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CHICAGO DAILY NEWS, Monday, May 19, 1975   15

Finding a following for black artists

By Kathryn Christensen

Norman Parish is always on the lookout for new buildings going up in Chicago. He's an artist, and new buildings are as good a chance as any he'll have for selling one of his paintings.

Parish, who has been painting for 15 years, considers it a good year when he sells a couple of pieces. Most of his work is priced under $500 - obviously not enough to support him - so he also works fulltime as a piping designer.

HE IS NOT UNLIKE many long-time, but relatively obscure, artists in the Chicago area. Persuading gallery owners and museum managers to exhibit art, for unknown artists, is often an uphill battle. But Parish believes it is even more difficult for black artists like himself.

"The museums and galleries want to push art that is salable as well as good," said the 1960 graduate of the Art Institute. "Black art, so far, just isn't that much in demand."

Parish is one of many black artists who recently exhibited paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography and jewelry at the Black Art - Black Artists '75 exposition in the Monroe Gallery of the YWCA Loop Center. Most of them agreed about the difficulties black artists have in finding buyers or exhibition space for their work. 

MUCH OF THE problem, they said, is in their own preference for using art to reflect the life-stles and cultures of the black community.

"And since every art buyer is looking at art through his own conditioning, our market has been limited," Parish said. "So far, the biggest percentage of buyers is white, and many of them just don't like black art. It's their conditioning: they've grown up looking at European instead of African art. They may look at a black painting and dislike it, but they usually aren't aware of how much their background has to do with their preferences and dislikes."

Parish described the problem as something of a circle: because consumers aren't exposed to very much black art, many of them are uncomfortable with it and don't want to buy it. And because of that, many galleries and museums prefer to exhibit only a few pieces of black art at a time.

"ONE ART STORE owner," painter Patricia Stewart said, "told me he would show some of my work but he didn't want any stuff showing the chains or violence black have lived through. He said he wanted 'pretty' pictures. So I decided to give that a try, and I made some pretty paintings to suit him. I haven't sold one of those yet."

Other artists reported similar experiences, complaining that "black art has become a curiosity." Textile designer Robert Paige suggested that black artists haven't as a group, developed a decent following to make it more than that.

Norman Parish, who said he has made about $1,500 in the last three years from selling his paintings, added that one problem facing black artists is identical for all artists.

"Most people still think of a museum when they think of shopping for art. They believe that if it's hanging in a museum, a painting must be good. But museum prices are usually high and discourage potential buyers. People should learn to look for art in small galleries and at one-time exhibitions like this one. The art community just hasn't communicate well enough with buyers."

[[3 images]] 
Norman Parish (top) and Patricia Stewart (right) are shown with some of their paintings. Robert Paige works on a new textile design. (Photo by M. Leon Lopez)

MAXINE

Exciting life fades

DEAR MAXINE: Four years ago I began having an affair with an officer of our company, a man twice my age. He told me his wife was old and fat and his grown children looked him up only when they wanted something from him.

We've had some good times together. It's exciting when you have to be discreet.

One night two months ago we were at a bar hugging and kissing when his wife walked in. (She's not so old or fat, by the way.)

She saw us, burst into tears and ran right out again. He didn't do a thing, just drank some more. Later he went home and talked her out of divorcing him.

Well, two weeks ago I told him it was either her or me. He packed his things and moved in with me. And it's not turning out the way I thought it would. All he wants to do is lie on the couch and watch TV. He misses his family, I think. And he acts so old and tired it turns me off.

How can I get him to move out - diplomatically, so we can still be close friends? - D.J.

DEAR D.J.: You can truthfully tell him his presence in your household places you in an uncomfortable position, and that he must not continue to live with you.

He may be glad for the out. And you should be glad you discovered that you were more excited by the situation than you are by the man.

Can you remain friends? I doubt it - neither of you needs the other. He needs to re-establish a relationship with his family; you need to find a replacement.