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ARTS & CULTURE SO WHY DID YOU OPEN A GALLERY LIKE THIS IN CHISWICK? JK It was a combination of factors. I live locally, so I know the area quite well. JB The type of art we have here is quite unexpected for an area like this, but we felt that it was something that was needed. East London is saturated with these kinds of galleries – so why don’t we try to bridge that. It ties in with the ethos that everyone has the right to enjoy amazing art, so why not introduce it to an area that wouldn’t necessarily expect it. It was a gamble, there’s a lot of work that divides opinion. WHAT WAS THE FEEDBACK LIKE? JK Amazing. It brought a freshness to the area, it’s stirred reactions. JB There’s a load of kids in west London who want to get involved in art but don’t necessarily have that output or channel. That was another reason we wanted to be here and help emerging artists. DID YOU APPROACH ARTISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE OR WAS IT THE OTHER WAY ROUND? JB A bit of both. Initially it was just getting the word out and approaching artists and big names. To be honest, because we have such a clear identity established, I think a lot of artists were receptive. Also because we were a collective – we are artists ourselves – that creates a trust instantly. We know what it’s like being on the other side. It’s nice because we’re creating a little name for ourselves and word gets around really quickly in the art world, especially in London. Now we have artists approaching us and we’re branching into international talent. WHAT ARTISTS DO YOU REPRESENT? JK We have about 16 artists, both international and UK based: Carrie Reichardt who we’re really, really excited about. She’s so unique, she’s got her own style, she knows exactly what she wants to say. We have Ed Haslam, who we actually went to school with, he’s incredibly talented – we’re looking forward to doing some more work with him this year. We’ve got artists like Pure Evil and a few more urban street artists. We’re moving into 3D stuff as well now. Neon is obviously very popular at the moment. We want to move more into sculpture too. YOU MENTIONED STREET ART, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GRAFFITI ‘ICON’ BANKSY? JK That’s the ultimate question… I think he’s a very clever man, but we’re all about draftsmanship and ability and talent – not that he’s not talented – he has a very talented mind. JB He’s done extremely well, but as a gallery we wouldn’t have that stuff. Banksy is a currency now. We do have ‘names’ but we also have new blood; people fresh out of college.
There are a lot of galleries that just rely on names and it’s boring. You see the same names and the same sort of galleries – it’s all recycled, it’s not fresh, it’s not new. We’re always very particular with who we choose. WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO MAKE A LIVING OUT OF BEING AN ARTIST THESE DAYS? JB Yes, but at the same time I think there are a lot of tools – especially with the internet now – and I think the problem is that a lot of artists don’t know how to market themselves properly. I think a lot of artists underestimate how valuable it is.
THEY PROBABLY THINK MARKETING IS SOMETHING OF A DIRTY WORD... JB Yes I think so, but at the end of the day you are on your own as an artist. That’s speaking from an artist’s point of view as well. It’s a hell of a lot of patience, determination and belief, and maybe a bit of luck. You have to put yourself out there. Some artists that I know are doing well and because their social media is so strong they don’t even need a gallery. It’s all changing with the advent of online galleries but – that said – I don’t think galleries will ever die. Art is tactile and you have to see it, experience it. You can’t get that from a screen. theunitldn.com
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