GARY RHODES Star Gazing - Mayfair Times

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14 art MAIN PICTURE: JULIAN AGNEW WITH ALAN DAVIE’S OPUS 0.238 CRAB CREATION TOP: MARIO TESTINO’S KATE MOSS 2005 Old Masters, new direction “The relevance of today and tomorrow is far stronger than of yesterday,” says Julian Agnew, chairman of Old Bond Street gallery Agnew’s. This may come as somewhat surprising given Agnew’s reputation as one of the world’s leading dealers in Old Masters and 20th century British art. While its inventory does extend to the present day; Agnew's is certainly known more for its affiliation to Turner than to Testino. However, if its latest show is anything to go by, Agnew’s – which this year celebrates 190 years as an art dealer and 130 in Old Bond Street – is indeed Looking Forward rather than back. Established in Manchester in 1817, the gallery started out as a partnership between Thomas Agnew, then 23, and Vittore Zanetti. The business began as a mixture of an Old Masters dealership, a print seller and a maker of scientific instruments. AGNEW’S IS CELEBRATING 190 YEARS AS AN ART DEALER AND 130 YEARS ON OLD BOND STREET WITH AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY ART. CHAIRMAN JULIAN AGNEW TELLS SOPHIE BISHOP WHY IT’S ALL ABOUT LOOKING FORWARD AND CELEBRATING THE FUTURE, RATHER THAN GLORIFYING THE PAST However, within 50 years it had developed into a radically new business that was based on “the transfer of art patronage from the dead to the living”. Bolstered by demand from the ever growing group of new collectors made rich from the Industrial Revolution, Thomas Agnew and his sons moved to London in the 1860s and set about selling British contemporary art, including masters such as J M W Turner. Fast forward 190 years and Turner remains closely associated with Agnew’s and the gallery is still a leading dealer in his works. However, within that timeframe, the gallery has also branched out into other genres; its inventory now runs the gambit from Old Masters to contemporary painting, with a particular focus on early 20th century British art. It’s a huge scope of genres to have under one roof but, according to Julian, that’s “half of the fun of it”.
16 art ABOVE: JULIAN AGNEW WITH SIR PETER BLAKE’S 3D 6D 9D 1/– RIGHT: SAM TAYLOR-WOOD’S IVAN 2004 Julian Agnew is the sixth generation of the Agnew family to head the gallery; he joined the family business in 1965, aged just 22. “It was always felt that I would be the one who came into the business, even though I had an older brother,” says Julian. “I think from the age of 15 or 16, it was fairly clear that that’s what I wanted to do. Forty two years later, here I am.” During his tenure as chairman of Agnew’s, he has been strongly involved in the buying and curating side of business and was also responsible for knocking down what was perhaps the most intimidating entrance to a gallery ever to exist. “You did see people walking down, sticking their noses against the door, turning around quickly and beetling off into the distance,” says Julian. “There really are no barriers for most artists between one [media] and another. And while we haven’t actually shown a video or anything like that yet, no doubt the day will come” The long entrance arcade, which had been built by his ancestors more than 130 years ago, was knocked down eight years ago and the front turned into an airy gallery space. The change, says Julian, “has made a huge difference”. Agnew’s identity has also had a slight revamp over the years, thanks partly to Julian’s daughter, Gina, who curated the contemporary anniversary exhibition, Looking Forward. The two-month show brings together 30 contemporary British artists. These range from established Agnew's names (Andrew Gadd, David Inshaw and John Wonnacott); major names from British contemporary art (Peter Blake, Frank Auerbach, David Hockney), and emerging artists new to Agnew’s (Sarah Chalmers, John Holden and John Kelly). Sculpture by Tim Pomeroy and Anthony Caro and contemporary photography by Sam Taylor-Wood and Mario Testino is also on show. Contemporary photography is an entirely new field for Agnew’s although the gallery is certainly no stranger to the media, having commissioned Roger Fenton to cover the Crimean war in the 19th century. “I think nowadays, you can’t talk about particular media because there really are no barriers for most artists between one thing and another,” says Julian. “And while we haven’t actually shown a video or anything like that yet, no doubt the day will come.” Julian admits that the newly-honed focus on modern and contemporary art is as much one of necessity as choice, given the current craze for all things contemporary, coupled with the lack of quality Old Master works on the market. However, duty aside, he also appears to be rather enjoying it. “Part of the fun for me is looking at new things and getting to know new things, new artists. One is always looking for something or someone that's new and is good and perhaps neglected or underpriced and then, in that way, you can contribute to the market and edge on the creative process.”
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