section3: Conceptual
the work will determine how you present it. In a way you are looking at modern day exhibitions being more interactive rather than just pure … you know … one way … a Monet on a velvet wall. Incidentally I intended a workshop which was looking at the idea of feedback. What is the kind of communication that takes place between the object that is being expressed, and how does that feed back to the artist, and how does that in turn feed back to the object- you know, the whole cycle. But then the commercial, and this is what I was trying to look at, it’ s a pointer that once am done creating on my 100 by 100, and it is stretched well, and it is even framed, whatever responsibility I have ends there. So the only thing that remains is putting into a space whereby it has to translate into cash. One of the things you also realize is that there are less solo done- I remember there was a time when artists were really scared of doing solos because if you didn’ t sell then you felt like you were a failure. Success was measured by how many paintings you sell at an exhibition. So if you sell a lot, Peterson is the thing, if not, Peterson is not a good artist. And that was a culture that was not only ingrained within the artists themselves, but the audience also picked up on it to the point where the only relationship I have with my clients is their wallet and not what I have to say.
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All work was social, I always say that. A lot of expression in Kenya is social in nature in terms of it comments on the space we live in, the things we see with our eyes, how we internalize those things, which is a bit less …. The idea of silent art is hard to imagine. It is impossible for art to be mute on its context.
Q: It is language; it has to say something, however personal, however sensitive. A: Politics is not the only social things there is. Now, the shift is that now we are getting to a point whereby we also felt that that was not enough, and you have a generation where we felt that we could always make money through other means if we had to, but for me the idea of communicating is important- so now we had exhibitions coming up whereby they were exhibitions which engaged the society but were really channeled towards communication rather than the financial. When you have installations, for instance, no one is going to buy that, we can’ t afford to, nor have the space for them, but it just the desire and that whole passion of trying to say something and hoping that what am trying to say can translate form the media am using to the minds and hearts of whoever is looking at it.
Q: the business side of art, is it a business A: I don’ t entirely agree that art is a business, and I have a lot of argument with some people who say art is a business-it might be a business, but I am someone who express things. Now there is someone who is good at handling that expression and converting it into money … I don’ t have those skills.
Q: This forced role, this gap that needs to be filled, between finishing work and getting to the audience. It is an added responsibility, on top of being an artist; you are forced to take up the role of curator. Is this an advantage? A: What I meant earlier when I talked about art being created and staying as it is, I was trying to illustrate the different kind of spaces that Kuona has existed in within. Of course the lack of structures that are curatorial in nature within the Kenyan artistic system is a major contributor. That if we did have active people who chose to be curators, who chose to find these threads, expound on them, pull them out and make them visible to the rest of the world, I think we would probably have less artist initiatives in that direction. But then because this vacuum exists, and no one seems to have the guts to walk in that direction, we kind of tow this line, kind of have our feet in both spaces. I wouldn’ t ever call myself a curator, because if I was one I would have to be super ruthless in how I decide to work with people. But what I have done is, and which I think other people are doing too is that you find there is a certain thing to be said, and no