Klee at the Tate Modern

My initial idea was to gather together one hundred pictures and put them on Facebook and invite 1,327 friends to buy my work. I would make the price affordable and if just one hundred people bought one picture each, I would be able to put bread on the table, pay off my credit card and buy air tickets to visit my sons and grand daughter and I would be very happy.

Earning a living as an artist is challenging at the best of times, particularly when times are tough and people don't have money to spare for luxuries like art.

However I soon got distracted from my original idea of making money and became engrossed in finding and re-discovering art work I had completely forgotten about. It was a time-consuming activity digging up my art work, scanning it and organising it into albums, and I completely forgot about selling my work in the process. Instead I focused on sharing my work and sending out into the world.

I created a Facebook page Artonline-Ruth Carneson and invited my Face Book friends to an on line exhibition – 21 Days in August. At the same time I emailed every one I knew inviting them to my online exhibition by clicking on a link- facebook.com/ArtByRuthCarneson

Each morning for 21 days I focused on particular aspects of my work and sent it out into the world beginning with a birthday card I made for my mother when I was 7 years old while she was locked up in jail as a political prisoner. I combined autobiographical work with photographs and letters to give my work context.

Facebook was an ideal place to have an exhibition – the costs were low, I didn't need to frame the work and I had a huge response. It was highly affirming to see all the likes, comments and shares from people. The act of sharing my work allowed it to breathe. It also gave me a chance to stand back look at my own work.

Ironically, the most popular picture that got the most response was not one of my art works but a photo of my 98 year old mother that I posted on the 9 August on South African Women's Day.

Which just goes to show that grandmothers are more popular and marketable than art

A sampling of the pictures displayed. Further samples are available from the facebook link given above.

Click on the thumbnail pictures to enlarge

⁽¹⁾ You can learn more about Ruth from http://art4joy.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/ruth-carneson.html


Birthday Card	Mum and me	Me