One Dealer
“It has been something of a surprise to everyone in the arts community”, says Viktor Mitic , who painted 36 portraits of an arguably complicated group of people, the gallery owners and dealers themselves. The usual path for a contemporary gallery is to showcase work done by artists that runs the gamut from decorative to provocative to scurrilous. The owners-dealers are usually behind the scenes, working closely with the artist to present a creative concept to the public.
This exhibition reverses that direction. Those who are most often unrecognized are now in the spotlight, courtesy of Mitic's sharp eye. One of the art dealers Mitic painted said : “I am really excited about his ‘in your face’ approach. It’s a bit shocking at first, and it takes a little effort to accept that my portrait will be hanging in a commercial gallery with those of other dealers, and also be included in a glossy new book in stores across the country. But it is art after all, and cleverly done, at that.
Another young dealer just getting into the business said: "Thanks for making my job permanent!"
The show titled "DEALERS" can be viewed from Dec. 11-24 at Odon Wagner Contemporary ,
198 Davenport Road, Toronto.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
