4 takeaways from ‘Why Art is More Than Something to Hang on Your Wall’
On Tuesday night we occupied The House of St Barnabas’ beautiful chapel to discuss why art and craft matters.
The panel included Tim Sayer, a long-standing collector who has donated his entire collection to Hepworth Wakefield, interior designer and art consultant Virginia White, and interior ‘shaman’, curator, and gallerist Marc Peridis of 19 Greek Street.
The lively and diverse discussion was chaired by our very own Mary-Alice Stack to mark the occasion of The House of St Barnabas’ recent arrival onto the Own Art scheme. As a member gallery, The House of St Barnabas now offer Own Art as a payment option for works available for purchase in The Collective: A contemporary art programme creating opportunities for emerging artists to exhibit alongside names such as Peter Blake and David Shrigley.
We are particularly excited about our partnership with The House of St Barnabas because of the charity’s pledge to break the cycle of homeless and social exclusion.
Missed it? Here are four wise and informative takeaways from the discussion:
- Never collect for a “name”. Collect because you love it
“Never buy for a name – forget that”, advised Tim Sayer. The infamous collector and former BBC news writer started his collection with a piece that cost 10 shillings and has since never bought anything over £7,000.
His house is filled with works that have amassed huge price tags, but he’d never sell them on. For Sayer, art is not an investment but an opportunity to surround yourself with pieces that you love.
- In your home, art doesn’t have to be secondary to interior
“I make my interior work for the art, not the other way round”, shared Virginia White, an interior designer and art consultant formerly of the Guggenheim and Sotheby’s. She works with a range of clients to create the perfect surroundings for a piece that someone loves. For Virginia, art is not an afterthought. It’s the main event.
- Limited editions are a great way to start a collection
A limited edition artwork means that there will only ever be a certain number of copies – normally prints – produced, and once they are sold, there won’t be any more available. Own Art is proud to facilitate the purchase of eligible limited edition works at The House of St Barnabas and our other member galleries.
They’re a great way to start a collection. We particularly love Peter Blake’s St Barnabas, pictured above. It’s a limited edition of 100, priced at £250 as part of The Collective. That’s only £25 a month using Own Art!
- Design, art and spirituality go hand in hand
“Artists are shamans of the future”, said visionary designer and the brain behind 19 Greek Street, Marc Peridis. For Marc, art is not a stagnant object to hang on your wall, but a powerful force that can influence energy and behaviour.
Check out all works for sale in The Collective here. For more information about using Own Art to purchase a piece of work at The House of St Barnabas get in touch with Katie at art@hosb.org.uk.