When and why did you decide to set up your own gallery? I became hooked on painting in my early teens, not only learning to paint but visiting galleries and reading about artists constantly. It was an obsession that was well suited to my other major teenage preoccupation which was avoiding team sports (I was lucky to have a wonderful teacher who tolerated my absences so long as I hid myself in the drawing schools). Art became ‘the thing I was good at’, and in a sense it directed everything I did for the rest of my life. By the age of sixteen I had decided that I would have my own art gallery. Life becomes very simple when you know what you want to do and can pursue it.
What were the main obstacles that you faced when you first began (and do you think they still exist)? A gallery owner needs to know about business, accounting, law (contracts, leases), design, publishing, marketing, sales, entertaining, film, social media … an endless list of skills that I didn’t possess when I started at 23. With hindsight, I would not have survived more than six months had it not been for my business partner, John Thompson, who had enough confidence in me to let me open a gallery in Mayfair and who taught me everything about the practical side of the business and, most importantly, how to create an atmosphere in the gallery that was relaxed and unstuffy. The other lucky break was our timing. 1992, as some will remember, provided my new enterprise with an especially miserable recession; half the shops of the Bond Street were empty and landlords were willing to take on anyone who would pay the business rates. True, it meant I sold very little for a few years, but it gave me the time to make mistakes as I learnt to run the gallery as efficiently as possible and, above all, not to waste money. Today, it is a very different situation. Someone wanting to open a new gallery in a prime location would almost certainly need backers with deep pockets to get a gallery off the ground in a desirable London location, so the pressures are enormous. For younger galleries, it is a question of improvising as best they can – it can be done and the London art market still throws up brilliant, inventive galleries who can make their mark, but I wouldn’t like to start again.
You exhibit a wide range of contemporary art from around the world. How do you decide which artists to feature? It is always about a personal relationship with the artist. There are artists who may be commercially successful or whose work I admire, but if the relationship doesn’t work then there’s no point in trying to force it. Firstly, I have to be able to trust their integrity as an artist – that means their work comes before anything else; and they in turn have to trust the gallery, that we will stick with them if they want to change direction or experiment. I suppose the next important thing to notice if you visit the gallery or even just our website, is that we don’t have an obvious ‘house style’. We show abstract painting and sculpture, alongside figurative work – but for me, it is never about what an artist paints that matters, but rather, how they paint. The way the paint is applied is where the magic is, unfortunately it is also the most elusive aspect to try and describe, but it perhaps goes back to the personality and the integrity of the artist. I have to be able to find the artist in the marks they make and the way the paint is put on: it is a complete package, like recognising a voice.
What is the process for curating an exhibition? How do you decide where the works of art are displayed? It begins in the studio. Visiting the artist in the studio is one of the most exciting aspects of the job, and talking to them about the practicalities of the show is the first step in seeing how we need to present the work, write about it and display it. It also means that we tend to see each show as a collection of work, rather than individual paintings, and that means some of the most challenging work may be vital to the story of the show. We have to present the whole picture, not just the edited highlights. What would be your advice for someone interested in investing in contemporary art? Take your time and don’t buy anything for a while, just look and get a feel for the galleries and artists you like. Art fairs are great ways of seeing a huge amount of art in one place, and try to get to know other collectors and artists and talk to them about their own collection – I am always astonished how people are so reluctant to ask for advice. Advice is free and people always love giving advice! My other tip is not to collect alone – try and make sure you share it with your partner and that it becomes an adventure you share together; involve your kids too. It is amazing how much fun you can have and how easy it is to quickly become knowledgeable – that’s the moment you can start buying.
Which areas have you seen grow in popularity in recent years? As the art market grows and becomes more global in its outlook, there are now a myriad of areas in which you can collect and new artistic hotspots to discover. There are art fairs every week, in every corner of the planet and with this huge growth and confidence there seems to be strength in every aspect of the market. It is probably best not to worry too much about which areas are popular, as by the time they are popular, you are probably too late! How have Scrutton Bland’s services such as SBLive helped you with the administration processes which you and every business need to undertake every day? That’s a nice question, because it is easy to talk about the fun aspects of the gallery, without realising there is a huge amount of administration that goes with it, as in every business. It was always a chore but SBLive (and Xero accounting) have simplified the way we deal with our accounts and given us far more information about our finances –now we can anticipate the bumps on the road before we hit them! I’m a big fan. All photographs by Dan Weill John Martin Gallery is at 38 Albermarle Street, London W1S 4JG 0207 499 1314 www.jmlondon.com
SBLive is Scrutton Bland’s cloud accounting service which combines online accounting software with a range of professional advice to help manage the financial administration of a business. Simple to use, it automates a number of processes such as invoicing and expenses to provide real time reporting, which in turn enables easy management of cash flow, tax and VAT from any smartphone or tablet. Full training and support is provided as part of the SBLive package which can be tailored to the needs of the business. Contact info@sblive.co.uk or call 0333 2347144 or see our website www.sblive.co.uk
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