IS IT IMPORTANT FOR AN ARTIST TO BE AN ART DARLING?

dar·ling , ˈdärliNG/, noun, noun: darling; plural noun: darlings used as an affectionate form of address to a beloved person. “good night, my darling” ,a lovable or endearing person, “he’s such a darling”, a person who is particularly popular with a certain group.”she is the darling of the media”, adjective: darling, beloved. “his darling wife”   

After being referenced with the term “Art Darling”, by a respected judge and critic in the art world, I must say I had to do some research to find out just what the term meant. I surmised that it was a noticed person or persons in the art world that repeatedly appear in published material during notable art events. Months later, circumstance afforded me the opportunity to ask just what she meant by that statement. She said that galleries are always looking for people that photograph well with a clean image of just what an artist looks like. Different galleries in Miami, museums in New York, art events on a world tour will very as to what they are looking for based on their image but the media will show patterns of repetition regardless of who the photographer happens to be.

So, I theorize that the phrase mother used often, along with, sit up straight, continues to be valued words of wisdom. As an artist, when you attend art events irrespective of any role, be it buyer, collector, or speculator; think about every aspect of your appearance. Are you making the statement that you want to put forth with your physical image?  “You can only make a first impression once”. 

photos from Nina Torres Art Gallery during Art Basel, Spectrum Soul of Miami- James Echols, and Kelvin Grove Museum, Glasgow, Scotland