Purpose

     The purpose for the creation of our gallery Art Unseen has shifted of late.  Its original concept was to include avenues such as Graphic Design and Commissioned work.  After traveling down that road for some time, Stefanie and I have found the road too rough and witnessed our energies draining into (what seems) an endless sink hole of wasted time, with little profit.  And little profit is an understatement, for most times there was simply none at all.

     With the realization that working on commercial ventures to pay the rent, did anything but, the primary inspiration of Art Unseen's creation remains.  The initial desire for freedom and independence from those who set the rules of what is art and what is not, is steadfast.  Along with that, the Commission division of Art Unseen will remain open for consideration.  The only shift being, what it will cost to produce a portrait, wall mural or custom oil painting... etc.  After having produced such works and tracking the time it takes to create them, the pricing has been adjusted to make it match the time it takes.

     It seems a clear conclusion to come to when one considers that when working for nothing on something we would not ordinarily produce, one might as well and is better off working on something of a higher purpose.  So for me it's back to the painting which I have been working on for the past eleven years or so.  Along with that, I am going to produce more of the pencil drawings that I have missed doing.  To be honest, giving in and selling one of those pencil drawings was the high point of last season.

     As for what Stefanie is going to do with her new found freedom from producing graphic work for various publications, the road has been cleared.  The Graphic division of Art Unseen has been deleted from this site and officially closed.  Short of learning to work the various graphic programs used in creating the much loved cover images for The Link Magazine, not much else in the form of financial gain was achieved through the collaboration with it's editor Sharon Hamilton.  They have parted company.  As was the case with my own futile efforts at squeezing a buck out of a sign job or website, Stefanie now feels her energies and time could have and will be better spent in the future.  She will continue working with the computer to create images which will be reproduced through various saleable products.  But more importantly, she has come to the conclusion that she too will pick up a brush, daub it in oil, apply it to canvas and bring to reality the ideas which have lain dormant for too many years.

     So if nothing else, wish us luck and if you happen to be driving down Jack Lake Road feel free to stop in when the sign says Open.  I know these days it's hard to believe people still do work for no other reason than that it needs to be done but that is the force which has always kept us going.  The larger context of creation.  The why.  The what does it mean.  And hopefully this quality of Art Unseen will pave the way for more to come.

     To all who have supported us in our venture whether moral or financial we thank you.

~

     For more on what I think on various subjects, ranging from art to respect and everything in-between, feel free to read my journal at www.petrusboots.com . 

~

The boundaries to what can be created are only limited by desire and imagination.

~

Petrus Boots ~ February 27, 2008

e-mail ~ petrus@petrusboots.com