Soula Mantalvanos | Artist, designer & gallerist Melbourne Australia
Soula Mantalvanos | Artist, designer & gallerist
After two years of trying to realise this Italian adventure, we arrived in Milan on September 5th, albeit with heavy hearts from the loss of our mother (my mother-in-law) and, soon after, one of my dearest uncles. Feeling far from celebratory, we decided to skip Venice. We thought to first nurture ourselves, so we took a quick Milan tram ride for an espresso in the glorious Marchesi in Milan's Galerie Vitoria Emanuele II.
Demand is everything to every business person. I am a businessperson. I sell products, mainly art, so demand is everything to me. This is the one defining factor of a successful artist—demand. You might see artworks that are good, bad, excellent, and/or awful; none of that influences sellability. The buyer drives success. Commitment to an art piece—whatever its subject, execution quality, medium, size, shape, or form is what makes demand. This is how representation works. A gallery is a shop. The shop's audience calls the shots and defines the stable. If the audience doesn't buy the art, the shop closes. As an artist and gallery owner, I feel much pressure to perform and sell! I can't take up the precious space of another artist. This week, I received tremendous encouragement—I sold work before my December exhibition at Queenscliff Gallery (QG).
Artists need to be resourceful if they’re going to support themselves and satisfy a patron’s dream of owning one of their works. I often find myself gazing at some of my works and feeling sad at the thought of their destiny being ‘forever in the studio’. So, I am taking action and refusing to let that be their [...]
Well, that's life, isn't it? The perfect storm comes along and forces you to change all your plans. I've had great experience cancelling big plans and learned to be very adaptable. Emotionally, I've also learned to deal with these situations by planning something bigger and better ahead. And that I have.
I really like intimate exhibition spaces! Small spaces attract much attention, especially if they are great (if I may say so) and at the gallery entry and exit point like the Vestibule at Queenscliff Gallery (QG). I finally decided it was time to send Endurance out into the world. I'm working on a new body of work and feel a few of my self-portraits can finally face the world. After a few touch-ups, I also re-introduced Hare's Secret Keys. Both works incorporate the Fornasetti wallpaper that I live with and love and my two marionettes.
In 2013, when I began making progress with pain management, I had the idea to make a marionette of myself. Theo and I had just travelled to Italy (masks and Pinocchios everywhere!), and returning on the plane I watched the film, Marilyn. It dawned on me how seriously invisible many illnesses are. As much as I would have loved to make the [...]
I always hold my breath when the media comes knocking on the door. It’s just ‘norm’ that personal information always gets distorted and somehow feels like your information is suddenly owned by the writer with all rights to embellish and adjust. Whether intentional or not, I usually regret telling my story. But this time, it went well! The [...]
I am a very fortunate popet when it comes to media. The Greek community have been a huge support, especially the Greek papers and the Greek Australian Cultural League. Here’s the most recently published article in The Greek Herald, published in Greek and English. And look at me as a front-page snippet – it just makes you want [...]
The print world has seriously become a graphic designer’s oyster. As a designer three decades ago when I wanted to present my ideas for events, tenders, or proposals that included die cuts and special papers or surfaces, printing with a material other than the usual paper stocks was limiting, and it was very expensive. But the mouse mats, [...]
It was fabulous. Super fabulous! I can't thank everyone enough for visiting and supporting me through this exciting time, and for the divine patrons for all the dots - there were many! So many, I've flung myself right back into Venice in the studio - but it's looking a little differently. More on that next year! Here are the Here and There [...]
