The un-accepted needs your help!

[oscar]

c-ya thanks

[Merlion]

I hesitate giving comments, as I myself am not what you would regard as "accepted" artist, and I may not understand too well your problem. On the other hand, you did mention you "need some brainstorming".

As you said, you are "an extremely talented sculptor who has actually been able to work fulltime and support myself through my art for the last 20 years". In that case, why do you consider it so important to be accepted? As you seem to have good confidence in your abilities, just go on doing what you love, do them well and enjoy doing it.

Art galleries have their own considerations. The commercial ones are running a business. They have to. The not-for-profit ones are very determined to build up or guard their own reputations.

And art schools? Many brilliant artists are not graduates of art schools, or do not owe their exceptional abilities to them.

By the way, do show us some photos of your artworks. What do you mainly work in?

[Landseer]

I need some brainstorming here...

I am an extremely talented sculptor who has actually been able to work fulltime and support myself through my art for the last 20 years. The problem I need help with is how do I get to the next level? I don't get any shows in galleries because of my awful past of pissing everyone off due to my manic depression. Now I'm mid-career with no resume. I was thrown out of art schools and even a State because of the un-acceptance of mental illness. What the heck do I do now? I really would like to show somewhere! Help!We all have our problems and issues Oscar and many people don't understand manic depression, bipolar or personality disorders. I know people with all of these issues and I myself have avoidant personality disorder to a degree and as such I typically avoid crowds, groups, gatherings, parties, I don't go over to people's houses just to "visit" etc.

I've had similar issues as you, what to do now you ask? it depends I guess, if you are getting help to manage this, maybe start over in an area where you are not known is the only option depending on how bad the situation was.

[Merlion]

For your bipolar disorder, are you getting treatments, and have they been helpful ?

... I have this burning desire to be famous. ...

In many cases, to be famous means being financially successful, like Damien Hirst. If this is what you have in mind, this I think requires a different mind-set at the early stage of his artistic life. We had a thread in this online Forum related to being successful. I think nearly all of us do not go for this 'model' of being successful.

Through the ages, most famous artists that we admire, with rare exceptions, seem to get famous after they died.

Perhaps this is why you yourself said about your buring desire, "Well, it's stupid I suppose ..."

In a way, I also do not know why you feel "un-accepted". It is more important that you accept yourself and your abilities.

[fused]

I don't quite understand how you "support myself through my art for the last 20 years" and "the experimental has won me grants" and be "mid-career with no resume." Sounds like you are very accomplished and the resume should just about write itself. Not knowing where you are now --besides the mid-west-- it's difficult to define what the next level is and how you might be able to get there.

The images on the Your Gallery page are very intreguing, can you tell us more about that work (?) and maybe post a few other images here so we have a better idea of the sculpture you've been making.

[Landseer]

I don't quite understand how you "support myself through my art for the last 20 years" andThere are levels of supporting oneself- anywhere from living in a cardboard box in the park and eating out of dumpsters behind McDonald's, to living in a mansion like Bill Gates, I suspect Oscar is like most- JUST about keeping above the bills every month, maybe he drives an older car etc that would be supporting himself but like everyone else Oscar wants MORE, he wants to not have to worry about bills, maybe a new car, a bigger studio, shows etc etc.


For your bipolar disorder, are you getting treatments, and have they been helpful ?
I mentioned "Bipolar" in my post as something that is common which I know people who have it and have kids who have it as well who wind up in the hospital every few weeks or so, it's a nasty disorder you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy!
I am sure there are degrees of all of these disorders from mild to severe and one lady I know has to tak her young daughter to the hospital emergency room and elsewhere every few weeks when she starts cutting herself and threatening suicide or worse.

All of the disorders are described here:

http://www.mentalhealth.com/

A few of the more common ones:

Bipolar: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-md02.html
APD: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-pe08.html
Attention deficit (ADD): http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-ch01.html
Antisocial: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-pe04.html

So depending on how severe Oscar's disorder IS, and whether or not his treatment is working (you have to constantly change medications I understand too, and all have side effects) it could be difficult to conduct business, shows, meet with clients or even function day to day. Oscar's post seems well thought out and he may very well have a milder degree of this.

[Merlion]

Given the funding, I could make Damien Hurst look like an infant in a wading pool!

This is it. To clinch the funding, most of the time means doing your artworks according to what you think are the taste, the fancy of the funding source.

Hirst early on caught the attention of Saatchi the very rich art collector, and continued to get his sponsorship making artworks that he thinks Saatchi would liked. To do this, the genuine artist in him became secondary. Is this the fame and success that you desire?

[toyholic]

You have to move on and not use your illness or disorder as a " sympathy tool" . Why even use your name when showing or even sending things out. If your not famous to begin with , it really doesn't matter what your name is. Make up a studio name to use.

If you don;t have the space , find a way. If you don;t have the funding use the money that you've supported yourself with for over 20 years. To me being an artist means doing whatever it takes to do your craft.

and if everything else fails you can roll you one up and just chill....or even better do what friends have done get on " crazy " pills and create even crazier work.

[Studioinde]

the "help" I would offer is this.........dial down the ego just a bit! I'm pleased to hear that you think your work is the greatest gift mankind has ever received, but I'd rather see it for myself and come to my own conclusion than have you tell me about it so often. I'm sure most Saatchis out there would agree......humility is an admirable trait to display, which coupled with drop jaw wonderful artwork, should aid you in your quest for the next level. Just my two cents.......
Regards,
Brian

[oscar]

Saatchi is like the lottery. Some win.
My experimental work is the greatest thing to reach earth since the discovery of oil. Aye, but I'm a manic depressive artist with no credentials.

Time to cycle out of this rut, as I always do.

c-ya

[Studioinde]

Wow! An egomaniac with an inferiority complex! Definitely a winning combination.....with traits like that who needs luck! But seriously, if the work is THAT good, nobody will care what the artist is like personally...............there have been plenty of difficult artists that had no problem getting their work out there.

[mark pilato]

I know a few artist that really screwed themselves in the 80's selling work outside there gallery and pissing people off. You can really hurt yourself this way. Galleries want to know you can be trusted and that you will be a good prospect for the future. There are plenty of great artist out there why would a gallery want to deal with a jerk. Galleries don't care if you are a bit off, this can be a plus if you can reflect yourself in your art. In a place like New York City if you screw up just one time in a good gallery thats it, game over for a very long time. I know a guy who's work kicks he should be in the books, I look at his sculpture and think why? Why is it here in a barn and not in the world for people to see. but he also like you pissed people off and he is having a real hard time of it. He feels that he has all the talent in the world and that every one else can kiss his ass. He says of others that there work sucks they have no idea what art is, they are posers etc, etc, etc as you know i could go on and on... not cool, not cool at all, this is why he is having such a hard time. Maybe its your anger and not your condition thats holding you back. The world is passing you buy and it's right outside your door and you cant even see it. What lives under all that anger and crap anyway. Is it in your art? If you were to shed it all away and stand naked what would hold you up? would there be a sculpture or a structure- what would exist?
This is what I would do if I were in your place, all my bridges burned with a large body of work. I would donate every last one to parks and public places. Then i would hit the studio and build a new body of work and this time I would leave my baggage behind. The guy I was talking about above may be you and if it is I hope you show the world your art because it could use some of what you got. When I write on this blog i always am aware that I am sometimes talking to more then one person so even if you, Oscar are full of it, there is someone out there that may be really feeling what you are discribing. So thanks for bringing it up, maybe the first thing you should do is share some of your art by posting it. Who knows maybe someone can help you after seeing your art.
All the best,
Mark