Today’s post is going up earlier than usual, for an unfortunate reason. I have to go down to Machynlleth. Last month I submitted a piece to MoMa Wales for inclusion in an exhibition, and entrusted my entry to DHL. To my distress I discovered that the item had been wrecked in transit. What added to my distress is the fact that my work would probably have been accepted had it arrived in good condition.
From the photograph sent to me by the gallery it seems that the damage is such that it must have come about by more than merely careless handling….and this despite the fact that the package was well-wrapped and clearly marked with signs saying “fragile” and “glass”. The contents were declared to be art work. It must, at the vary least, have been dropped.
My experience with couriers in the past has been less than ideal, although on a previous occasion I had to recognise that the damage to my work could well have been caused by the gallery and not by the courier. I would be very interested to hear from colleagues as to whether they have had experience with couriers, and how that worked out. Meanwhile, I have to drive to mid-Wales and back.
When people hear that I am an artist their response is often, “Oh how nice. It must be very relaxing.” !!@!!*!!?!!!, as they used to say in the Beano.