The artist as an educator

As you might know, a huge help for paying for my studies at the faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon was to regularly sell my work at street markets, also organizing views of my work at private houses (I've started this project with two other friends and we've included more artists in the events meanwhile).

As I live in Portugal, when I mention I am at the moment living from my work as a painter, several things can cross the mind of people who hear this. Why, if I'm a fine arts student, I'm not only organizing exhibitions at galleries? Will I stop selling on the street once I get more recognized? Am I doing these things merely for commercial purposes and therefore completely adulterating the meaning of my artistic work? Isn't it denigrating for someone with a degree to sell on the street? Many people don't even understand what does it mean to live from painting, including many art students, and many teachers and students consider it improper (but this is yet a topic for another conversation).

I have thought a lot about the importance of being present in these public places, and I think this initiative is connected to SUSTAINBILITY and EDUCATION.

First of all, one needs to understand the context in which we live. I live in a country where there is very little education for arts at schools. You can go through the primary and secondary school, and even university and, unless you decide to study arts, you probably have a very scarce idea about art history, painting, contemporary artists, medias, etc. You have very little knowledge and vocabulary for arts, because you have seen so little things. You might have decided to visit a museum or two in your holidays, but you actually know very little about the history of painting in Portugal. Like in music, if you are not used to listen to music, you will probably listen to simpler music, and you will choose more complex pieces the more music you listen to. You might start by going to some festivals, later seeing more concerts and then collecting the albums of your favorite band.

So you see, the more you know about art the more interested you are, and also the more refined and informed will be your taste. SUSTAINBILITY is highly connected to EDUCATION. But speaking on sustainability, in particular about the art market, one needs to understand we live in a country where the minimum wage is somewhere around 500 euros, and the average wage is around 800, so this means that people don't have the power to be huge art buyers, but one cannot deny the importance of art in everyday's life, so we need to adapt until a certain extend our work and prices to this reality.

I can recall several moments when I sell on the street. Someone passing by, stopping, and then staring for a long time to a drawing, without saying any word. When really young people buy a drawing, and mention, "this is the first drawing I'm getting for myself". When I have the people who return every month, not necessarily to buy anything, but just to see what I've made during this last month. When someone is already more knowledgeable about art, and we have long discussions about artists and exhibitions. When other painters pass by and show me their work, and we speak about techniques. And finally, when someones comes on purpose just to meet me personally "I follow you on instagram", sometimes they say.

I had a lot of these experiences in the past two years, and it got myself thinking that this bench of mine at Jardim da Estrela was some sort of a public relations / information desk about painting and drawing. I notice that aditionally to selling drawings, I was actually educating an audience with very little to substantial knoledge about fine arts. I also noticed that the more educated people would be, the more they would comeback and the more involved they would be in the local art scene.

Also, to keep my prices low (as I mention, the portuguese purchase power is not very high) I packed my small drawings, prints, sketches. Although often I don't consider these final works, or something I would present at a gallery, I found them to be important to an audience who has different levels of knowledge about painting and drawing. Sometimes less informed audience will pick an illustration or a coloured drawing, or a digital print, or someone with more knowledge might pick a lithography, but at the end it all comes to personal taste and experience.

Maybe the role of an artist is not only attending other artists exhibitions and organizing their own, like if we are in some sort of bubble where only the intellectually privileged can attend, maybe the role of an artist is also going out there and educating the people who are outside of this bubble, and inviting them in. One needs to be very humble and step out of the stereotype. I had many struggles around this, but I guess we can all find a place where we can have a positive contribute. So, if you feel connected to this post, I strongly recommend that you think about how will you contribute for education towards art. I actually find the role of the emerging artists quite important in this case. They are more likely to be outside of the closed fine arts circle, and therefore they can reach and invite different audiences in. The role of an emerging artist is not a passive role waiting for recognitions. There is always something to do in every step of a career.

So coming back to the questions in the beginning of the post? Well, I actually really enjoy selling in the street and at private houses. I hope I can keep doing it for many years. As my friends (who organize private views with me) mention: we feel like we are doing something important over here.