The key to fostering successful working relationships with terrible people is to avoid them. But this is not always possible. There will always be professionals who not only aren’t good at what they do, but who are also mean and vindictive. How do you handle these issues? Here are three examples from the trenches.
A curator has written artwork descriptions for my exhibit, but the text needs major revisions. Factual errors litter the article, but she is unreceptive to feedback and has even replaced the suggestions I gave via Google Docs with her own documents so that I cannot retrieve my suggestions. I live in a small town with this person so I don’t want to stink and pay later. How do I get what I need? — Nervous but ambitious
Writers who can’t handle comments shouldn’t be writers.
But we’ve gone a bit past that, haven’t we?
You can’t let mistakes in wall text go uncorrected. I once worked with an artist who, due to an uncorrected error in a press release, spent an entire decade cleaning up the issue. The error was reproduced in a major publication and propagated from there.
Don’t let this happen to you.
It’s time to have a chat with the curator. One approach to difficult conversations is to find at least one task that you can honestly praise, then make requests once they feel good enough to make the necessary changes. Begin sentences with: “What do you think of [doing XYZ]gives them the agency in the corrective process.
If the curator does not want to meet, you need to find higher support. And if that’s not an option, you have to decide if it’s worth showing your work in a compromised environment. In most cases, this is not the case.
I want to emphasize here that the problem you are facing should not exist.
Here’s a secret most people don’t know: the vast majority of the writing process happens before a writer even puts their pen to paper.
I don’t know what the working process of this arts institution is like, but by the time the writer or curator gets to the writing process, they should have spoken to you and seen your work, taken notes and received all the relevant images and pre-existing written documents. (Artists commissioning essays independently must oversee this process on their own.)
If the person you’re working with doesn’t ask questions, that’s your first red flag. It’s part of the job.
The institution should set clear expectations for what the editing process will look like. Some writers and curators do not expect to receive edits for certain types of work – catalog essays are a common example. If it is the expectation, the extra work will not be well received.
But also, some people are insecure jerks who see commenting and collaboration as a threat to their authority. You may find yourself in a situation where the only movement you have is to withdraw the work.
And yes, there are sometimes social consequences to this and lost opportunities. The truth is, your hands are tied. Protecting yourself and the integrity of your practice must come first.
I work as an artist and curator and recently invited an acquaintance to create an artwork for an exhibition I curate. It was submitted late and it barely matches the theme. The artist, who is very well known, seems totally unaware that quality and theme are issues that would compromise the integrity of the show and therefore the work of other artists. I know this person and I don’t want to cut the tie, plus they’re good friends with members of the press whose show I desperately want to see. Am I capitulating? What can I do? — Murderous artist in New York
Here’s the reality: people suck. They have always sucked. And no matter how many great people you surround yourself with, there’s always going to be an asshole ready to spoil the party. Sometimes you know the asshole. Sometimes you even like the asshole. But the asshole is still an asshole.
Welcome to the world of art, filled with difficult people, oversized egos, and enough bullshit to drown out even the most eloquent artistic voices.
Heed my advice: don’t let a difficult performer jeopardize your show.
Much more is at stake than wasting a little time on a project that didn’t go your way. As the show organizer, you have to promote the exhibition. Are you really going to want to tell people about it, if you think there’s horror taking up space in any part of it?
Of course not.
It will be more difficult to share on social media, talk to the press and develop your work after the fact. Plus, you’re going to have a bunch of artists who feel their work is compromised, who are hesitant to promote the show and work with you in the future.
These are very bad results and if they are confirmed, it would have been better to cancel the project completely.
As curator of the exhibition, it is not up to you to accept what is happening to you. Your job is to deal with what happens to you. If an artist delivers work that doesn’t fit the theme of the show, you should let them know that this is a problem and offer them a solution.
Your emails, from the moment you receive a work that does not fit the project, should contain praise and gratitude for the work the artist has already done and a request for a work that better fits the theme. a spectacle. Don’t be afraid to kick the artist out of the show if you can’t get what you need. No amount of exposure is an advantage if the result is compromised exposure.
I had a conversation with a dealer who wanted to arrange a workshop visit, but it never came to fruition. It’s not that unusual, but now every time I see this dealer at openings, he asks me how much I’m selling and for how much. I find that really offbeat. I don’t know how to tell him to stop since we are always in public places when I see him. — Confused and stuck
A merchant who asks how much your work sells for during a studio visit or meeting is doing their job. If he asks you to share these numbers with him and others during an opening, he creates a power imbalance that puts you in a vulnerable position.
When I read your question, I got so angry that I immediately started building possible answers.
You could be direct and straight to the point.
“You ask me that every time we meet. Why do you ask?”
Or you could say something that cuts a little.
“If we freely share the sales figures, you come first. How much did you sell at fairs last week? »
Most resellers haven’t sold much so that one should be hurting.
There is no right answer, but if he does it again, he should be silenced. He doesn’t ask the question because he wants an answer. He’s asking because he likes to diminish your strength, and you don’t have to give it to him.
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Editor’s Note: If you have an issue you would like advice on, send your questions to paddy@vvrkshop.art. Include your name and location, or a request to remain anonymous. Letters can be changed.
