The experience of invigilating my exhibition in Ilkley is turning out to be thoroughly fascinating. I keep finding myself in conversation with strangers about all kinds of things, sometimes only indirectly related to the content of my pictures. Today’s topics include Roman Catholicism, the memory of one visitor of his father’s experience with the Italian army during the great war, ancient stone circles and the difference between artists who are mainly interested in “process” and those who direct their main attention to “subject-matter”.
The comments book is also turning up some very encouraging gems. My favourite from today is” “A breath of fresh air. Five stars.”
I do find it remarkable how invigorating it is to get back to exhibiting after the monastic seclusion of the past two years, because of the covid pandemic. The stereotypical image of the artist is of somebody whose life is lived in a bubble of “inspiration”. In fact art is necessarily characterised by sociability.