The gallery had the idea of holding a closing party for the exhibition, and it worked a treat. Probably about 50 people over an hour and a half almost all of whom had not managed to make it to the opening nite or to the exhibition during the run. The whole idea was to give people one last chance to see the work and I sold two large pictures so it was all worth it. I'd not done anything like that before, nor ever been invited to one, but I would have one again at the drop of a hat.
The great thing was it was over by half-past seven (that's my favourite kind of private view) meaning that we could decamp to the Sausage (see earlier post) and drink like things possessed and talk about anything but art, which is generally what I feel the need to do after such artistic evenings. Actually, come to think of it, I feel like doing that most of the time... anyway, I do love these post private-view drinks gatherings.... there's always an interesting mix of people all pissed out of their minds and talking bollocks. My kind of party!
Needless to say on Wednesday I woke up with a sore head and felt like shit, but it was worth it. Unfortunately I had to pop in to the 'Job du Jour' for a couple of hours but then DH called to say he liked to see the show before it came down... I knew he was only in London for a day so I was in fast black quicker than you could say 'A Bigger Splash'.
He talked through the paintings, mainly technical talk. He knows my work well and has seen the changes over the 12-years or so we've been friends, and has a painting in LA. He's pleased with the new subject and much prefers it to the darker London paintings. He made some interesting comments about the eyes in 'New Kids on the Close' pointing at the faces with his walking stick. Two sets of eyes were 'very very good, love', one was 'ok, but not quite there'... This sounds like an intimidating experience but it's really not; actually alone together looking at pictures, his or mine, we are just two artists talking about looking and about how paint behaves.
He had lots to say on the tree in my melting snowman picture. He pointed out that he'd been looking at trees a great deal recently and had noticed that winter trees, although bear, have a tendancy to reach upwards... especially the tips of branches, meaning there's nothing sad about them at all. They're actually positive, joyful shapes. Mine don't do the reaching-up thing. I pointed out that it was painted and partially invented from a photograph. He said 'I know'. He can of course tell the difference between something painted from the natural world and something painted from a flat photograph. Photographs can never be spatial.
We went back to Kensington for lunch and he showed me his new pictures which had just been driven down from Bridlington the day before. One winter landscape of Bridlington was covered in white snow yet full of colour. Most people would not realise quite how colourful a snowy field could be unless they really looked. I'm looking forward to his new show '50-years of Portraits', opening in Boston next week, then LA but it's not in London until the Autumn.
