During my days of writing as an art critic it was so easy to spot the many artists who were chasing careers instead of focussing on growing their talents. It was a trap I determined to avoid, and one which I perhaps just couldn’t help but avoid, given my predilections and background of loving art in a wide context.
The artist John Fox once asked me what I got from my early years of art history, and I answered in one word, standards. Fine, but then it’s a slower go to make it in the art world since fashions and standards are not the same. My career has lagged somewhat behind my talent, partly because of my attitude towards standards, and partly because of a severe hearing disability (I now have a cochlear implant, which is an immense help.) It has meant a certain endurance, now paying off in the growing recognition for my work.