One year on.

"You guys have a gallery in London don't you?.." The woman was confident she had seen a Mooch art in London. It occurred to me to say yes but telling lies to me is like throwing a ball with my left hand. I'm just so bad at it that even if I wanted to I'd end up looking like a fool.
I'm sure at some point mooch will open a gallery in London but its great to know that when we do, there will be one woman who will think it has been there ages.

I didn't make a big deal of it but on the 26th June, Mooch art was 1 year old. It's hard to fathom the distance that a small gallery can come in that time. Art galleries along with other luxury goods have taken a hammering since the crunch hit. Rumours are circulating about the latest casualty so surviving and even prospering in the worst economic crisis in 70 years is something to celebrate.

Oldham street is still the Mooch epicentre and that is the way it is going to stay. Things are turning and there is a change in the tide of confidence. Sales have been fantastic in the past 2 months and at the time of writing the FTSE has seen it tenth consecutive session of gains. Is this is a sign that things are on the up?

What is certain is that mooch shows artwork that people want. The starting of a gallery is a risky thing and more that a few people had doubts about it. One of my friends took me to task when I had just signed on the lease for the gallery. He has a lot of experience in business and strongly believed I was chasing a fanciful dream. I wouldn't be able to make enough to live and that it wasn't a viable business. It gave my confidence a serious knock but after some soul searching I went ahead and did it anyway.

Around that time I remember a talk by Trevor Baylis, the inventor of the clockwork radio. He came across massive resistance to his ideas. Like me, (although to a lesser extent) people thought he was just a dreamer with a crazy idea. Trevor sent his idea to the National association of watch and clock collectors who took enormous pleasure in ripping his ideas to shreds. The letter he received back was highly detailed in its criticism. He has kept this as a sign that most people find it easier to knock an idea that to create one. It is easier to be sceptical that to believe in a positive change. Trevor can say it much better than me, "The key to success is to risk thinking unconventional thoughts. Convention is the enemy of progress."

Mooch is still growing and is likely to make some bigger moves very soon. The only difference now from last year is that when I say I'm going to do something, people take me a bit more seriously.

Art Critics. Worth their salt?

I really don't think I could be an artist. I could possibly gain some skills in applying paint to a canvas but that isn't what makes me want to stay on the other side of the creative spectrum.
What other job can you do where you work for years only for someone to judge your life and career in 3 seconds. The lives of many a creative are in perpetual turmoil resulting from ecstatic praise or crushing criticism. Sometimes fragile egos take a battering from the casual curt comment.
I have massive respect for these artists for who the vast majority, do it because they love it rather than for financial gain. To articulate their imagination as art is a process that fascinates me.
Thalia Allington-Wood has written a review of the opening of Mooch Art and Revolve Gallery in the triangle. Click Here. Generally positive but one of Revolve galleries artists received some criticism which is highlighted as all journos are adept at doing.
The question is whether art criticism can be constructive given the subjective nature. Can someone telling you they don't like Marmite be of any benefit to people who haven't tried it but love a tasty, nutritious, salty spread on their toast (My cheques in the post).
My feeling is that everyone's opinion is valid and the only way the gallery will get better is with feedback. I have mentioned in a previous blog that browsers who are positive about everything leave me a little lost. Smoke blowing or fence sitters are terrible for galleries especially if an artist isn't selling. Perhaps the worst criticism would be apathy, if people came to the gallery cocked their head to one side and sighed at how mundane it all was then I haven't done my job properly.
So art critics are needed just as all other customer feedback is needed. They are worth their salt but just take their comments with a pinch of it.

Just read a great article in the guardian by Jonathan Jones see below.
CLICK HERE