Over the past couple of days I’ve managed to fix up an exhibition of my work, to take place during October, in the arts centre of the neighbouring town of Bingley. The show will hang in the general assembly area, where people wait to go into the theatre, and there is a bar in this space, and coffee is served during the intervals. A lot of people will have the chance to see my pictures, even if their minds might be on the action in the theatre. I’m quite pleased about it.
My wife is regular visitor to the theatre in the Centre, and suggested to me that I ought to advertise the occasion in their Newsletter. So I contacted the editor, and the idea was welcomed. Now comes the problem! Exactly what do I write? Of course I will need to respect the word-limit set by the editor. They are not expecting a critical essay. The brief paragraph I have to offer them, however, will need to be as informative as I can make it. This kind of self-presentation, I find, is one of the more difficult tasks I face as an artist. It is necessary to say something that does capture the specific character of what is on offer, but without hyperbole. Consequently the “How much …. how little?” problem is not only a matter of how many words.
The draft I have come up with so far looks like this.
John Allcock describes his painting as occupying a space between landscape and still life. “Views” in the conventional sense are rare. His focus upon the detail of rock formations, trees or pools typically expresses some metaphorical significance behind or beyond these subjects.
Certainly this says “what is in the tin”, but I can’t help feeling that there is some essential additional point I ought to be adding. At the moment I am under no pressure to get in the text of my ad to the editor. Of course, there is room for an illustration also, but I need to give this problem some additional thought. As they say: “Answers on a post-card please ….”