War - Experiment

War. This exhibition is very much an experiment. Let me explain.... I am an artist. I have been painting for 18 years. As an artist I have visited many galleries in the past 20 years. I have been rather bored with pretty flowers and happy colour paintings. To say I am bored is an understatement.

As an artist, I am only showing one painting in this War exhibition. There are approximately 50 art works in the show. So I am only 2% included in this show. So 98% of my involvement is as a gallery owner.

I consider this show to be one of the strongest exhibitions that gallery has hosted since I opened four years ago. War is an intense subject. The work in the exhibition has a great deal of dept and substance. Most of the art is heavy in content.

The marketing of the show consisted of: one page review in the Ottawa Citizen in the Arts Section in a Saturday paper, Bruce Stewart was interviewed on CBC Radio One, 2,100 posters were put up all over the city for a month, over six thousand invites were sent, 400 people attended the grand opening, and there have been numerous blogs, websites, newspapers and other reviews. In short, I would consider this show has been marketed very highly.

So now I sit back and wait to see the results of this experiment. As a gallery owner I ask the question, "Will the public buy this... will this art be supported, will it sell? Is there a market for this kind of art?" . Or, "Do people simply wish to purchase safe, colourful, happy, flowers, landscapes?"

My vision is not measured in terms of sales and profits. As I write this blog... the exhibition only started three days ago. I consider this to be one if not the best show the gallery has organized. I am simply curious as to results to the experiment.


My vision of running an art gallery is... Art is Art. Art is about expression. Art is from the soul. Art is communication. Art is Pure. Art is what an artist needs to create. Needs to share. Needs to express. This is what I hope to encourage. Thought-provoking, stimulating, honest. We need artists to be real and pure.

Please visit the online preview to the art on display.

www.PatrickJohnMills.ca/WAR.htm


with love
Patrick