Bad Art.
©Words Gia Marie Barbera

So here’s the thing: In London where I live, girls usually don’t go for the polished look. Most 'trendy' girls go for the rock n roll attire, tops have holes in them, or were bought in a merchandise stall at a pop concert. But when I walk into a "top photographic Gallery" in London, that should have really been named Milf Space, I really don’t want to be  met by some overweening narcissistic, half baked, hot-pant wearing, Cowboy boot dancing Oasis wannabe hang-on who looks like she needs to be put through a car wash because she has been on the sauce all night.

You know the sort of girl? The one who thinks she is better than the rest of the world because she runs her own Gallery. Then you find out daddy came to the rescue because she was busy getting pregnant in school, and twenty years later 'the who done it' is still unknown. So with loans from family, she's happy to do anything that involves sitting in a chair whilst name dropping her most trusted clients, and neighbours on twitter and to any publication that will listen. And if anybody upsets them on their social network they get pissed off and tell their daddy and jump up and down, pull their hair and stamp their foot, like the spoilt little brat they were brought up to be.

The reality is Art Gallery jobs are not all glitz and glamour. The girls have to be okay with doing work that ranges from housekeeper-type chores, like washing windows, cleaning people’s wine spills, spackling the walls and removing any and all dead (or not yet
dead) creepy crawlies, to ridiculously tedious admin work. One of the more fun super favourite activities is updating gallery contacts.

While working in a low-paid environment with an undergraduate and graduate degree under their belt, they usually have to work a second job outside the art world to pay the bills. The really exciting part of the Gallery job is getting to be a combination of charming salesperson, marketing executive to agents, and let's not forget Gallery girls also get to book and curate the art shows. That means scouting out artists and figuring out new and interesting shows, but with so many Galleries and so many artists needing exposure in London some artists seem desperate to showcase their work wherever they can, relying on the trusted PR girl to get them exposure in OK Magazine.

Art Gallery girls are nothing but jumped up shop assistants, I’m like 'um, you work in a jumped up shop with pictures of famous people on the wall. Why the fucking attitude? I used to work in a shop myself when I was 17, and I was never arrogant to anyone'. Gallery girls need to their place on the social ladder.

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ZANI was conceived in late 2008 and the fan base gradually grew by word of mouth. Key contributors came from those of the music, film and fashion industry and the voice of ZANI grew louder. So, when in 2013 investor, contributor and fan of ZANI Alan McGee* offered his support to help restyle and relaunch the site it was inevitable that traffic would increase dramatically and continues to grow. *Alan McGee co-founder of Creation Records and new label 359 Music..

 

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