This week we were thrilled to welcome Sadie Coles, parent, art dealer and gallerist, to Harrodian. She gave a fascinating talk about her career in the art world and her experience of founding Sadie Coles HQ, a contemporary art gallery in Central London twenty years ago. She mentioned the very different roles that a gallerist and art dealer plays in his/her relationship with the artist: therapist, confidant, financial advisor, agent, publicist, critic and highlighted how good communication skills are an essential part of her job. Sixth Form art students in the audience were also pleased to hear about the numerous opportunities available to them if aspiring to a career in the arts in London, the second largest art market in the world. It was encouraging to hear, that despite not ‘being good enough’ as an artist, Sadie did not have to give up her dream of working in the arts but instead discovered a plethora of possible career options that included, amongst others, working as a primary or secondary art dealer, in an auction house, as a private collector, a critic, a curator, for an art publication, a gallery, or art fair organiser. She took questions from the audience on a variety of topics that covered the role of technology in art with virtual reality, artificial intelligence, digital media becoming more prominent, the economics of pricing artwork and the ensuing negotiations with artists, the internet and how it has made art more accessible, and the influence of politics on art. When asked who her favourite artist was, she was very careful not to try and choose between the 47 talented artists she represents but instead chose to pay tribute to Jeff Koon’s Puppy Flower Sculpture.
