My photo exhibition in Papua New Guinea’s National Gallery seemed to go well (though I’m not really sure what that means), helped along – at least in terms of attendance – by the front page publicity it received in the country’s national daily when I jumped on my soapbox about the erosion of traditional culture (refer earlier post).
There was no door count and the prints were not for sale so I guess the only measure was the response from those 50 or so people who attended the opening and the viewers I spoke to on the couple of occasions I dropped in which, as you’d expect, were quite complimentary.
It’s been fun. I like the idea that my work has been hung in a national institution and I’ve enjoyed the attention though, I’m not so sure exhibition photography is something I’ll pursue (I’ve long lamented one of my lesser career goals is to become a successful, poor fine artist).
It’s interesting though, at the start of this year, I made clear to the Gods my intention to go down this road of exhibiting my work and now, six months later, not one but three exhibitions have materialised (Australia’s showcase photographic exhibition, Head-On, invited me in January to exhibit and I fly to Sydney a week after I get back at the invitation of South Africa Tourism which is exhibiting the work from my recent assignment to South Africa).
As my sister says (when she’s not wailing on about being left behind on one of my cruise assignments), I appear to have a gift for manifesting my goals.
…..now, about that vast wealth I’ve been asking for.
