Fairs Are Interesting....

After spending only one day here at Booth S189 at Artexpo New York, I've learned a lot about how they operate. It's actually possible to read the body language enough of passers-by to understand when they're interested or not. In a way, it's like meeting someone new in a "flirting" situation (when we used to do that).

I can tell by just how long a person has looked at the work to gauge whether they should be engaged further by giving them information about the work. I've also found a great way to reel in those persons who seem interested. By telling them "the work that you're looking at is actually text," it serves as a great icebreaker and piques interest. It has often succeeded in stopping some people in their tracks and encourages them to engage with the work in some way.

I also have a new found respect for the gallery owners who travel and ship and smile and stay on their feet and tough out the fairs. Not an easy task. But enlightening and fun, nonetheless.

The response to the pieces has been phenomenal, which helps me understand that I have an intriguing and novel conceptual framework, turning the language we know so well into something fresh and abstract, but ultimately with a "message" behind it.