Art Appreciation Lecture Series 2016 Collectors & Collections: classical to contemporary

Charles Saatchi a Modern Medici?

Craig Judd

4 & 5 May 2016

Lecture summary:

Trans historical comparisons are tricky at the best of times. Computers and Occupational Health and Safety regulations aside, the city-state of Florence does not equate with the 21st century City of . There is not the intricate web of intergenerational rivalries obligations and civic duties we see amongst the great Florentine families- the Nasi, The Taddei, the Orsini, the Pazzi and Tournaboni et al. has not to any public knowledge been involved in 84 executions (se the 1478 Pazzi Conspiracy) nor led armies to victory. However it’s a truism to state The Medici and Charles Saatchi are notoriously good with money. The Medici invented modern international banking (loans with interest) while Charles Saatchi specialised in a refined commodity, advertising. Notoriously private in spite of intense media interest perhaps Charles Saatchi’s Jewish heritage (b1943 Baghdad Iraq) is a key to his collecting energy, support and promotion of and artists and subsequent benefaction. Perhaps more credit should go to his first two wives, both blonde southern belles from the USA- Doris Lochardt and Kay Hartenstein who introduced him to new types of contemporary art away from his initial taste in minimalism and post (Sol LeWitt was his first purchase). Damian Hirst an artist once patronised by Charles Saatchi has said He is a cut throat businessman. I bet as a businessman he’s childish. But as an art collector he is child like.

Saatchi has certainly brought a hard nosed entrepreneurial sensibility to the contemporary art. He has stated.... I certainly was more dynamic once building my advertising business and collection with ferocious energy. Now that I have fizzled out I still enjoy putting on shows of art that I like and introducing new artists to our visitors. So I hope it’s worth while to plod on..My aim in life isn’t so much the pursuit of happiness as the happiness of pursuit...My dark little secret is that I don’t actually believe many people in the art world have much feeling for art...What matters and survives is the art. I buy art that I like then if I feel like it I sell it and buy more art. Critic Ben Lewis has coined a clumsy new word with purse lipped negative overtones to sum up the Saatchi attitude eye and marketing skills “Specullector”. This is a lecture that will introduce some of the contexts for the development of the Saatchi and Saatchi Collection and Contemporary Art Gallery (begun in 1985 and since 2013 housed in the Duke of Yorks Headquarters and attracting 1.5 million visitors a year)The social phenomenon/celebrity and careful curatorship of Charles Saatchi and the success of some British artists , , Damian Hirst, Rachael Whiteread, Chris Offilli and Glenn Brown

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Slide list:

Sarah Lucas (b1962) “Tits in Space” cigarrete butts, fabric installation Whitworth Museum of Art Manchester 200-/2012 “Gold Cup Maradonna” yellow resin 2016 “Power in Woman” Edith Margot sadie and Pauline “installation Sir John Soane Museum March 2016

Tracey Emin( b.1963) “Bed” 1998/1999 installation entry for 1999 Everyone Ihave ever Slept with 1963-1995” aka “the Tent” embroidered and quilted fabric destroyed bt fire in Fire 2004

Damian Hirst(b.1965) “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living”. 1991. Glass, painted steel, silicone, monofilament, shark sourced from Hervey Bay Queensland and formaldehyde ... “A Thousand Years” Glass, steel, silicone rubber, painted MDF, Insect-O-Cutor, cow’s head, blood, flies, maggots, metal dishes, cotton wool, sugar and water

“The Golden Calf” 2008 Glass, gold, gold plated stainless steel, silicone, calf and formaldehyde solution with Carrara marble plinth

Rachael Whiteread (b 1965)

“Untitled” (One Hundred Spaces) 1993 acylic resin

“Ghost” plaster cast 1990

“” 1993 cement

“Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial Vienna (Mahnmal für die 65.000 ermordeten österreichischen Juden und Jüdinnen der Shoah) also known as the Nameless Library” steel and concrete 2000

Chris Offili (b.1968)

‘ 1996 elephant dung glitter photgraphic oil paint and resin

Glen Brown (b.1966)

Böcklin's Tomb (copied from 'Floating Cities' 1981 by Chris Foss) 1998' oil on canvas 87 x 130in. (221 x 330cm.)

“The Real Thing” 2000 oil on panel Gallery

References:

Charles Saatchi “My Name is Charles Saatchi and I Am an Artoholic” (Phaidon) 2009 2012

Imogen Carter Interview with Charles Saatchi “30 things about art and life” 30 August 2009

Rita Hutton and John A Walker “Super Collector: A Critique of Charles saatchi Ellipsis London 2000

Doris Lockhart Pieces from a Confessional www.independent.co.uk/.../pieces-from-a- confessional-1179187.html

Kay Saatchi www.wmagazine.com/culture/art-and-design/2007/.../kay_saatchi/ Becky Barrow, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/.../Charles-has-crushes-they-rarely-last.html Vanessa Thorpe The Observer Profile: Charles Saatchi www.theguardian.com/education/2001/dec/02/arts.highereducation For access to all past lecture notes visit: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/members/current-members/member-events/collectors/