In February, I went to see two shows with something in common: I had applied to both as an artist and was not accepted into either. This is not an original experience, but this felt particularly humbling. The show themes were closely aligned with my work, and felt like great matches. Exhibition opportunities are the strongest professional feedback most artists receive, so the sting was real.
So in March, I went looking for art made by people who had also been told no.
The first show was Afterlife (curated by Paul Laster at Edlin Gallery) , which focused on artists who gained recognition only after their deaths, or experienced little to no success during their lifetimes. The second was the Outsider Art Fair, originally created for artists with disabilities, now expanded to include self-taught artists and those working outside traditional institutional structures.
Both experiences had their takeaways. But first, I want to talk about the art, because so much of it made me feel something.
The Outsider Art fair
Seeing dozens of professional artists showing work and successfully making a living outside the traditional art world made me really happy. The Fair was loud, colorful, and very commercial which was nice to see honestly. Here are some favorites:
1. A series of bodega cat paintings had the perfect pop energy , the commercial feel of the work mirroring the commercial heart of the bodega itself.
2. Nearby, paintings by a Black artist from the Jim Crow era which were made with found paint on found surfaces — were raw and almost unbearable to look at.
3. Leather pieces depicting Black workers in cotton fields which were elegant and gorgeous, the opposite of the topic they depicted.
4. I almost bought this piece. It reminded me immediately of my own work, and that small, random connection made me feel like both the audience and the artist, and I think that's worth sitting with.
Afterlife (curated by Paul Laster at Edlin Gallery)
This show was a real gut punch. One of the artists exhibited here, died in poverty and had his sketchbooks (thousands of drawings, mind you) thrown out as trash on the sidewalk. Some were recovered and they now sell for thousands of dollars, not a cent of which he ever saw. That possibility genuinely horrifies me. Recognition after death feels almost pointless.
Here are some favorites:
Back to the Point: Rejection
Reflecting on these two shows had me thinking: Am I afraid to keep trying? No. The fulfillment I get from artistic inquiry and experimentation is something I don't find anywhere else. But am I embarrassed to be seen trying? Honestly...yeah, a little. Trying takes real effort. Rejection has no limit, and failure is deeply uncomfortable to process.
I don't have a clean answer to that. I'm still working it out.
What other Exhibitions will we see next?
Romance is in the air, I guess: I’m very fascinated by the idea of a creative couple working together (feels impossible to me), so I am reallyyyy looking forward to seeing the Lee Krasner and Jason Pollock show opening in October this year. I saw the press release and added it to my calendar immediately! In the meantime this month, I will also be seeing the Frida and Diego Exhibition at MoMA, which goes on till September - and this one is extra romantic because there’s an opera component involved.
I am going to see the Whitney Biennial in May - I have been reading reviews and watching videos on TikTok/Instagram so I am very curious to see if my online perception/opinions changes when I actually see the art. I will report back if it makes me feel something…