The South Africa Art and Antiques Fair Jewellery Theft Footage – Cape Town 2012

SAADA THEFT @ FAIR 2012

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The South African Antique Dealers’ Association held its annual Cape fair at Kirstenbosch, from Friday evening 10th Feb through to Sunday 12th Feb. Just before closing on Sunday afternoon at 15:30 two men entered the hall. After wandering around and pretending to shop they targeted one of our members and stole 8 gold rings – all 18 ct and set with diamonds. Total value estimated at between thirteen and twenty thousand pounds. The dealer who was targeted still has to return home in order to get full descriptions of the pieces stolen. As can be seen from the video clip they managed to create a diversion and then struck. We don’t show all the footage here but what is obvious is that they worked the hall and then decided who to target. After spending more than ten minutes on this stand looking through assorted stock they made their first attempt. This was thwarted by a client arriving to collect a purchase. They left and returned constantly until they realized they would have to create a diversion. This they did by asking about the chair that had been sold and moved off the stand. While the dealer tried to answer these questions the other man moves in and lifts the tray containing the rings and casually walks out followed shortly by the other man.

Two years ago we had two smaller thefts at our Johannesburg fair and the SAADA executive committee decided to buy and install a close circuit surveillance system. The cost was fairly affordable – about one thousand eight hundred pounds.

We then have it installed at the fair and the monitor together with the warning signs are placed at the entrance. The thinking behind this is to provide a deterrent to opportunistic theft. It worked well in Johannesburg and we had an incident free fair. We then moved the system to Cape Town and on installing it I wondered if spending a large portion of my day watching the system being put together was really worth all the effort. By Sunday afternoon all I am thinking is “please let it have worked, and maybe we’ll see what really happened”. On Monday once the tech guys had helped download the footage I, with the help of my Laptop and Windows Movie maker, set to work. Having never used this program before I had to learn the hard way. By Wednesday we had the footage we needed.

There were several things to come out of this process. Firstly once the theft took place we needed to know who it was. This clarity helps the trust level not only between the dealers but also with our clients.

Secondly thieves are patient and will strike when the opportunity arises or they will create one if needs be.

Thirdly while security on your stand is your responsibility and the way you lay your stand out is extremely important, when thieves target you they nevertheless can be successful.
Lastly these people knew that the hall was under surveillance and came in anyway. They wore caps which makes identification that much harder. Large bags in future will also not be allowed into the venue.

Once we had this footage we sent it out to everyone in our industry, dealers and auctioneers alike in order to prevent this happening again. We also had a sheet of still photo’s laid out so that it could be printed out and used for recognition in shops and on auction floors.

In sharing this footage with you the dealer concerned hopes to save you that feeling of utter despair and frustration in knowing that the last two months work just went out the door.
If you do recognize these two please contact me at jeremy@saada.co.za

Jeremy Astfalck
Chairman SAADA

www.saada.co.za

 

 

 

Have you seen this man?

Why Asian Art? Part 1

WHY ASIAN ART?

The number of times I have been asked that over the last 30 (or more) years beggars belief.

I would always reply with the same answer: “because its the most exciting region for new art in the world”.

After all these years of dealing in art from Asia, I must say that not once  over that period have I ever changed my opinion.

Asia IS the new world, the new frontier.

But to lump all of the countries and cultures into the broad “Asia” grouping is too simplistic. The culture and history of each country and region in this part of the world is as diverse as Europe. This applies to the artwork of the region as it does to any other facet from this amazing part of the planet.

Just a quick background of my own “art history” may be of some interest before I start. I had been dealing in Australian art since I was at University and had always been attracted to new and innovative artwork. As time moved on, I found more and more that the artwork being produced by many Australian artists was derivative. The great period of the 1940′s and 50′s seemed somewhat distant in terms of originality and excitement. This was not to say that there weren’t some fine and original artworks being produced, there were, but I was being pulled more and more into the new frontier of Asia.

My first experience of what was happening in Asian art came through visiting a number of the very few galleries that were operating at the time in the region.

The artwork displayed was competent, but sometimes lacking in either originality or basing the artwork on more traditional themes. This was particularly true of the art in Thailand where the depiction of the Buddha or the King was the major subject matter.

In Indonesia, it was a different picture, with quite an established artistic heritage, both by local Indonesian and visiting, sometimes settling, European artists, particularly those experiencing Bali in the 1930′s. A haven for artists, much like Tahiti was for Gauguin.

However, in the 1980′s, much of the artwork was being done for the tourist market in Bali, whereas the more “serious” art was being produced in Jogjakarta, mostly for a local clientele.

The Philippines too had a history of many fine artists although much that was being painted was not seen outside of the country.

Malaysia and to a greater degree, Singapore, had some fine established artists, but most catering to local collectors.

Then there is China.

Over the last 30 years, Chinese contemporary art has dwarfed that of the rest of Asia, including India in terms of creativity, volume and pricing. It has been a giant waking.

But this is now changing………..

www.asart.com

Connoisseurship…

On Monday, transiting through the fabled Silicon Valley just to the south, a young man passed us on the motorway in a new silver Porsche. One of my occasional Gestalt moments caused me to say to Keith ‘That’s what the tech types spend their money on.’ Not the deepest of insights, granted, but it’s nonetheless true, and not just for youthful tech millionaires. For anyone who’s out of school and begins to earn big money, the first purchases are expensive cars and expensive homes. That’s what we did, moderated, fortunately, by a little bit of background in collecting that eventually yielded the reasonable degree of connoisseurship that allowed us ultimately to enter the art and antiques trade.

That we had something of a leg up, with exposure in our early lives to art, antiques, and the world of collecting, we nevertheless were decades into our adult lives before the penny really dropped, and we stopped as merely acquisitions and moved toward discernment, a movement, I must say, that continues to this very day and will stretch, I hope, inexorably to the future.

ULTIMATE VISION IS WITHIN

The point of all this is, collecting and connoisseurship, while it can be achieved and fostered, the disposition for it must be arrived at on one’s own, at one’s own pace. The young collector who arrives at our doorstep or who we meet at a fair, by the very fact of his arrival implies he’s predisposed to collect. And, inevitably, the expensive car and expansive home have already been acquired. More often than not, the home with its interior frequently the expression of an interior designer, the young proto-collector finds vapid and seeks, ultimately, to build his own connoisseurship as a comfortable expression of something ineffable that resides within himself. That, of course, is what all of us do. Yes, the ultimate vision is within, but the ability to achieve that inner vision is helped, certainly in my case, by surrounding myself with beautiful objects with which I feel an almost ethereal connection.

All this I say to remind and abstract myself and our business from the focus on youth culture and the sad, pervasive, albeit specious, notion that period material might not be finding favor with the young and wealthy. Fortunately, we found early on as we began to integrate into our inventory 20th century pieces, it was the selfsame collectors who purchased our period material that were buying those darlings of contemporary design, mid-century modern furniture. Moreover, we’ve found that, in our years in business, the age demographic amongst our buyer/collectors has stayed constant. It is not growing younger, but neither is it aging.

WHICH WAY TO EL DORADO ?

I suppose what I mean by this is, the so-called youth market in the art and antiques trade, is our equivalent of the mythical El Dorado. It exists, of course, but not in any way that can be quantified or captured. Marketing has changed, though, with the internet functioning as the virtual fair or gallery, and this, sadly, gives erroneous credence to the notion that it is the young that are out there buying. Bear this in mind, though- my 79 year old mother shops on the internet, and I’d venture to say she’s hardly exceptional.

In the trade, our primary job is to maintain our own connoisseurship and if reinvention is necessary, it should be to the extent that we make ourselves technologically accessible and responsive, and be gracious and welcoming when the younger collector seeks to engage us in developing their connoisseurship.

www.chappellmccullar.com

Copyright © 2012 Michael James Chappell, Chappell & McCullar

DECORATING PARADIGMS, FEAR OF COLOR AND THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

I recently travelled to New York to serve on the vetting committee for The Winter Antiques Show. I had received a “good deal” on a four star, tower style hotel in mid-town and was given quite a spacious room on a high floor. What struck me, in particular, about the room was the “minimalist” decor. Though there was ample room for a nice, over-stuffed and comfortable, traditional sofa in some rich color, none was to be found.

Though the room had nice hardwood floors, the only floor covering was two little scraps of some bland something on either side of the bed. The lone larger lamp, though interesting in scale and design, was difficult to work and hovered over a single, lounge style chair that might have been fine in a dentists’ office but was anything but suitable to sit, relax and read in. There were no drapes, only electronic shades that malfunctioned.

I like open space in a room, but here existed “wasted” space. There was little, if anything, to draw the eye. No warmth; no color; no charm. Clearly, all of the above had been carefully formulated by a designer who was following the minimalist trend. The question is: “Why?”.

Several years ago, we received a call from some clients who wished for us to sell, on commission, some carpets they had purchased from us a decade or so earlier. The home was a New England mansion that was featured in a book on historic homes. The main carpet was a classic, navy field carpet with bold design and saturated color. They had retained a new interior designer and were replacing the antique carpet with Sisal: bland, grass-like stuff that cannot be cleaned. Again, the question is ” Why ? “.

Why would anyone exchange color and charm, items that have been held in high regard for centuries, whether it is period English chairs with beautiful fabric, antique carpets, Chinese Export Porcelain or colorful Delft pottery, why exchange these items for pieces that are frequently disposable and seem to have no character or individuality?

IT’S A NEW PARADIGM

One can posit any number of theories, largely predicated on how cynical one is, but let’s try this as at least part of the equation. Decorating, or interior design, has a new paradigm, and it ain’t pretty in any sense. I cannot think of a minimalist room I would actually like

Personally, but I am willing to concede that there are extremely talented interior designers who can, conceivably, pull it off. From an empirical standpoint, I have never actually seen such a room, but I believe they exist, sort of in the loose way that I believe the Lochness Monster might exist.

Even if some, truly great example of this paradigm exists in the flesh, most rooms done in this style, to invoke Plato, are mere “copies” of the form. So why has this trend become so prevalent?

Much of it has to do with a fear, and misunderstanding, of color. During my New York trip, I found myself on the subway one evening. I had on a bright green sweater. I looked around and realized that I was one of perhaps two or three people wearing any color at all, other than some shade of grey or black. Decor and clothes, nowadays, lack color.

My wife, Helen, says the trend is now, finally, starting to change in clothing design, and that furnishings follow clothing design; but the change cannot come soon enough. The juxtaposition between spending the day at The Winter Antiques Show, surrounded by color and texture and form, and going back to my startlingly characterless hotel room, was remarkable. But people choose to live in homes decorated like that hotel room.

BEIGE, BEIGE, BEIGE & MORE BEIGE

To use color effectively, one must embrace it and try to have shades that “comport” and not “match”. So many rooms now feature beige walls, beige sofas, beige drapes, beige carpets and a black lamp or two. Even when the forms are nice, and they usually are not, there is no warmth and, the protestations of many in the interior design trade noted, it takes little true skill to do this type of room. One needs no understanding of color if you are avoiding color. In the past, interiors featured bright colors and textures all around. Wonderful fabric, great ceramics, colorful paintings, cheerful carpets, all in a harmonious whole. The argument that one wishes to highlight “fine art” by minimizing everything else is tautological.

FOLLOWING THE CROWD

One can emphasize fine art and still have interesting decorative arts all around. It worked in the 18th century and it still works now. They are not mutually exclusive. So how has this trend become so widespread? I would argue that much of it has to do with “the wealth effect”. For all but the most sophisticated and independent thinking people, trends have a profound effect on individuals. And trends follow paradigms. The paradigm of the colorless room, in my mind, exists to make the job of interior designers easier. It makes the job of “cloning” a room more possible and lessens the likelihood of mistakes. But you would not pay your lawyer or doctor a large fee to do what is “easier” for them. The fear of color leads to what could be considered a case of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Essentially, affluent home owners are told it is chic to do a bland room. They might not know any better, so proceed. Their friends look at the situation and say “Well, that is a four million dollar home and I know they hired a decorator”, so they follow suit with the budget version of the room. People end up in beige rooms with uncomfortable seating and impractical lamps, just like my hotel room. But the concomitant impact on the antiques world is profound.

CURRENT PERCEPTIONS

A major reason our industry is suffering is the perception that “brown furniture”, Oriental carpets, fine porcelain and the like are old fashioned and stodgy. We need, collectively, to help people understand that what they have been sold in the minimalist / industrial craze is a case of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Look to the automotive industry for a second.

When was the last time you saw a Pinin Farina designed Ferrari in beige with a beige interior and beige dashboard. Enzo would roll over in his grave. That rolling art embraces not only color but “Contrast” of color. An Aston Martin in British Racing Green with a tan top is a thing of beauty. More importantly, God put color in trees and flowers. Imagine a garden that is all beige. Interiors can be indoor “gardens” if people take the time and effort to work at it.

We in the Art & Antiques field need to be bold in asserting that the trend to minimalism Design and avoidance of color is nonsense. It is not beautiful; it is not interesting; it is just a trend. Let’s stop being steam rolled by the design industry and raise a collective voice that color and ornamentation are beautiful, when well executed, and they lend an aesthetic richness that the current trend can never hope to have.

By Douglas Stock

www.dbstock.com

Eleni Markopoulioti Squares Up in Bermondsey

Alchemy, A Book of Birds, A Rose, and Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer’s Il Mistero delle Cattedrali at White Cube Bermondsey

Anselm Kiefer ‘Il Mistero delle Cattedrali’, South Galleries and 9x9x9, White Cube Bermondsey, London 9 December 2011 – 26 February 2012 © the artist Photo: Ben Westoby Courtesy White Cube

Last Thursday saw the opening of Anselm Kiefer’s Il Mistero delle Cattedrali at White Cube Bermondsey, hosted by the Russian Embassy. The opening was very quiet – there were probably about forty people – but it made the viewing experience all the better. Adding to this was the impromptu private tour of the exhibition by the curator – I had never experienced something like this in a commercial gallery and it made me wonder if I was in a museum.

This was the first time I had attended an event at the newest space of White Cube; the effect is very impressive: multiple gallery rooms, white splashed everywhere, high ceilings with panel lights, as well as an auditorium, an archive, and a bookshop. It seems that Kiefer’s monumental work fits just right in the 11,000 sq ft of space.

This was also my first Kiefer exhibition – I had only seen his work in books which do him no justice. I can confidently say that this is the best show I have seen in London in the past few years. It is an exhibition where the audience gets to experience the workings of a true artist; one who is a powerful maker and who layers his work with meaning. The exhibition presents a group of works that have never been shown to the public before and date from the 80s to the present.

The exhibition is composed of multi-material sculptures, as well as huge sculptural canvases. The underlying theme bringing these works together is an exploration of alchemy with a specific examination of Fulcanelli’s publication on European Gothic Cathedrals and their relationship to the hidden code of alchemy. Each work has an intriguing title that loosely relates to elements of alchemy, such as the philosophers stone or alkahest (a solvent that may dissolve everything). The titles are inscribed by hand in huge letters on the walls of the White Cube. Running alongside this theme is Kiefer’s known investigation of 20^th century Germany and its culture. The actual act of making takes on meaning in Kiefer’s work.  The physicality of producing these huge works; the over-textured surfaces that entice the viewer to go and peel off a layer – don’t do it though! – and the oxidizing liquids, make these works sit between the plain of sculpture and painting.

I was drawn to every work, but the ones that really caught my eye were Sprache der Vögel and Dat Rosa Mile Apibus. The first is a large-scale sculpture set up on a grungy plinth. The sculpture is composed of a number of massive books made out of lead and steel, amongst other materials. Out of these books two huge black wings sprout. Sprache der Vögel is a concept that refers to the language of birds. Fulcanelli noted that this language is the basis for the ‘green language’ of the Freemasons, which in its turn was highly influential in the gothic architecture embedded with the hidden code of alchemy. Knowing such information does make ‘reading’ the work exciting; however, the sculpture has such visual power that it can be appreciated without further explanation.

Dat Rosa Mile Apibus is a huge canvas that is almost 20m long. The work depicts an interior vacant space – Kiefer uses photograph projections in order to get the proper perspective on such large surfaces. The space has a run down quality since he has used an oxidizing substance that eats away the paint layers and leaves a residue. A number of real but dead sunflowers hang off the canvas – Kiefer has said that his practice is influenced by Van Gogh’s body of work. Dat Rosa Mile Apibus means the rose and the bee coupling and is associated with the Rosicrucians, a secret mystic order. The rose stands for the supreme centre and the bees for the devotees who create something new by using ingredients present in the world. This act is symbolized by the rosy cross which harnesses hermetic knowledge and life cycles (life/death, time/eternity). It essentially becomes a philosopher’s stone. As I interpret it, the artwork is looking into the cycle of life and death; the now empty room could once have been filled dancers, while the sunflowers once following the sun (a centre of life) are now dead but still present. Note that Sprache der Vögel is from 1989 while Dat Rosa Mile Apibus is a work that was created last year; an artist can revisit works for a number of years and hold onto them until he feels they have something to say.

This is a very powerful show and I urge everyone to visit. You should keep in mind though, that even if White Cube Bermondsey looks very much like a museum – with its vast space, curatorial input, and educational aspect – it is still a commercial venue.

Eleni Markopoulioti

A Look Back, the 1950’s

It is sometime in the late 1950s and Cecil Beaton comes knocking at the door, or rather in those days, just walking right in.  He probably was here to hopefully do the sets for a Broadway show or for whatever!  He knew Newel and loved being there to play.  And so it was at Newel in those times.

The antiques business was a sideline enterprise compared to the rental side of the business.  Photographers of the best caliber rented from Newel for advertisements and fashion spreads.  At that time, the theater business was thriving and every Playbill noted in the credits, “furniture and furnishing from Newel Art Galleries”.  Having an iconic set designer like Oliver Smith having a free hand in designing period and theatrical Broadway sets from Newel must have been the envy of every interior designer.  Ok, have a ball designing “My Fair Lady”.

Window display back then wasn’t too shabby either.  If you ever walked over to Tiffany’s and checked out Gene Moore’s window displays you probably would just sigh at the site.  If you wanted to see Newel in a full blown presentation, Saks Fifth Ave, across the street from Rockefeller Center, would surely be there to catch some attention.  One favorite that I got to see at the very end of their existence was the venerable Cavanaugh windows on 57th Street.

SHOW BUSINESS

With Broadway the rage, and photographers and window display in full gear, nothing could have prepared Newel for the beginning of the age of TV.  At that time it is hard to imagine that all the production was LIVE; no second takes for dramas, and any theatrical production.  It’s almost like the original You Tube.  But the demand for supplying these live TV productions required sets on a weekly basis.  This was pretty consistent and not at the whim of a Broadway audience.  Today we have a great rental business, but on the scale of the 1950’s, no way.

TV Production in New York City has had its ups and downs over the last 40 years, but nothing like that time period.  However it would be the resurgence of the movie industry in New York that would later fill the gap.  Movies were infrequently shot in New York in the 1950s and studios like Astoria in Queens that were employed by the Army in World War II lost their usefulness. The most unique aspect of Newel during that time was the uncanny problem of always having a sign in the window “taking inventory”.  How does that invite a customer to come in?  Maybe my grandfather was shrewder that I thought, using reverse psychology; I don’t think so.  The rental business was too good to pass up and all he had to do was just buy, buy, buy, merchandise.  Selling was more difficult; with the rental it went right back in the same space and if you sold, what do you do? (Just kidding)   But Newel did sell.

When Newel did sell, it was to someone who knew how to get in.  The doors to the store were never locked and always open, with wrought iron furniture placed on the sidewalk every day. If Cecil Beaton could just walk in, well I guess Babe Paley could do the same.  He did sets for Broadway etc, her husband owned CBS, a pretty good TV client at the time.  Funny too, they seemed to be in the same social world, both at the top of any list for taste and style.

THE TASTEMAKERS

Billy Baldwin and his coterie of tastemakers had the only combination that worked to get in.  However, the neighborhood didn’t lack for good locals either.  Around the corner was Jimmy Amster, of “Amster Yard” who I remember most for introducing me to Biedermeier in 1969. As a society designer, Jimmy who also designed Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria, was a classic and appreciated everything.  His residence at the Yard was memorable.

Of course there was Katherine Hepburn who came in frequently and so did Rita Hayworth too, and the truth be told, she scratched her leg on a table.  This was Rita Hayworth, whose legs were insured by Lloyd’s of London for $1 million dollars.  As I remember hearing it, my grandparents saw the business going down the tubes! Not to be, she laughed about it and said no big deal.  The 1950s were different times !

By Lewis Baer

www.newel.com

Building a Jensen Service

Building a Jensen Service:

 The easiest way to obtain a service of Jensen cutlery is of course to buy a large or complete set. However, this is an expensive undertaking, and building a canteen yourself provides an enjoyable alternative (although in the long run, probably more expensive than buying a service in one go).

Jensen cutlery was made in large quantities, and many Patterns were made for long enough periods to make them quite plentiful. For those of us who live in the UK, Germany, USA or Scandinavia Jensen cutlery is far from rare. Having said that, some patterns were not popular at the time of production, or only ran for very short times.

CHOICES FOR THE COLLECTOR

Acorn, Acanthus, Cactus or Pyramid would all be good choices for the collector who wishes to build a reasonably sized service in a relatively short space of time. All of these patterns have been in production for many years and were popular enough that they are readily seen. I would say that these four patterns account for around 50% or more of the Jensen cutlery in the Market place. With the exception of Acanthus these patterns are also all available new.

Next, Continental, Lily of the Valley, bead, Bernadotte or Old Danish would provide more of a challenge but would prove possible eventually. Again, all of these patterns are available to buy new. Of course the more extensive a service one wishes to own the harder it will be to acquire the correct pieces in these patterns unless one resorts to new. All other patterns would be best acquired as a set for all but the most patient and persistent collector, unless only a very small quantity was required.

Spoons and flatware in general are ideal collectors’ items. This is as true of Jensen as anything else. With a few exceptions basic pieces of Jensen flatware can be obtained for under a hundred pounds a piece, and so it is affordable and relatively easy to obtain a piece of work by a very respected designer. Indeed, I have tried to show that Jensen flatware is representative of the general trends of 20th century design. There are excellent examples of the Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Post War functionalism and mid-century modernism. Many of the designs are iconic and considered design classics. Some of the greatest designers of the 20th century worked for Georg Jensen at one time or another, and so a collection of Jensen flatware would represent such greats as Jensen himself, Johan Rohde, Harald Nilsen and Henning Köppel.

JENSEN FLATWARE WORKS

Above all else though, in my opinion, Jensen flatware has one overriding and impressive characteristic: it works.

Those of us in love with British flatware are spoilt. We are used to the fact that almost every design from early times to the present is made with use in mind- well balanced, fits nicely in the hand and is designed with use in mind.

The same is not always true of Continental flatware where too often function is the slave of form, or quality is the slave of cost. Jensen flatware however, feels good in the hand, is beautifully made and designed for use as much as for aesthetics.

It is little wonder then, that the flatware of Georg Jensen is so widely respected, collected and above all else, used.

www.jamesbaldwinantiques.com

‘CUT’ @ The Bernhard Knaus Gallery

Harald Kröner (*1962) who lives and works in Pforzheim, Germany.

Kröner presents new large format coloured ink drawings from his series ‘Cut’ along with a group of much smaller works titled Schnittzeichnungen (sectional drawings).

Although different in size and appearance – the theme of ‘cutting’ unites both bodies of work. Like the editing process in filmmaking, ‘cut’, is used to generate ‘footage’-like material to be used later and determines what will eventually be seen or not.

Kröner’s starting point are two painted sheets of paper: A large backdrop within which a semi-transparent sheet is cut into strips and reversed so both painted sides face one another.

The mirrored painted sides generate a form of osmosis which challenges the artist to discover a new balance between chance and control. Who can know if beauty will (re)appear between the poles of chaos and order.

The process allows for little forethought and the results unpredictable – it’s impossible for the artist to envisage what the semi-transparent sheet will produce once flipped. The pieces represent disruption, disorder and chaos that develop into more complex alignments. Kröner is interested in outwitting foresight and challenging the viewer’s perception.

In comparison to the series `Cut´ the small sectional drawings are austere. Most of the pieces contain a single horizontal red line that has been manifolded and subdued by cuts, flips and overlapping. The pieces evoke a desire to look below the surface, to explore with the eyes – to lift the veil. Despite the ostensible simplicity they keep their secret as accomplished visual poems.

CUT with new works on paper by HARALD KROENER on view until March 24th at the Bernhard Knaus Gallery

www.bernhardknaus-art.de

Images with the kind permission of Bernhard Knaus & Luigi Kurmann

Art vs Inflation

The current global economy has been experiencing unprecedented challenges. One of pressing challenges is necessity to somehow avoid a global economic slowdown.

Some countries, notable the United States of America, China and England, have embarked on economic stimulus measures to spur growth. They have chosen to go down the quantitative easing route, and print money as a way of stimulating growth in their economies. Quantitative easing offers some form of short-term relief but in the longer-term, it can cause serious repercussions. The end result of printing money is inflation.

The effects of inflation include the eroding of the values in terms of currency and price instability. This is caused by money supply growing at a faster rate than that of the potential output of the economy. Printing money does nothing to increase real out-put, the real GDP. It is a basic economic paradox; you can’t get richer by printing more money.

Today the global economy is experiencing unprecedented fresh money supply that’s being pumped into the global economy. According to Richard Duncan the chief economist at Blackhorse asset management ”China is the king of quantitative easing’ ‘Richard Duncan says ”China has been creating about US$250 billion worth of Yuan each year out of thin air”. That might explain why China has been very active in the art market of late.

The major push factors in the art market are economic uncertainties by wealthy investors. Most seasoned investors have seen ”the writing on the wall” and have become more pro-active by investing in art, instead of waiting for the economic storm to set in and watch their wealth erode in value. Historically art has been one of the best hedges against inflation.

Art has advantages over other types of alternative investments, in that it is less volatile, being  considered by most as a long-term investment where a positive return is  gained, long after any economic storm is over.

Today, art  can be used as collateral as a number of financial institutions in  developed nations now view art as an asset, and have come up with innovative art related financial products. Hence the old argument that art is an ‘illiquid asset’ is now a thing of the past.

One institution that dared to go against the grain, by investing in art as a hedge against inflation in 1974 was the British rail pension fund. Fund managers invested 40 million pounds or 2.5% of its portfolio into art and achieved an annual compound return of 11.3%. If one wishes to beat inflation by investing in art one should look for rarity, quality and uniqueness in their choice of artworks. Scarcity creates demand and value, surplus does the opposite.

Today art collectors and investors are spoiled for choice. From Old Masters to unique art-forms from emerging nations, from conceptual art, to video installations. Ultimately, what is of great importance, is the buyers taste and preference. One should collect what one likes, as long it’s rare, unique and of excellent quality. Art is a passion investment and should satisfy your taste.

www.takuragallery.com

ARTIST RESALE RIGHT Q’s & A’s – DROITE DE SUITE

Artist’s Resale Right Q&A

On 1 January 2012 the UK’s Artist’s Resale Right was fully implemented to include artists’ families and beneficiaries. In addition, the Regulations were amended, changing the rules which set out when a royalty arises.

Art dealers and gallery owners naturally have many questions about these changes. DACS (the Design and Artists Copyright Society) is one of two collecting societies which manages

the Right on behalf of artists and their beneficiaries and we have been invited to respond to your questions about the operation of the resale right.

Established for 28 years, DACS is a not-for-profit rights management organisation for visual artists. We represent over 60,000 artists from the UK and around the world. We offer three rights management services to artists: Payback, Copyright Licensing and the Artist’s Resale Right. You can find out more about what we do and how we are governed at www.dacs.org.uk

Please note that our responses to your questions should not be regarded as constituting legal or other advice and should not be relied upon as such. In relation to any particular problem that you may have, you are advised to seek specific and specialist advice.

It’s most likely to be me, Tania Spriggens, responding to your question. I’m the Director of Communications at DACS, and have worked here for over seven years. Where I can’t answer your question directly, I’ll be relying on our four experts in the Artist’s Resale Right team. Please note that questions will be answered during UK office hours.

I understand that the Artist’s Resale Right has attracted strong views from all sides of the debate. However, now the legal framework is in place, I want to use this forum to address questions you may have about the practicalities of the Right, rather than discuss the arguments for and against. Please keep this in mind when you prepare your questions as those seeking to re-open a debate will not be responded to.

Please post your questions below and we will do our best to answer them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tania Spriggens Director of Communications

Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS)

T: +44 (0)20 7553 9052
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www.dacs.org.uk

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Art, Antiques and Design Blog

Dealers Behaving Badly – The Do’s and Don’ts at Art and Antiques Fairs

Dealer Behavior at Art and Antique Shows

Recently I wrote an article about the behavior and manners of the public at antique shows.  I take this opportunity to present some first hand knowledge about the behavior of a dealer as well. There a several phases of an art and antique show or fair beginning with set up and ending with the break down for the show. What falls in between is quite interesting and often disturbing.

Set Up

1. There are usually specific times for your set up. Ignoring those times and pushing yourself ahead of others or having your truck ahead of the trucks who should be ahead of you is the most selfish behavior.

2. Borrowing at a show from other dealers is common and we all do not mind sharing when someone forgets their ladder, the glass cleaner, paper towels among other things. What is most irritating is not asking a dealer and Breaking and Entering a booth to “borrow” when a dealer is not in their booth. How horrible to come back the next day and find a ladder “borrowed” and never seen again. Or more irritating when this activity is done in your presence with your permission and the ladder or object lent never gets returned without a confrontation. Why are some dealers so special?

3. Comrades at dinner. It is always fun to go out as a group and have a bit of fun during a show. We are all on budgets even during the good times we all watched our show expenses. There always seems to be a mooch at every show and believe me these mooches are well known. Now the mooch always manages to invite his/her self among a group and sit with hands glued to the lap when the bill comes. Now the most common mooch I know is a female mooch who is well known for this activity and she loves the best places. Remember the saying burn me once shame on you and burn me twice shame on me. I have been burned twice so the mooch no longer will have my company anywhere.

4. Being rude and demanding to the show staff is outrageous. If you find yourself without the proper electrical equipment (happens often), the booth is not completely built out, your sign seems to never come and so on it does not pay off to have tantrums to a staff member. Calmly find out how it happened and determine how long it will take to fix the problem. Threats and grumbling are not the right course of action. Remember, you are being graded mentally by the staff and if you are too much trouble (or unreasonable) you will not be asked back. Believe me, the people in charge are not trying to deliberately make you mad.

5. Please tip the helpers who huff and puff with your load of inventory. These temporary workers are breaking their backs for you and a kind word along with a reward at the end is appreciated.

Vetting

1. If the vetting rules ask you to leave the booth please abide by those rules so the vetters may be comfortable without you hovering waiting to pick a fight is something is found wrong.

2. If you are a vetter please do not practice the “initiation gimmick” by trying to find something or anything in a competitors’ booth just to get even or teach them who is boss. I have seen this nasty practice way too much when a show is vetted by other dealers participating in the show.

3. Do not penalize a dealer just because the “bully” of the committee is trying to have something, you know in your own heart is right, thrown off the floor. The herd mentality is not fair at this point. Speak up and prove why you feel that a piece is good and save the exhibitor the anguish.

4. If you are left with a notice to remove something or alter the language of your description you have a right to an appeal. You do not have the right to a major fight. Get your facts together and appeal like a lady or a gentleman. If you are still asked to do what the vetters say then remove the piece or change the description. You can certainly call in an expert/experts during the show and try to negotiate something. (Only in the case where you are almost 100 percent certain you are correct) Name calling and arguments are bad for the trade and in the end make for bad feelings on the floor.

Show time

1. Be on time in your booth.

2. Stay in or nearby your booth to see the traffic coming and going. Always greet the person or persons entering your booth.

3. Standing in front of another dealer’s booth watching the sales or eyeing what is going on with a mad face is being a spoiled sport.

4. Fairs are long and we often need to sit down. If a bench is provided in front of your booth by all means use that instead of sitting in the booth. If not, then sit in the booth to rest your feet but when a person walks in be sure to stand and greet them.

5. Always greet everyone that walks in the booth. Sitting there reading, eating or talking to another dealer is unacceptable as long as anyone is in the booth.

6. I personally do not like to see people eat in a booth. Most shows have a dealer lounge or a lunch area. Have a staff member of the show watch your booth while you eat.

7. Do not judge a potential client by the clothes they are wearing. I was exhibiting at Palm Beach! America’s International Fine Art And Antiques Fair several years ago and a very nice couple entered my booth dressed in jeans. They were a bit older and looked like they were the type of people just enjoying the day looking around except they were not. They were on a mission to find a nice French commode. A very “important” French dealer told them he did not have anything they could afford. They told me this after I kindly took the time to answer a few questions for them as I would anyone interested in my things. They not only bought a commode in the booth but a couple of paintings and some jewelry from other dealers.  “Ordinary people?” no way!

8. Attire at a show has always been a pet peeve with me. I feel out of respect for ourselves as dealers we should look as professional as possible. Coats and ties for the men and dresses, pantsuits or suits for the ladies. Shoes are another subject and can certainly be comfortable but never sloppy. If the show is a casual relaxed summer show that is another situation however at the big shows or fairs please dress accordingly. Ladies, please do not wear revealing clothes.

9. Never chew gum in your booth.

10. The booth is not the place to polish fingernails, put on all your makeup, put in contact lenses or any other act best preformed in the ladies room.

11. It is so rude to stand in front of another dealer’s booth with a client just to have conversation about what is in the booth. I have always felt that when this happens there is a motive. If the dealer is kind enough to bring the person in to meet you then that is fine.

12. We all love our Interior design clients, many of them place our things in lovely homes and we are most grateful. It is ridiculous to chase a designer around the floor of a show and/or pull them out of another booth away from a dealer.

13. If a designer is engaged with a dealer in another both, NEVER interrupt the conversation to make your presence known and say “come see me I am in booth number so and so”. You have just entered a home uninvited and interrupted a guest!

I had the pleasure of visiting with Mario Buatta for about 30 minutes at The Spring Show NYC last April. No sale was being transacted. We were sitting around a table where he was offered a cold drink of water, resting his feet and talking with us in general. He was there as a friendly acquaintance. We were interrupted three times by three different dealers in order to make their presence known. We laughed about this behavior.

14. NEVER interrupt a dealer when they are in a presentation or talking to a potential client in their booth. If the person is someone you know and they have bought from you stay in your booth and wait for them. Do not stand and stalk the dealer’s booth in order to get the person’s attention.  I have had this happen many times and by people I know and love and it has disgusted me. They have literally taken a person by the arm while saying something like “I want to show you MY things” or “I have something I would like to show you.” The person usually leaves never to be seen again. There are actually a few dealers I have become aware of who do this sort of thing and they may not realize it but they are not going to get by with this forever.

The End of the Show and Packing Up

1. Many of the rules for setting up apply here mainly remember to be kind to your neighbor. Return anything borrowed from your fellow dealers or staff.

2. Do not begin to pack up before the show has closed. This is rude to anyone left on the floor particularly if your neighbor is closing a deal. It is most distracting and a potential buyer may be looking for an easy out. Do not let your eagerness give anyone the idea that they have to go now. I was closing a huge deal at The Fall International Fine Art and Antiques Fair held in New York in 2008 with a designer who was present and her client whom I knew on the phone. The show had closed and not only did Anna Haughton instruct the fair staff not to even touch the carpet in the aisles she stood there as an assurance to my designer and to me to allow the transaction to take place. We were “guarded” if you will as if nothing was going on around us. Not all fair organizers will do this sort of thing so be on your toes and be aware if your neighbor is selling.

3. Wait your turn for leaving applies as arriving.

These are just a few of the many things dealers can do to both annoy each other, the staff and the show attendees. The most important thing to remember is that we should all make for a pleasant and welcoming environment to the public. If the people attending are there for an outing so be it. We are the entertainment and we will never know when someone from a crowd from years before will return because we were kind and helpful to actually make a purchase.

www.maryhelenmccoy.com