Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
My name is Brendan A. de Montigny. Art Dealer.
Your current job :
I am the co-owner and director of PDA Projects, an art gallery.
In which city are you located?
Ottawa, Ontario
A word to define what kind of worker you are:
Dedicated
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Honestly, Espresso, only Espresso. I drink so much Espresso I should have opened up a café…. But Photoshop, InDesign, Word, Mailchimp, Excel, Gmail, and Tetris (when procrastinating) are all tied for second place.
What does your office space look like?
Minimal: Two bright blue Eames chairs, with a colour coordinated Swingline stapler on a very small table in an art gallery.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working?
Lately a lot of Perry Como, Otis Reiding, D’angelo, Kurt Vile, Zoe Keating, The Range, Ludovico Einaudi, Four Tet, and Caribou.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
I try to do this: I separate my day by emails, paperwork, telephone calls, and then everything else under the sun. Do I actually do this? Kind of… okay, not really, but I really should.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
Don’t over think it at first, edit after.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
Making nachos. I make really awesome nachos. In business, I believe being a team player. In making nachos, I also believe in the same principal- you have to listen to all the ingredients so the nachos will be mind-blowing.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
Don’t exhibit artwork you do not believe in.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Don’t play Tetris.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
Start: Fruit smoothie while reading articles in art magazines.
End: A 5-10km run
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
My level for hanging artwork.