When a new face comes into the gallery I like to break the ice in an attempt to start a little conversation. One of my standard silence breakers is "If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them." It’s a sloppily worded phrase, but most everyone understands I’m talking about the art on the walls. Every now and then, however, I get a smart-aleck who interprets it literally and returns with a snappy "I have a question… What’s the meaning of life?" Ha ha ha. Cute. My first reaction is to tell them the answer can be found at the bottom of a whisky glass and point them to the bar next door. But, I usually keep my mouth shut, laugh it off and categorize that person as the aforementioned smart-aleck.
With a little time under my belt thinking about this situation, I have a better answer: Understanding this is in the context of standing in the middle of my art gallery, my response will now be…
The meaning of life is recognizing that art is not free and to give thanks every time beautiful art touches you in a meaningful way.
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