Surrey Homes | SH23 | September 2016 | Education supplement inside

Art for art’s sake
There’s something very special about owning - and acquiring - an original work of art.
Maggie Alderson asks three galleries to share some of their stories
The only paintings I’ve ever regretted are the ones I
didn’t buy. I’m haunted by them. Why was I ‘sensible’?
The art buying bug bit me when I was in my early
20s and went to a private view with a friend (mainly for the
free wine and crisps and romantic possibilities...) and was
captivated by a small picture of what appeared to be a small
slipper – or was it a boat? – sailing across a rug. Or was it a sea?
There was just something about it I found fascinating; a
wistful poetic quality, hugely enhanced by being able to see
the changes in texture where the artist’s hand had touched
it, layering and scraping away the paint. The mass-produced
posters decorating the walls of my shared-house bedroom just
didn’t give me that feeling.
The gallerist noticed my multiple visits to the picture and
came over with the price list. My first reaction was to feel a bit
embarrassed, but without being at all pushy or hard sell, she
explained that if I really wanted the painting I could pay half
then and the rest monthly, at £5. The red dot went on.
I still love that painting and every time I lean in for a closer
look, I’m reminded of the special energy that vibrates out of
original art works. Somehow the intense relationship the artist
had with that piece of wood, canvas or clay, during the work’s
creation, seems to remain embedded within it.
Nothing in reproduction comes near it – which is why in the
years since, that small picture has been joined on my now very
overcrowded walls by a plethora of other original art works.
Which made me wonder - is this journey from accidental
first-time buyer to compulsive art collector normal? I asked
three gallerists to share their experiences of new collectors and
advice for those interested - but nervous - to take the plunge.
Sue McAllister of McAllister Thomas Fine Art
“People seem to think they can’t enter a gallery like they do any
other high street shop. I think they believe there’s some kind
of mysteriousness to it and are worried to feel out of place.
Believe me, art dealers don’t worry what you look like and
they appreciate people asking questions about the works. All
collectors have to start somewhere and very few of them know
what they want when they start. It’s a learning curve and should
be enjoyable. Attending Private Views is always good as you get
an insight into the artist’s inspiration.
It took absolutely ages to buy my first piece of art, but having
listened to a lot of dealers I knew it had to be an original piece
and - more importantly - it had to stir my senses.
In the end it was by an artist called Fred Yates, a naïve painter
who in his early days swapped works for a pair of shoes or a
meal. The work was an impasto piece (thick heavy layers of oils)
of a family climbing a mountain ridge in France.
As well as the painting itself, I loved that it still had Fred’s
finger marks all over the back of the canvas, it’s as if he was still
All Or Nothing by Toni Cogdell at McAllister Thomas
part of the piece. A few years later Fred Yates featured on the
BBC Antiques Roadshow.
Once they’ve bought one piece, virtually all of our customers
come back and make repeat purchases, but it’s seeing the
excitement on a client’s face after they have bought their first
original painting that sits in the memory - after all, they have
something that nobody else can possibly have…
Whilst it is always good to diversify, some clients fall in love
with a particular artist. A couple of years back new clients
bought a David Atkins landscape from the gallery, for around
£2,800 and then proceeded to tell us that they had collected his
work from the times when paintings were selling for £600. They
still collect his work and now their sons and daughters do too.
Buying art solely in search of financial return is missing
the point to an extent, although it can be a good investment.
Most of our customers by for love, it’s only years later that they
can be happily surprised by how a particular artist’s work has
appreciated.”
McAllister Thomas exhibits original contemporary works
by exciting emerging and established UK and international
artists. Private Views attended by the artist are held for all solo
exhibitions and selected group shows. The gallery has now
been established for ten years, increasing in size and reputation
during that time. Clients range from individuals to corporate
buyers nationwide and internationally.
McAllister Thomas Fine Art, 117 High Street, Godalming,
Surrey mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk GU7 1AQ 01483 860591
or 07828 444178 Open Monday – Saturday 10 - 5, closed
Wednesday. Sunday 11 - 4.
103 wealdentimes.co.uk