Carlos Fentanes

Conversations with Virgin Mary

I received another rejection letter today—the third this week. Not my first rejections, and certainly not my last, but I took these three rejections personal. It’s like the rules had changed and no one had told me. My new work isn’t getting the traction I believe it could. Why?

At first, it occurs to me to blame others — Another failed system.

I found an intriguing coincidence in one of the galleries I submitted to. I submitted a charcoal drawing, a bathroom scene with a naked woman covering herself. The title? “The Rokeby Bathroom Through the Looking Glass”, a work that reflects on the bathroom as the most psychologically charged domestic space. It was a strong piece drawn in the same style as “Self Isolation” a piece that won first place in that venue two years ago, the Third Annual Juried Show at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, in Toronto. That’s not all, last year, I submitted there a bold artwork too — not a two-dimensional piece, but a conceptual art object: Untitled (the IKEA box where I keep my unsolved existential questions, forgotten memories, and concealed desires that I refuse to discuss with others). It was a risk move — a departure from the hyperrealist charcoal drawings that characterizes me. A small wooden IKEA drawer, painted with a nude on the front and disguised as a cardboard box. I was proud of it, but it was rejected.

My first conclusion, maybe there’s a non written clause that forbids nudes in this public gallery, even though the open call makes no mention of restrictions on nudes. I checked their catalogues — indeed, no nudes appeared in any of their shows. My own experience confirms it.

Last year I had an experience that sits a precedent, I asked to a gallery in Germany about the acceptance of nudes for their open call and they answer me dodging my question: “as far as it can be published on Instagram it’s OK”, a non written rule appeared. Now with this rejection I found the same pattern among art galleries, galleries and curators are now afraid of violating Instagram and Facebook’s community guidelines. Today, in the art world, an active social media presence — thousands of followers, constant visibility — has become so important that no one wants to take the risk of showing something that might not comply and lost their presence on social media, one of the main sources for new customers. The art world, at least that accessible art world in public galleries and small venues is starting to fall apart for absurd community guidelines from a conservative company abroad interested in revenue through cat videos but not in art at all, that’s insane! Maybe I should switch and start filming cats! I will submit one next time, title? “Are you happy now?”

I went to Jorge’s, ready to rant about my rejections.

He listened quietly while I described the Instagram guidelines, the unwritten rules, the cowardice of institutions. When I finished, I waited for him to pull out another manuscript.

Instead, he said: “What do you want her to tell you? That it’s not your fault? You already know that. That the system is broken? You just proved that. That you should keep trying? Or give up? Which answer would help?”

I didn’t have one.

“You’re looking for permission,” he said. “Permission to be angry, permission to quit, permission to try something else. But you don’t need permission. You need to decide.”

He didn’t give me a letter that day. And somehow, that was the answer.