M A K E
I T
U P
Bespoke commissions are an exciting way to buy craft. Here the director of Collect 2019 offers some advice Words I S O B E L D E N N I S FA I R D I R E C TO R , C O L L E C T 2 0 1 9
Vessels by Zhenpeng Fang, China Design Centre, £1,400
24
T
he detail and skill in Katie Spragg’s ceramic sculptures can conjure memories and sensations of the wilderness of summer meadows in the warm afternoon sunshine. Her beautifully formed blades of grass and wheat pushing through rocks and stone are evocative depictions of the natural world. To commission a piece from Spragg would be a powerful way to keep or relive a memory or moment. “I’m interested in how you can represent a place through an object,” she says, “and I’m seeking to evoke feelings and memories we associate with special places.” Collect 2019, The International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design returns to the Saatchi Gallery for its 15th edition 28 February – 3 March 2019. The gallery-presented fair dedicated to modern craft and design, provides an opportunity to invest in exceptional work and commission to order.
Ceramicist Katie Spragg, who is represented by gallerist Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections, is just one of the many artists exhibiting at Collect and she welcomes personal commissions (from £650). Commissions are a key part of Collect and it’s an area that has grown exponentially. The boundaries between craft and art have heated up more than ever with impressive price tags for Craft – a bowl by Lucie Rie, Austrian-born British potter sold for $212,000 - five times its estimate at Phillips New York recently and galleries are increasingly curating craft in a fineart way. Craft is a movement, not a moment. Commissioning is one of the most exciting ways to buy into craft but it’s a two-way process for the artist and client. It’s the larger pieces that are often proving most popular with bespoke clients. As a result of Collect 2018, interior architect Liaigre commissioned an installation for its Mayfair store from South London-based Brazilian artist Valeria Nascimento via UK gallery Jaggedart. Entitled ‘Rainforest’, the installation consists of thou-
FEBRUARY 2019 HOME
HOME_Jan19_COLLECTIONS.indd 24
25/01/2019 12:01
