A Conversation With Adrian Sassoon

If you ever have the pleasure of visiting Adrian Sassoon’s stand at an art fair, you will be transported into a celebration of artists and their treatment of materials. Whenever I have seen his displays, I notice that Adrian constantly handles his artist’s pieces. It’s not that he is overly tactile, but rather that he feels responsible for and connected to the mediums that his gallery represents; which, translates to the gallery holding a reputation for their extremely high standard. He is also one of the few dealers who brings his artists to his art fair stands because he believes that the artist should be explaining their craft. This all illustrates that Adrian has what is, in my opinion, a rare yet treasured quality in the art world: he likes to listen.

What advice would you give to clients who are interested in this accessibly-priced sector, but are unsure of where to start?

Over the centuries there has always been a place for creativity at affordable prices. My late mother used to go to degree shows and collect work by new artists which in the fullness of time yielded a 75% ‘miss’ and 25% ‘hit’ rate. Frankly, at these odds, it is better to buy one small piece by an established artist whose work you really admire rather than spending the same total amount spread across pieces by more modest artists. Buy from a specialist gallery where possible – people who dedicate a large portion of their lives to expertise within their field are usually best placed to advise and introduce you the talents on offer. The first piece of contemporary work I purchased was in the late 1970s, a ceramic sculpture by the very famous artist Gordon Baldwin.  He had been my ceramics teacher at school so I had an eye for his work and nowadays I have a large collection of pieces made by him across about forty years.

Renowned for having a very intimate relationship with your artists, you always invite your artists to come to your stands at art fairs such as Masterpiece London, the Pavilion of Art and Design (PAD), and The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. How important is the artist’s input when a new buyer is considering a work?

When I first showed contemporary works of art in antique fairs over twenty-five years ago it became clear how lucky we are as dealers to have wickedly talented and intelligent artists available to meet our clients.  If Rubens were alive today, don’t you think a collector would enjoy talking to him about his work when considering a purchase or commission?  What has changed?  Also, I am a dealer, not a creator of these works of art, so having collectors and curators talking to the real talent is something I have always encouraged.  Friendships are formed through the artists being present and friendships, trust and admiration are key ingredients at many levels of collecting.

Designed By Woulfe has invited Tova Ossad of Ossad Art Management to interview a range of art world personalities. Her fifteen years’ experience working in that sphere has exposed her to many artists, auction specialists, art advisors, conservators, and gallerists, thereby giving the Design Journal fresh insight in the fundamentals of art. This series will explore buying, selling, appreciating, and everything in between.