Associate Specialist and Head of Online Sales, Europe, Charlotte Gibbs
1. Online Auctions – My Top Picks
Eddie Martinez Bay Area, 2016. Estimate: £80,000-120,000. Offered in Desktop.
I have been working on our series of London online auctions, the first of which, Desktop, is now live and open for bidding. We are privileged to be offering some top works in Desktop and our next auction, Hard-Edged, by leading contemporary artists and master makers such as Jean Prouvé, Wolfgang Tillmans, Elizabeth Peyton and Josef Albers. For me, our monumental canvas by Eddie Martinez, Bay Area, is a top lot across the board. The huge expanse of cornflower blue conjures the light and sea breeze of a coastline, which reminds me of my parent’s house at the seaside – somewhere I am really missing at the moment! Also, as a Chinati-nerd, the two Judd works, Standing Writing Desk #40 and A Set of Four Chairs #84, are some of my favorite furniture pieces in the sale.
2. Those Podcasts You Have Been Meaning To Play
Katy Hessel, curator and art historian behind the Great Women Artists Instagram account, launched an amazing series of podcasts, calling on some of the most influential women in the art world to talk about women artists. Frances Morris discusses Agnes Martin, Iwona Blazwick delves into Anna Maria Maiolino’s practice and Chantal Joffe shares a fascinating insight into Charlotte Salomon's story. It’s a fantastic source of information and truly inspiring to hear the background behind the artists’ wonderful work.
3. Listening to music – loud!
When I am in our open-plan office at Berkeley Square, I tend not to listen to music as I am continually talking to my colleagues or clients. But at home, I am able to listen to whatever I want really loud. While working on the Desktop sale, I put together a playlist to get energized in the mornings – I hope you enjoy it!
4. Rediscovering Old Books
While we have more time in the house, it’s been a good opportunity to take books off the shelf that ordinarily I do not have the time to read. One of my favorites is Private View: The Lively World of British Art, from 1965, by critic John Russell and curator Bryan Robertson. The book looks at how London became a central city in the art world and features photography from Lord Snowdon. His images show artists working in their studio and at contemporary exhibitions, but also capture them relaxed in their own home and with their family. We see Frank Bowling taking his son up to bed, Lynn Chadwick at lunch and Barbara Hepworth going for a walk on the foreshore at St Ives.
5. Grow Your Own
I am quite green-fingered and am now spending less time on the tube and more time in the garden, which we are very lucky to have. During the lockdown, I have planted a lot of seeds and it’s been really satisfying watching them grow into little plants. On the weekends, you can usually find me covered in soil and in the sunshine.