What Happens Before an Art Show?

Today, I wanted to share a little more about how I prepare and what happens in the studio during the run-up to an art event.

Deadlines are useful, but limit creativity

Usually, I try to keep a steady balance of drawings, paper pieces and works on canvas. The cycle of working on smaller, experimental pieces helps me develop larger works that need deeper thought. With the deadline of a show nearing, I shift my approach to creating by trying to finish what I have started, ensuring I have a cohesive collection to exhibit.

Time becomes very valuable, and I find experimenting and playing near impossible as I want to focus on finishing work for the show. Any piece that may need time to think over or isn’t clear to me how to finish is put on hold, and I put my attention to what I can do.

The weeks leading up to a show can be very intense and productive, often stressful, but I find myself writing lots of lists and then ticking items off. Deadlines are great for cutting out procrastination, but procrastination is where creativity lives. I know I won’t have many breakthroughs, big ideas or eureka moments, but I might complete a few artworks that have been waiting for my attention.

The Bigger Picture

The other switch in thinking, which happens in the lead-up to a show, for me, is how the artworks connect. Selecting works for an exhibit, finding the common thread, the theme, the connecting story, is such an important part of the process.

For art fairs, I’ll often select a single larger centrepiece, which helps set the tone for the stand. Something eye-catching, striking and with a strong story that paves the conceptual path for other, smaller works I’ll show. These small pieces may build, or be part of the development of the centrepiece, or may take a tangential path to explore the surrounding space.

I make art to encourage self-reflection and spark connection and conversation. The encounters I have at exhibitions and fairs help me understand what I am trying to say about my own experience of thought, consciousness and self-awareness; it all helps guide me when I return to my studio.

Hope these are useful. How do you go about prepping for a big event and what helps you to make it happen? Share in comments below.