Mitch Trale - Commissioning

Commissioning is a digital gallery which explores art patronage as an act of collaborative commerce.

Selected artists are provided with a set of constraints, the first of which is a fixed budget, within which they must produce a piece of original work. All artists featured in this round of commissions were paid the same amount of money.

Additional constraints, ranging from formal elements to thematic or emotional postures, are also provided. Where possible, no additional direction or feedback is provided to the artists, and their resultant work is accepted with pleasure.

Each artist is also asked to produce a Certificate of Authenticity to accompany their piece. This document can take any form or shape the artist desires.

As with any gallery, the sovereignty of selection is a crucial consideration. Commissioning exists to support the creation of the kind of art I want to see: I'm interested in progressive aesthetics, technical chops, contemporary culture, and true humor.

Mitch Trale, 2010