An assistant is a person (or by extension a device) that helps another person accomplish their goals
This blog is part of a research project and art exhibition at Bearspace entitled the Assistant, it collects together discussion and stories around the idea of artist's assistants and arts internships to build a discourse around the exhibition itself. For more on the exhibition click here. To read the entries collected as part of this project read on or submit your own story here.

Thursday 8 April 2010

Hidden Messages - An Assistant's Admission



Submitted by Ned

When I used to work as an artists assistant, for someone who I'm not going to name for reasons that will become apparent, I gradually got fed up with the temper tantrums and being a general skivy so after a while I started to paint various rude words an phrases onto the canvasses, before painting over them again later. I always used to worry that it would show through when dry, one day later on but it never did. It was a small consolation that despite my under appreciated efforts, that there were a lot of rich buyers with disparaging and insulting remarks about themselves hanging up in pride of place on their walls, while they sat under them smug and oblivious. I later found out that there were once rumours going around that the late Alexander Mcqueen, during his time as a tailor's assistant used to sew derogatory comments into the lining of the suits of royalty, I don't know if that was true but I like to think so. My messages are probably still out there somewhere, I often wonder if they might turn up in a restoration years down the line. Whenever I feel irritated I like to think that the messages are still out there, hiding inside people's pictures, hanging over them unawares. Who know's, if you own a piece of art from this artist, there might be one in your piece!

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