Instagram likes and choosing
Does Instagram likes portend acceptance to opens?
I’m delighted that I had two pieces accepted for the 201st Royal Society of British Artists’ open exhibition. For details see below.
This year I submitted four pieces, which is two more than usual, because I was considering applying to become a candidate for membership. I have had work accepted for the past six years. As it turned out by waiting to find out if anything had been accepted, I missed the deadline. So next year I can consider applying again. You only get three attempts.
The first piece I chose to submit was She Sings to Flowers.
She Sings to Flowers, egg tempera on panel, 32 x 42, framed floating in limed white frame, December 2023. (153 likes and 8 comments)
The second piece I went back and forth on. It was actually my fourth choice and it’s titled, Live and Let Live.
Live and Let Live, egg tempera on panel, 34 x 42 cm, October 2023. (181 likes and nine comments)
When I am deciding which work to submit for opens, I look at my Instagram page. I compare likes and look at comments and those two things are among my strategies.
I started posting on Instagram, initially, because an artist friend described how knowing which of her pieces were preferred by her followers was a valuable insight for her. Of course, that suggests that we paint what we think others will like, rather than what we are interested in and neither she nor I work that way. Nevertheless, when trying to get work selected in what we all know are infinitely subjective opens, I go to Instagram to inform my choices,To be honest, though, ultimately, I choose what I think is best.
Fruits of her Labour, egg tempera on panel, 31 x 25 cm, October 2023.
Fruits of her Labour was not selected even though it had the most likes and comments. What do you think?