Working in a gallery
History of Art student, Maisie Faulkner, spent a week helping with our exhibition Ka-Boom!. We enjoyed having Maisie around and thought she was a real asset to the team. She kindly wrote about her experience with us.
Filled with comic book heroes and Lichtenstein-esque pop art, detailed pen drawings and neon adorned prints, there is no avoiding the pizzazz that springs from every corner of the gallery space. Ka-Boom! is an exhibition fuelled by excitement and imagination, and one which I was lucky enough to help put together in my work experience placement at View. As a student in my final year at university and with the hope to pursue a career in the arts industry when I graduate this summer, View offered me an exciting opportunity to join them in preparing for their new exhibition. Over the course of a week, I was able to see the gallery transformed as the exhibition came together and was revealed to the public for the first time.
When I first arrived at View on a cold and snowy January morning, the gallery was in a frenzied state of transition. The remains of True Identity littered the gallery; a geisha propped against a wall stared out from her bubble wrapped frame, packaged up and ready for the journey to a new home. In amongst those from the previous exhibition, were the new works; their frames cellophaned and untouched. I was instantly drawn to the unmistakable stare of Heath Ledger as the Joker in Paul Oz’s portrait, leant casually against another wall.
The first task was to get the gallery back into shape and ready for the new exhibition to be hung. This involved a range of practical tasks such as filling, sanding and painting the walls, as well as prepping stands, plinths and easels. It was a chance to get my hands dirty (and my clothes!) and a necessary step for any gallery space. The informal and friendly environment created by Sarah and Georgie meant even the more menial tasks were relaxed and enjoyable.
The curation of the show was finalised that evening and the hanging of the work commenced the next day. Sarah went through the criteria and techniques of hanging different works before letting me loose with the power tools. After supervising the first couple of paintings, I was entrusted to hang works on my own. Left to my own devices, it truly was work experience rather than just work observation; this made it more enjoyable as well as giving me a chance to pick up valuable skills.
Later on, more artworks arrived to complete the exhibition. The wooden crate, emblazoned with ‘fragile’ signs and shipped from Doha in Qatar, was too big to fit through the door and so we hacked into it on the side of the road. Through the sea of polystyrene balls emerged four bubble-wrap-bound sculptures which we carried into the gallery to be unveiled. The childlike excitement of unwrapping these works was mirrored by what we found inside; the sculptures of Robert Bradford made entirely of children’s toys.
The following day saw the placing of the sculptures around the gallery and the hanging of the final paintings. A team effort was required for some of the larger and heavier pieces, some of which proved to be a bit of a logistical puzzle! The exhibition was really coming together as the final touches were added – the Ka-Boom! lettering across the wall and the information plates next to each piece. In a few short days the gallery had been transformed.
The exhibition was finally revealed to the public at the private view on the Thursday evening, where I helped distribute champagne and cakes to the marvelling visitors. There was a hum of excitable chatter as people milled around the gallery, pointing out their favourites and discussing the characters depicted. The batmobile, complimentary prints, Ka-Boom! cakes and champagne added to the sense of occasion and there were people queuing down the street to get in. Having a full bottle of fizzy in my hand meant people were more than willing to strike up conversation, giving me the opportunity to chat to different artists and visitors about what they thought of the exhibition.
A few days later, as the red spots began to appear next to sold works, I had the opportunity to run the gallery for the day on my own. I was set some administrative and writing tasks, allowing me to see another side to the running of the gallery. It was interesting to talk to those browsing the exhibition; some were passersbys who had been drawn in by the visual delight of Darren West’s Neon Angel, whereas others had made a specific trip to see work by a particular artist. It finished off what has been a comprehensive and well rounded insight into the workings of a commercial art gallery. I have learnt a lot. But more than that, it was an exciting, fun and interesting experience.
Thank you.