I was starting to really sweat when the numbers looked like topping 500. I was shopping for the drink when a mildly nervous Phillipa called to say there was another influx of people asking to come to the Danny Cawley preview. What do we do? Tell people they can't come and risk turning away potential customers? Aaaaaaargh the vein in my forehead was starting to pulse and it felt like an almighty cock up was heading our way.
Someone please correct me but I really don't think anything like it has been done in Manchester before. John Bramwell set up a stage in the gallery and played a 45 minute set to a growing crowd in the gallery. It was an art event with a difference.
Needless to say we filled the gallery. With 68 pieces of art it is a whopper of an exhibition and all credit to Danny who nearly burnt himself out getting it all finished. Transporting it from his studio in east manchester It looked great then, but awesome when hung on a white wall. When we had cleared out all the work he had one piece left on the floor. Like a muppet I managed to tread on this piece but in my defense it was kind of camouflaged against the floor. It survived so these things are pretty tough.
Getting it all into the gallery its like Christmas morning. Phillipa gets all giddy and bounces around for a while laying claim to a few of her favorites. She genuinely had a mardy face on when the first piece to sell was one of these favourites. A clear winner and it could have sold 5 times over. Its weird how people think its a cheap selling tactic to get people to buy when you say it will be gone the next day. They only make that mistake once.
We had the task of hanging which generally involves us placing stuff around the gallery. Hand on chin, standing back, ponderous and aimlessly carrying artwork and me and Phillipa disagreeing on where it should go. Once decided though its all about getting it on the wall and endless fine tuning.
The sound guys came to set up the stage and speakers, Ryan came to set up the projector with the film. John came to bring his guitar and amp. I met him 20 metres from the gallery in the triangle completely oblivious to the gallery (is the signage that bad?). A really sound guy it was a chilled out afternoon of him doing his sound checks. Smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee inbetween him rambling into the mic trying to get the reverb into the sound system to create that John Bramwell sound.
Danny Cawley wise, Plenty of his work sold, loads of people came and everyone seemed to have a good time. I spoke to quite a few people and think it came across as a reasonable together guy. I can't help but feel I had the face of someone who is grossly constipated, worried about his own very well being. If I did then it was only towards the beginning of the night.
We got a few emails thanking us for it which is something which is rare for an arty event. Of course the dust has settled and we are still trying to rearrange the gallery space to fill the pieces that are being picked up and being delivered.
It has really done my nut in today and trying to get the right balance of work in the space sometimes is much harder than you think. The pieces that have sold have left a big hole in the exhibition which needs to be filled with other art. Its a good problem to have so I shouldn't complain. I feel like ramping up these events. It can only get bigger and better and next time I reckon I may be able to put on my regular face.
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