Why? Well, let’s see: The artist presents (produces) his or her work at a gallery, the stroller shows up and ... strolls. That’s it. Oh wait, not so fast. The stroller views a lot of art for free (art that was produced.) So, the artist is doing his/her job. The stroller is also during his/her job, by strolling.
There is a problem in this equation: The artist needs to earn a living, just like your mechanic, doctor or local bartender. The stroller looks at creative art for free, eats the gallery snacks, drinks the gallery beverages, chitchats and then leaves to his or her real destination, which is dining at a restaurant or drinking at a bar.
Hey, I stroll. But I also produce art and purchase it whenever I can. Bohemians produce, slackers slack and freegans take. This begs the question: Should art be viewable to everyone? Of course it should.
That said, think about the artist and the work that comes from that person’s heart and soul. Art is not priceless. You’ll see prices on most, if not all, pieces. If we don’t have producers and consumers, there will be no galleries in which to do your strolling.
Izrael Szuchay
Salt Lake City