WHAT IS AFFORDABLE ART? WHEN IS ART AFFORDABLE?

It happened something like this, tired of the way galleries here in London, on the whole, seem to treat artists (it appears to be nothing but an exercise in squeezing as much money out of their cash cows at they can...), tired of all this, I went searching for something different. The notion of some kind of artist collective, people pulling together, a space for a collective...

I’d heard about this new gallery space that wasn’t really being used, right on my doorstep here in Kensal Rise (we need some art life around here, this has to be the deadest area of London in terms of art events). Went in with the simple intention of hiring the space to put a couple of show on, the enthusiastic man who runs the place somehow talked me into the task of running the entire art space (the gallery space is underneath his rather pleasant tea room). His terms seemed reasonable enough, this deal seems a little more like it terms of the artist. How difficult could it be? After all we’ve put on hundreds of rock gigs, Napalm Death rider demands, mosh pits and ambulances, and we know how to hold and publicise an event. How many flyers have we given out? Press releases, posters, we know how to do all that... this should be rather enjoyable... we’ll do it ourselves, we’re good at that. . We know where the exciting artists are...

So the idea of a collaborative art fair thing seemed like an exciting way to kick things off, gather together some artists that excite us and hold a four day event with art, music and a whole load of good creative people... Something that would get people of this area of London interested (and hopefully) excited about the space....

Without really thinking we called the opening even an “Affordable Art Fair”, just a name, we just wanted people to know there was vibrant art to come enjoy and that if they wanted to buy it then it was “Affordable”. We didn’t really think too much about it...

But what is affordable? One person’s affordable is another person’s way out of reach, I mean if you have a fiver in your pocket until the end of the week then there’s no such thing as affordable art is there? A bus ticket isn’t affordable... Affordable art? Only if you can afford it... We were wrong to call it an affordable art fair, got quiet a reaction. The art will be there for you to enjoy, it will be reasonable priced, that fact can’t be argued with. for the record, the price range will be anything between £5 and I think the highest priced piece £1500 – may or may not be “affordable” to everyone, but more than reasonable. And it really isn’t about the selling anyway, no, just come and enjoy...

Personally I’d rather just give my art away, some of you know I often do, paint shop doesn’t seen to be in tune with this though... the notion of what is affordable and what isn’t has bothered me this last week, people have really question the whole notion of selling art. I‘ve changed all the website flyers and the event is just an Art Fair...

I shall put on a new two day event, it will be called “WHAT IS AFFORDABLE?” The art will all be free to take if you think that’s the right thing to do. You can pay for it if you want, put some money in an envelope, put it in the black box by the door... We’ll have some of my art, some found art, artists who want to get involved get in touch... we will be picky though, this will not be some kind of art bin for your failed art...