WINNING MEANS DONE
Recently, at the latest show invitation, my painting, Libre! took first place for Mixed Media. I dont really think of it as mixed media, but I dont really care about that part. You can view the show winners and installation images at this link.
The Show
Late in the 2024 season, two Broken Banknote paintings were selected for a new show: Lady Bolivar, and Libre! Any body who has been here has seen the drama with Lady Bolivar. It has been in three shows, won an honorable mention and I had to pay a ransom to get it back from the "UPS warehouse." But the real story, is the the other painting, Libre!
Story?
I finished Libre! a while back. Sort of. It has been sitting in a corner of the studio. Waiting. Resting. Gnawing at me. Questioning my decisions... Knowing when something is done is fucking hard sometimes. So, I just stare at it, waiting for the final “ah-ha” moment. Well …as it turns out, that moment came in an unexpected way.
What Way?
Not what, but rather who… It turns out, a former colleague and friend, who actually gave me a few of the original Cuban Convertible Pesos used in the painting, looked me up and found it online. I had a small preview on the former Broken Banknote website, that was a placeholder graphic for the new work. In there, was a small cropped photo of the painting. I got a rather excited text in August, declaring that it was “beautiful” and asking how much. Nothing says done like somebody wanting to buy a painting. Who am I to stand in the way? I was travrling, so I found some pictures and sent some links to IG. When I got back to LA, I sent some new pictures, gave him a quote with shipping. A reasonable quote. And ...He never responded. This fact was strange, but to some degree I understood, because it had been several years since I had even exchanged a text let alone speak with him. Maybe he thought I was desperate for money and was gonna whore the painting out. Whatever.
Maybe It Is Done?
In the meantime, I decided to test this theory and saw that there were two shows coming up and I decided to enter this piece, that’s been quietly sitting in a corner and see if anybody else thought it was “done.” As it turns out, it was selected for two shows and I had to choose one. I’ve decided I like having multiple pieces in group shows, so continuing that theme for 2024, I chose the venue that wanted more than one of my paintings.
When I posted me crafting the cases to send them to the show, on Instagram, suddenly my former colleague and and friend text me and said that he screwed up and didn’t pay attention and really wanted the painting. I said we’ll see how things go and left it at that. In the meantime, the painting took first place for mixed media and has already been requested for another show at the beginning of next year.
Done.
In 2024 I have had multiple paintings shown all over the country and taken everything from honorable mentions to jury prizes for the Broken Banknote work. A piece I thought was not done has been accepted to three shows, delivered to one and received a first prize for mixed media. This is not the first Broken Banknote award and not about the actual prize. It's about what artists think are done vs. the public. I am not suggesting using outside validation to prove a piece is done is a great idea, but I will take it when it happens.
Where it ends up ... well, this coincides with me considering no longer selling out of the studio. Basically I am trying to find representation for my work, even if it means taking a step back on my earnings and giving said representation access to my current customers. That won’t just be for any old gallery that’s a vanity proposition… I could do that myself. But if there’s a possibility of having a legitimate, culturally important group, represent me, I’m willing to do my part. However, that too is an entirely different story. But the timing certainly is interesting. So, yeah the piece is done.