Be the first of your friends to like this || Happy Valentine's Day
One of the things that came up again and again during the great CAA panel discussion on "Artists making a living with or without a gallery" (see a review by our own Joy Garnett here) was the notion that artists are best served by taking matters into their own hands...carving out their own opportunities and not waiting for the system (or the market) to come to them. Even if only temporarily (because, let's face it, you'd rather be in your studio), getting involved in making things happen (as a writer/curator/gallerist/collector/etc.) is only about a billion times more productive toward your ultimate goals than simply sitting around wishing things would change.One our dearest friends in the world, the artist Amanda Church, had a few career challenges crop up during the recession, like many other artists. Her primary New York gallery closed, as had a few of the out-of-town galleries she had worked with, but one of the reasons we adore her so is that Amanda has an indefatigable optimism. In the midst of the Great Recession, when other people were panicking about their careers, Amanda launched a small fashion business based on her art practice.
You may have seen her new line of limited edition board shorts and t-shirts based on her luscious, sexy paintings (she calls them Mandy Pants [see the Facebook page here]) at the Bass Museum gift shop in Miami during Art Basel, or you may have encountered them in the trendier surf shops out in the Hamptons, but now you can get them for yourself (or someone you love) down in the Lower East Side.
And just in time for Valentine's Day, she's debuting the sizzling hot Mandy Panties:
You can get your Mandy Panties (or boy shorts, board shorts, and tees -- all limited edition) at the very cool, recently relocated boutique TG-170, 77 Ludlow Street (corner of Broome) in time for your Valentine's Day rendezvous. There's also a party this evening at the store, Monday, February 14th, 6-8.
Come on down. You know hot pink panties make the perfect V-Day gift!
Labels: artists careers
posted by Edward_ at
8:34 PM
6 Comments:
it really pays to know the right people :)
yes, it does, and getting involved (giving something back, creating your own opportunities) is the single best way I know of getting to know the right people....
I was so looking forward to this panel, as well as much of the rest of CAA, but had a terrible family emergency - and was only too glad to be in NYC already and spend time with my mother in the hospital (she's doing much better now). Still, so glad to hear it went well! Here in Milwaukee, too, there have been some amazing artists (and gallerists!) doing things like opening skate shops (Faythe Levine, Craft Nation), breweries (Mike Brenner, Hot Cakes), and more. And our arts writer (Mary Louise Schumacher, Art City at the Journal Sentinel) is all too happy to help the community launch their fresh ideas. It's inspiring what folks can do to make ends meet and spend time in the studio even in a smaller city like this one... Finally, I second that "getting involved" comment - I told someone at my own talk just the other day: if you want to be a part of a community, be a part of that community. The most important thing to do is show up (unless, of course, your mom is sick).
being quick on your feet and starting a business is great...i did (had no other choice) and it's doing quite well....but a successful business is a 24/7 proposition, as an artist you have to take that into consideration.
Ed:
Really enjoyed the panel. One of the things I was thinking about is something we discussed a million years ago as undergrads... what money making art-related practices "cheapen" your work, and which ones do not?
I am thinking that is an antiquated notion now, with John Currin doing giclees, and so many blue chip artists selling branded objects. Where does one draw the line? Does anything go during a recession because everyone understands that you are only trying to survive and make art?
It probably is a case-by-case matter, but in general Kate, my feeling is if the project is conceptually in concert with your art practice, it's probably a good thing.
Amanda's work, for example, is hyper-sexy and pop-ish. It was a natural for her to do the Mandy Pants series, and I don't think it cheapens her work.
In fact, I think (entirely unrelated to the recession) any job you do that feeds your art is better than any job you do that distracts you from it.
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