5 minute read
Post-pandemic art
lovers. There have been first-time buyers, who previously did not have such prolific and accessible opportunities to purchase art.
Another change sparked by the pandemic, for both the everyday art lover and established collector, was a heightened awareness of our place and space. It felt like there was a shift in the way art was valued by society, with works being recognised beyond their financial investment, which, in turn, has inspired more collectors to create collections that they genuinely love.
Added value
Through a series of podcasts, the Collect Wisely campaign, set up and run by Sean Kelly since 2018, continues to look at how the pandemic has influenced the way we collect. Collect Wisely’s aim is to question the increasing preoccupation with short-term monetary interests, to refocus the dialogue around the core values of art, artists and collecting, and inspire future generations to make meaningful investments in culture.
In episode 22 of the Collect Wisely podcast, released on 27 October 2020, Sean speaks to Jon Gray. As the co-founder of Bronx-based collective Ghetto Gastro, an initiative that ignites conversations about race, class, and inclusion via the medium of food, Jon recognises the value of art as communication: “I think of myself as a custodian. You know because, collecting, seems like such a colonial concept. However, I think if I’m taking care of works and preserving works for the next generation, I’m a custodian because it’s like when I’m gone, someone else is going to need to take care of it.”
Sharing a similar line of thought was director of The New Art Gallery Walsall, Stephen Snoddy. He recognised the importance of preserving the works that arose from the pandemic and, as a result, led the gallery in the collation of a time capsule collection through an open call to local artists. In Stephen’s own words, the capsule aims to leave a “legacy for future generations to document the events of the past year”.
The capsule is a beautiful representation of how people individually lived through the pandemic and symbolic of arts’ wider power during a crisis. Iulia Cabacenco, a 16-year-old student from Moldova encapsulated this in a blog post she wrote for UNICEF: “Art will survive through every disaster and people will survive along with it. The energy of creation will never exhaust, and it is what helps to balance the ball during the time of destruction. Coronavirus gave birth to countless maybe not professional but wonderful artworks. You can be an artist if you have a story to tell. COVID-19 is a new experience for all of us and every “survivor” has something to say.”
A prime example of this is the #PortraitsForNHSHeroes initiative, which not only captured those dealing with the brunt of the pandemic’s destruction, but also helped bring people together to celebrate those frontline workers. This proves the importance of art as an individual outlet, as well as a means of generating community.
Graduates unite
For art students graduating into a pandemic and stripped of their final year shows, building communities through shared experiences was integral for survival, as what awaited was an industry dramatically stripped of funding and opportunities.
End-of-degree showcases are not only a celebration of three years of hard work, but also an chance to make a formal entrance into the art market. As a result, Sad Grads (@sadgrads2020), an Instagram page set up by 2020 graduate Jody Mulvey, captured the disappointing support universities provided leavers. Alongside campaigning for art schools to deliver graduate shows, the platform also collaborated to support emerging artists.
Similarly, myself and artist Lucy Alves saw the problematic nature of the art market for graduates and other artists at the start of their
careers. Graduating into the fi rst lockdown, we launched Gatekeeper magazine – a bi-annual publication which aims to investigate the commercial art market, creating conversations about where and how the system could progress to help emerging artists bargain their way into a healthier system.
Collaborating with Sad Grads, Gatekeeper created a series of posts providing easy-to-digest advice and tools for recent art school leavers. These ranged from demystifying tax for selfemployed artists to explaing the transferable skills students gain from an arts degree.
Gatekeeper has continued to work with other ideologically aligned initiatives, such as BigRat. Studio. Launched in June 2020 by graduates Molly Stredwick and Elliot Ash, BigRat.Studio provides an online space to celebrate and showcase emerging artists. While galleries often feel intimidating, BigRat.Studio creates an accessible and inviting way to experience art with unique online events off ering a fun, playful space for viewers.
As galleries begin to re-open, there is evidence of another shift. Before the pandemic, a portion of consumers and artists were simply facilitators of the elitist art market, leaving an exclusive circle of collectors, gallerists and museum directors to gatekeep. The removal of the gatekeeper and third parties during the continual bouts of lockdown has given artists back their agency – and they are not going to give it up easily.
Hopefully in the future, even fewer artworks will be sacrifi ced to private ownership and diminished to just their economic worth. Artists over the past 18 months, who have challenged the status quo with initiatives based on collaboration, inclusivity and circularity, are our future. What they have achieved throughout the global pandemic should install excitement and inspiration for the next generation and beyond.
www.gatekeepermagazine.com
CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT Matthew Burrows, founder of ASP; Liberty by Charlotte Moore forms part of the New Art Gallery’s capsule collection; Dr Will Hunter by Jane Clatworthy; another NHS portrait by Nick Richard; screenshots from two BigRat.Studio virtual events
