The Baardskeerdersbos Art Route this weekend was a great success for all including me selling several images and imaginaries. Reason for owner Ivan Trollip of the Baardskeerdersbos Art Gallery to extend my exhibition with another two weeks. I genuinely am surprised and blessed with such a great interest in my work. Thank you very much!!!
In between I visited a few other resident artist and also took some snapshots along the way.
Although my selfie was shown on Times Square in New York (24 July 2014) and work of me was shown in a group exhibition in the LAC in Los Angeles in January of this year plus that I’m represented by Saatchi I haven’t done much on my own marketing (yes I’m good in marketing others). Time to change but slowly. Curiously enough I never had an official exhibition in my country of residence; South Africa. Yes I was invited a few times but paying 50 to 70 percent commission on sales (plus investment in promotion) in the big ‘Art Hubs’ (J’burg, Franschhoek, Cape Town) witheld me. Co-incidentally I met Iwan Trollip of the Baardskeerdersbos Art Gallery (only 40 km drive) and he invited me to participate in the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route 1 and 2 October. I’ll have to decorate a whole room in the gallery and I’m glad to do so (Iwan is extreme modest in his share of sales). He also advised me to look more into the international market. I’m doing some research now and made a first step by joining a community (primary based in Europe and Canada) of artists and galleries (only 1 from South Africa) and, surprise, surprise …. within one week two serious enquiries from galleries …. Keeping my thumbs crossed.
In the meantime, surprise, surprise… Via the BBos-poster (see below) I got an invitation from one of the major art galleries in South Africa in a rural part of the Western Cape for a solo exhibition in 2017 and their commission is not only reasonable but they also put effort on promotion on a multinational scale.
I’m participating in the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route. Twice yearly (Aurumn and Spring) this art event is organised by artists and an art gallery in this hamlet in the Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa. Gallery owner Ivan Trollip loves my quirky imaginaries and you will see quite a few of these next to some landscapes.
Dates: Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October.
Prices vary from R 250.00 for small prints on high quality museum paper (Hahnemuller) to R 7000.00 for framed 90×60 cm images.
Closer to date more about this event.
What you see here is the beginning and a small part of a new imaginary in which shades and the real objects/persons flow into a surreal landscape. This time I’ve got a clear picture in mind; no ‘play’ with objects but focussed on the end result. Still have to make some pictures with my favorite model and some objects under the right (natural) light conditions. But the concept is there. Once I’ve finished this one and others using the same concept I hope to exhibit the imaginaries somewhere in an art gallery. Anyone interested?
Herman van Bon Photography 