The Space Between You And Me Is Actually A Table, Arianna’s first solo exhibit
On display from February 29 to March 5, 2024
I have a complicated relationship with being an artist who sells her work.
When I look back on the past two years, I realized that my art has almost exclusively existed as commodities. I accidentally made myself into a flattened caricature in the name of being a recognizable brand. The excitement of creating a name for myself and participating in events has driven me to work harder than ever. It was easy for me to get caught up in these vending opportunities and not seek other means of presenting my art to the public. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the buyer/seller dynamic is not the context where I would want to spend most of my time engaging with people, even if it might be one of the biggest stages for my work to be seen.
I want people to be able to linger and view my work closely and curiously without the pressure to buy. I want to share my art without validation being translated through metrics and the number of sales weighing on my mind. My favorite interactions during vending events are when people tell me that they see themselves and their experiences in my work and that something I’ve created resonates with them, and I love these conversations whether or not they decide to buy something.
I do not want this to be mistaken as being ungrateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the kindness of the people I have met from tabling at events, nor do I want this to be seen as a critique of other artists who sell their work. I will personally keep monetizing my art as a means of survival and respect for my time and labor.
Rather, this exhibit is a chance for me to try something different – to celebrate the joy and warmth that creating art gives me and to share that joy with everyone, free of charge. This is a culmination of all the personal work I have done as an undergrad, sprawled onto these walls in a roughly chronological order. I am proud of what I’ve done and I’m excited to share it with you. Thank you so much for your time and attention, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Arianna”