Preparing for an Exhibition
- Before preparing an exhibition it is important to have a conversation with other artists, create a plan of whose pieces work strongly against your own. This will create a conversations between the work and you might find out some new things about your work that you didn’t know before.
- Once you’ve spoken to your fellow artists the next step is to decide where abouts your work is actually going to feature within the gallery. How much space you’re going to need for your work to be viewed. Are you going to need a large wall space with lots of breathing space around it? Or are you in need of a plinth to display, and if so, where is that plinth going to go? These are all questions you need to ask and experiment with. Feel free to move your work around the gallery space and see where it works best with your peers.
- Now, once that’s completed it’s time to start working in the space. Clear the space of anything that will not be featuring within the exhibition. Clutter is an exhibition can be a distraction to yourself and to potential viewers. Also, it gives you a clean canvas in which you can begin preparation.
- Once the space is completely cleared it’s time to begin remove any nails or screws from the walls which are unneeded. This will make the painting process easier and also, nails being left in the walls is messy and unprofessional.
- Using Polyfilla fill any holes left in the walls from the previous nails or screws. Once the Polyfilla has dried sand it down. This will smooth off your walls making them look tidy.
- Once the walls are prepared it’s time to start painting. Gather with your peers and come to a consensus about what colour the walls are going to be. Whether it be the same colour throughout or certain walls different. It usually depends on what work is being displayed, depends on whether you’re going to use the usual white colour, or something a bit different. I advise painting the walls before the floor due to there being potential for paint to land on the floor and also footprints being left by the painters on the clean surface.
- Now that the walls are painted it’s time to start painting the floors. BUT, before painting the floor you must sweep and mop the floors clean! If you don’t do this the dust and marks will affect the finished look of the paint. Paint from the furthest point of the door, painting towards it. You don’t want to paint yourself into the corner!
- Leave the gallery space to dry. Once the gallery space is dry it’s time to start bringing the work into the space to see once again how it looks in the space. This is to see whether or not light fittings are needed to be added. If you feel there does, then add them!
- It’s time to start hanging the work. This will involve a lot of conversation with your peers. You must always make sure your work is level, wonky work will distract the viewer! Use spirit levels to help with the processes. Also, ask your peers about the placement of your work. Second opinions are important.
- Once the work is all hung, sweep and mop the gallery space one last time to make sure it’s got a professional look to the place.