No Sales

I pulled my show, “Portraits of Turkish Women,” down. My friends and colleagues ask me “So how’d it go?” And I say fine, how would it go? But then I realize what they are really asking is, did you sell anything? No, I didn’t and didn’t expect to. This was not a commercial gallery, but an artist-run space, albeit a very professional looking one. I’m not at all upset about not selling a painting. The main goal was for me to put myself out there, to get another one-person show on my c.v., and to talk about Turkey.
The paintings did engender conversation—about feminism (one student told me her husband asked her, “why do feminists always have an agenda?”) and about Turkey. My guests at the opening were most curious about the little avatars/princesses collaged onto the portraits, and I talked about the Disnification of just about everywhere, about how in Turkish culture there is a dearth of female personas that might appeal to little girls, and about how the ideas of “princess” and “strong woman” can coexist.
Anyway, next week I have a photo project in a group show. The piece is about the Turkish kitchen, how amazing meals come out of those cramped spaces.