Sponsors of British Art Fair Est. 1988
British Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery 20–23 September 2018 Introduction
When my brother Johnny and I went to the British Art Fair in 2017, something we’ve been enjoying doing for nearly 30 years, he remarked “I love this art, but it can’t breathe, it needs more space”.
There followed an agreeable conversation with the legendary owners of the fair, Gay Hutson and Bunny Wynn, and a deal was closed by an old school handshake. Over the coming weeks we agreed to a five year partnership with the Saatchi Gallery, and, with much financial commitment on the line, we approached the community of great dealers of Modern British art. With equal enthusiasm they all signed up and, nine months later, the British Art Fair is reborn.
We’ve shortened the name, taking it back to the essence that was there at the beginning, a dedicated fair, or festival of British art. The timelines are a little looser, the building is more beautiful, but the art and the dealers who exhibit each year remain the beating heart of this annual event.
We look forward to seeing you all at our new home although there are two significant absences, Bunny who was working hard on every element of the fair until she died in May, and our late father Victor who loved the fair – so to their memory we dedicate the 30th edition.
Robert and Johnny Sandelson (September 2018)
Saatchi Gallery Duke of York’s HQ King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY
Opening hours Thursday 11am – 9pm Friday 11am – 7pm Saturday 11am – 7pm Sunday 11am – 6pm
British Art Fair 18 Culford Gardens London SW3 2ST [email protected] www.britishartfair.co.uk 3 The 20th Century British Art Fair was continues on in her role as British Art Fair conceived at a time when Modern British doyenne. art – art that was made in the spirit of international developments in modern One of the founding concepts of the fair, art from Impressionism to Pop art – was though, has always been to recognise the enjoying a wave of interest in museums, dealers’ role, not just in the art market, commercial galleries and in the salerooms. but in re-evaluating the British art of the Standout exhibitions were ‘St. Ives, 1939- 20th century. Two of the most memorable 1964’ curated by David Brown at the Tate shows at Austin/Desmond in the late ‘80s in 1984, and The Royal Academy’s ‘British were for Keith Vaughan and Terry Frost, Art in the 20th century; The Modern both of whom were creeping up the price Movement’, in 1987, which looked at British ladder from a barely noticeable £600 pre art from radical Vorticism to Gilbert & 1986 to nearer £10,000 at auction. George.
British Art Fair and the Not only did the show promote artists like Edward Burra and William Roberts, who It was Desmond who, in Modern British market had not previously been given sufficient 1988, had the idea of starting prominence, but it led to renewed efforts an art fair specifically for by dealers to explore the vast unknown 1988–2018 territory of Modern British art beyond the Modern British art which familiar figures of Walter Sickert, Henry was staged initially in the by Colin Gleadell Moore, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, basement of the Cumberland Stanley Spencer and Francis Bacon. Hotel in Marble Arch. One of the main new players was the Austin/Desmond gallery which staged regular ‘Aspects of Modern British Art’ exhibitions from 1984 in the horse stables Putting the Newlyn School and the Thirty years ago this month a new fair burst upon the London art by Willie Desmond’s house in Ascot. These so-called British Impressionists on the scene, and it says something about the sustained strength and depth were far-reaching catalogues that provided map was Buckinghamshire dealer, David of the market it represented that it is still with us today. information about artists in print that was Messum. Messum enlisted the support of not easily available elsewhere. John Austin art historian Kenneth McConkey whose recalls how, in those days, “we could buy 1989 book on British Impressionism served whatever we wanted, it was a dealers’ as a hand guide for collectors interested market.” Paintings by William Scott, in the territory. Richard Green, perhaps Patrick Heron and Roger Hilton, now the most powerful dealer in the British art worth over £100,000, could be bought market, was also an enthusiast for these for under £2,000. works, joining the fair in 2002. By the end of the decade he had virtually pulled out It was Desmond who, in 1988, had the of the Victorian art market and instead, idea of starting an art fair specifically devoted his new gallery in New Bond for Modern British art which was staged Street to Modern art. initially in the basement of the Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch. Leslie Waddington (whose former director, Tom Lighton, exhibits at this year’s fair) The fair itself was owned by Ivan Winstone, was also a key player representing a hard Heather McConnell and Gay Hutson with core of post-war British avant-garde artists Angela (Bunny) Wynn as organising such as Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton and secretary. After McConnell died in 1993 Ivon Hitchens. But by the late ‘90s he had and, following the recession of the early passed on many of his artists’ estates to 90’s, Hutson and Wynn took over the reins Jonathan Clark, who this year continues in 1995 until this year when it was bought the good work by presenting a solo by the Sandelson brothers. Gay Hutson exhibition at the fair of works by Hitchens from the estate.
4 5 But in the late ‘80s, it was Bernard From a purely statistical perspective, a 30 Years of Modern British art at Auction Jacobson who was the most bullish key moment was in the 2010/11 season, dealer in Modern British art, and, as a when designated sales of Modern British 1 shareholder in the new and influential art art at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams SINCE 2005 18.1 magazine, Modern Painters, ensured that (excluding the higher value British art sold spiritually powerful British art was read in international Impressionist, Modern and about and collected. A classic example is Contemporary art sales) reached £90 8 12.4 10.8 the Vorticist-turned-Expressionist painter, million in one year, exceeding comparable 7.9 David Bomberg, who was the subject of totals for Russian, American and Latin 7.6 a major biography by Richard Cork in American art sales. It was, however, SINCE 1988 7.2 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.4
1987 and a Tate retrospective in 1988. The boosted by the record £41.4 million Evill/ growth Compound dovetailing of academia, public museum Frost collection sale at Sotheby’s, and and market was completed by exhibitions annual totals subsequently fell back – until British PopBritish Art 20th C Sculpture at Jacobson’s gallery as well as at Gillian the 2017/18 season, when that figure was St Ives SchoolScottish ColouristsModern British 50 Jason’s and Fischer Fine Art. There was no surpassed and Christie’s achieved a record escaping the impact as Bomberg’s auction £32.7 million for a single, mixed owner sale al e. by 8 o sales data t e ent al a t e All inde es price record soared from £16,000 in 1986 of Modern British art. to £95,000 in 1989. Perhaps the most remarkable AMR graph
is for British Pop art. The artists included A as been s lyin inde es to A t a et o essionals sin e 1989 are David Hockney, Sir Peter Blake, Richard 1988 199 1998 8 1 18 But in the late ‘80s, it was Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi, Allen Jones Bernard Jacobson who was and Joe Tilson. Had it included Pauline Boty and Gerald Laing, who were not the most bullish dealer in Modern British art, and, as traded regularly in the salerooms until recently, the upward swing would have a shareholder in the new been more exaggerated over the last SINCE 2005 two years. It is worth noting here that and influential art magazine, 7.6 Modern Painters, ensured Boty’s work was not re-discovered until 30 years after her premature death in SINCE 1988 that spiritually powerful 1966 and exhibited by the Mayor and British art was read about Whitford Fine Art galleries in 1998, long Compound growth Compound and collected. before the salerooms even got a whiff 5.4 of her importance. At the time, £25,000 for one of her paintings seemed a lot for an untested artist, but last year her 1966
However, the savage recession of 1991 painting, BUM, sold for £632,750. al e. by 8 o sales data t e ent al a t e All inde es effectively put the brakes on this market for the next ten years. A graph compiled The salerooms have undoubtedly played 1 by Art Market Research taking 1988 as its an increasing role in selling direct to start point, shows how, even though the private clients and in promoting prices A as been s lyin inde es to A t a et o essionals sin e 1989 fair continued and adapted, the market publicly. But the degree of success didn’t really start motoring again until the would not have been possible without 1988 199 1998 8 1 18 21st century, by which time the fair had the blossoming network of museums. become the 20/21 British Art Fair. Apart from Tate Britain and its outreaches in St. Ives and Liverpool, and the lively The graph shows five groupings, each with exhibition programmes of museums from a representative selection of artists and Southampton to Edinburgh, the list of a performance graph taking the central institutions supporting Modern British 80% of auction prices for those artists. All art has been growing. To old established experienced a plateau between 1991 and provincial venues like Kettle’s Yard in 2005 but have seen a considerable upturn Cambridge, the Yorkshire Sculpture since then realising an average annual gain Park, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, or the of 12% each year for the past 13 years. Abbot Hall Gallery in Cumbria we can
6 7 of the YBAs, is one of the most visible The salerooms have artists at this year’s fair, the answer is soon. UNITUNIT ONE ONE STORESTORE LTDLTD undoubtedly played an Additionally to the previously mentioned increasing role in selling Ivon Hitchens there are three more direct to private clients and exhibitions within the fair that add a in promoting prices publicly. curatorial dimension which was missing from previous fairs. Works by Alfred Wallis, But the degree of success the self-taught Cornish fisherman who FineFine art handling services, specialisingspecialising in:in: would not have been possible became integral to the development of without the blossoming British art in the 1930s, and Roger Hilton, from the collection of the late Australian network of museums. art dealer, Ray Hughes, are to be shown by The Mayor Gallery. A collaboration between several dealers and Paintings Logistics Packing + Crating Shipping add some of the liveliest venues such as in Hospitals (the charity which the fair Pallant House in Sussex and The Hepworth supports) has resulted in an exhibition of Wakefield in Yorkshire. The effect of works by Bridget Riley, one of the most museum shows on the market is hard to internationally renowned living British pin down, but perhaps it is more than a artists whose auction record stands at coincidence that in the run up to, during £4.3 million (with reference to the role and just after the Pallant House centenary of provincial galleries it is perhaps worth exhibition for John Minton in 2017, records remembering how it was that an exhibition were tumbling for the artist at auction. at Abbot Hall Gallery in 1998 lead to her triumph at the Serpentine Gallery, record With the revival of the market came added prices and international representation competition for Modern British art as an by major galleries over the following 20 Storage Customs art fair component. From the Grosvenor years). House Art & Antiques Fair, to the London Art Fair in Islington, Art London in Chelsea, The third exhibition sees the first pairing and more recently, LAPADA, Masterpiece of two old friends, the eminent abstract and Frieze Masters, rival fair organisers sculptor, Sir Anthony Caro, and the art have sought out Modern British art dealers historian and abstract painter, John to add to their mix. But 20/21, which is Golding, which has been curated by renamed the British Art Fair this month, the Piano Nobile Gallery. It is a perfect remains the only fair devoted solely to example of how a dealer can open eyes to Modern British art. In moving to the an artist’s work, in this case John Golding Saatchi Gallery it heeds the advice given whose estate they represent. Installation by Sir Nicholas Serota when he opened the fair in 1997, commenting that, while the concept was excellent, the space at the Royal College of Art was ‘a bit cramped.’
Interestingly, its relocation to the Saatchi Gallery reminds us that the great show- stopper of the 90s, Saatchi’s ‘Sensation’ exhibition at the Royal Academy, which is now deeply engrained in history. How long will it be, asks new fair director Robert Sandelson, before these artists – Gormley, White Hall Warehouse, Lynn Road (A10), Hirst, Emin et al, will be part of the Modern White Hall Warehouse, Lynn Road (A10), British canon and featuring in the British Littleport, Cambs, CB7 4TB Art Fair? Judging by the catalogue in Littleport, Cambs, CB7 4TB which Michael-Craig Martin, the godfather Telephone:Telephone: 0135301353 861855 Fax: 01353 861948861948 Email:Email: [email protected] 8
10731 Unit One Banner.indd 1 09/08/2018 15:06 LIST OF EXHIBITORS
Alan Wheatley Art Boundary Gallery Connaught Brown Gwen Hughes Fine Art 22 Mason’s Yard Suite 50 2 Albemarle Street London SW18 (by appointment) Duke Street 17 Highgate High Street London W1S 4HD t: 020 8874 8568 St. James’s London N6 5JT t: 020 7408 0362 e: [email protected] London SW1Y 6BU m: 07971 293607 e: [email protected] www.gwenhughesart.co.uk t: 020 7930 1262 e: [email protected] www.connaughtbrown.co.uk 47 (Second Floor) e: [email protected] www.boundarygalleryonline.com 14 (Ground Floor) www.alanwheatleyart.com 54 (Second Floor) Harry Moore-Gwyn 9 (Ground Floor) Dominic Kemp Modern British Prints Third Floor Bowman Sculpture 20 Stillness Road 6 Mason’s Yard Architectural Heritage Ltd 6 Duke Street London SE23 1NQ St. James’s Taddington Manor St James’s t: 020 8690 9658 London SW1Y 6BU Taddington GL54 5RY London SW1Y 6BN m: 07711 961382 m: 07765 966256 t: 01386 584414 t: 020 7930 0277 e: [email protected] e: [email protected] m: 07774 416748 e: [email protected] www.dominickemp.co.uk www.mooregwynfineart.co.uk e: [email protected] www.bowmansculpture.com 45 (Second Floor) 50 (Second Floor) www.architectural-heritage.co.uk 15 (Ground Floor) 28 (First Floor) Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts Henry Saywell Broadbent Gallery 6 Bury Street 291 Lillie Road Art First 10-12 Exhibition Road London SW1Y 6AB London SW6 7LL 15 St Mary’s Walk London SW7 2HF t: 020 7839 8806 t: 020 7381 1774 London SE11 4UA m: 07768 082249 e: [email protected] m: 07838 156614 t: 020 7734 0386 e: [email protected] [email protected] e: [email protected] e: [email protected] www.broadbentgallery.com 31 (First Floor) www.henrysaywell.com www.artfirst.co.uk 44 (Second Floor) 48 (Second Floor) 41 (Second Floor) Flowers Gallery Browse & Darby 21 Cork Street Jenna Burlingham Fine Art Askew Art 19 Cork Street London W1S 3LZ 2a George Street 1 Airlie Gardens London W1S 3LP t: 020 7439 7766 Kingsclere London W8 7AJ t: 020 7734 7984 e: [email protected] Hampshire RG20 5NQ m: 07718 384576 e: [email protected] www.flowersgallery.com t: 01635 298855 e: [email protected] www.browseanddarby.co.uk 4 (Ground Floor) e: [email protected] www.askewart.co.uk 18 (First Floor) www.jennaburlingham.com 35 (Second Floor) Freya Mitton 29 (First Floor) Castlegate House Gallery Somerset (by appointment) Beaux Arts London Castlegate House t: 01761 241198 Jill George 48 Maddox Street Cockermouth m: 07968 562499 PO Box 65793 London W1S 1AY Cumbria CA13 9HA e: [email protected] London NW2 9PD t: 020 7493 1155 t: 01900 822149 www.freyamitton.com t: 020 7439 7319 e: [email protected] m: 07920 836874 46 (Second Floor) e: [email protected] www.beauxartslondon.uk e: [email protected] www.jillgeorgegallery.co.uk 5 (Ground Floor) www.castlegatehouse.co.uk Goodman Fine Art 37 (Second Floor) 23 (First Floor) 37 Duke Street Belgrave St Ives St James’s Jonathan Clark Fine Art 22 Fore Street Christopher Kingzett Fine Art London SW1 6DF London (by appointment) St Ives 68 Camberwell Grove t: 020 7930 8077 t: 020 7351 3555 Cornwall TR26 1HE London SE5 8RF e: [email protected] e: [email protected] t: 01736 794888 m: 07771 783918 www.goodmanfineart.com www.jcfa.co.uk e: [email protected] e: [email protected] 21 (First Floor) 6 (Ground Floor) www.belgravestives.co.uk www.christopherkingzettfineart.com 36 (Second Floor) 20 (First Floor)
10 11 LIST OF EXHIBITORS
K Contemporary Ltd The Mayor Gallery Pangolin London Robin Katz Fine Art 39 Margravine Gardens 21 Cork Street - 1st Floor Kings Place 6 Hill Street London W6 8RN (by appointment) London W1S 3LZ 90 York Way London W1J 5NF t: 020 3488 0795 t: 020 7734 3558 London N1 9AG t: 020 7297 4972 e: [email protected] e: [email protected] t: 020 7520 1480 e: [email protected] www.kfineart.co.uk www.mayorgallery.com e: [email protected] 1 (Ground Floor) 40 (Second Floor) 32 (First Floor) www.pangolinlondon.com 11 (Ground Floor) Sally Hunter Fine Art Katharine House Gallery Merville Galleries 54 Clarendon Road The Parade Church House Piano Nobile London W11 2HJ (by appointment) Marlborough Stopham 129 Portland Road t: 0845 367 0887 Wiltshire SN8 1NE Pulborough London W11 4LW e: [email protected] t: 01672 514040 West Sussex RH20 1EG t: 020 7229 1099 43 (Second Floor) e: [email protected] t: 01798 865848 e: [email protected] www.katharinehousegallery.co.uk e: [email protected] www.piano-nobile.com Sim Fine Art 39 (Second Floor) www.mervillegalleries.com 16 (Ground Floor) London (by appointment) 26 (First Floor) m: 07919 356150 Kynance Fine Art Pierre Spake e: [email protected] (by appointment London and Winchester) Messum’s Fine Art (by appointment) www.simfineart.com t: 01962 621629 28 Cork Street t: 01920 487042 24 (First Floor) m: 07836 609200 London W1S 3NG m: 07973 543706 e: [email protected] t: 020 7437 5545 e: [email protected] Simon Hilton www.kynancefineart.com e: [email protected] www.pierrespake.com 4 Brunswick Walk 22 (First Floor) www.messums.com 53 (Second Floor) Cambridge CB5 8DH 27 (First Floor) t: 01223 564507 Long & Ryle The Redfern Gallery m: 07831 614009 4 John Islip Street The Nine British Art 20 Cork Street e: [email protected] London SW1P 4PX 9 Bury Street London W1S 3HL 51 (Second Floor) t: 020 7834 1434 St. James’s t: 020 7734 1732 e: [email protected] London SW1Y 6AB e: [email protected] Sylvester Fine Art www.long-and-ryle.com t: 020 7930 9293 www.redfern-gallery.com 64 Belsize Lane 25 (First Floor) e: [email protected] 8 (Ground Floor) London NW3 5BJ www.theninebritishart.co.uk m: 07810 483460 The Maas Gallery 10 (Ground Floor) Richard Green e: [email protected] 15a Clifford Street 33 New Bond Street www.sylvesterfineart.co.uk London W1S 4JZ Offer Waterman London W1S 2RS 49 (Second Floor) t: 020 7734 2302 17 St George Street t: 020 7499 4738 e: [email protected] London W1S 1FJ e: [email protected] Waterhouse & Dodd www.maasgallery.com t: 020 7042 3233 www.richardgreen.com 47 Albemarle Street 19 (First Floor) e: [email protected] 2 (Ground Floor) London WIS 4JW www.waterman.co.uk t: 020 7734 7800 Marcus Campbell Art Books 3 (Ground Floor) Robert Upstone e: [email protected] 43 Holland Street 15a Clifford Street www.waterhousedodd.com Bankside Osborne Samuel Gallery London W1S 4JZ 17 (First Floor) London SE1 9JR 23 Dering Street m: 07950 075934 t: 020 7261 0111 London W1S 1AW e: [email protected] Whitford Fine Art e: [email protected] t: 020 7493 7939 www.robertupstone.com 6 Duke Street www.marcuscampbell.co.uk e: [email protected] 30 (First Floor) St. James’s 42 (Second Floor) www.osbornesamuel.com London SW1Y 6BN 7 (Ground Floor) t: 020 7930 9332 e: [email protected] www.whitfordfineart.com 12 (Ground Floor)
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