The Art Newspaper

Slow Start for London Art Fair

But sales pick up pace over the weekend

By Viv Lawes. Web only
Published online: 20 January 2010

london. The effects of the recession were palpable at the 22nd London Art Fair at Islington’s Business Design Centre, north London (13-17 January). Despite footfall on the opening day and night matching last year—with more than 3,700 visitors passing through the door—dealers reported a tentative start to the fair on the second day.

Of the 116 galleries, showing contemporary and British modern art, 86% were returning from 2009. “Work is selling, but people are taking their time,” said London dealer Rebecca Hossack. “It was a frenzy in 2009 with four of us on the stand, but right now I’m writing a lecture that I’m due to give at the Royal Geographical Society. I couldn’t have done that last year.”

According to the latest figures, the British economy sunk by 4.8% in 2009, the country’s biggest contraction since 1921, though the final quarter of 2009 saw a small upturn. This translated in real terms to lower price points at the fair. Accessibility has always been a point of principle in the curated Art Projects section—which has expanded and moved to a new space at the fair—but this year prices started as low as £25 for prints at London’s Bearspace gallery, one of the 25 Art Projects participants. Realistic pricing was not confined to the upper reaches of the hall, however: London’s Wilson Stephens Fine Art on the mezzanine level had a wall devoted to linocuts, with a profusion of red dots on several by British artist Hugo Guinness, all of which were priced at £260.

Among the larger galleries, first day sales fell in small handfuls, with many reporting sales of three to five works in the £2,000-£25,000 bracket. One exception to this price range was British artist John Piper’s rare early gouache and collage Still Life, 1933, which sold from London dealer Offer Waterman’s stand with an asking price of £55,000. Three other works sold between £16,000 and £28,000, the latter for a portrait by rising London star Diarmuid Kelley. Waterman also had a double reserve on British artist William Scott’s Frying Pan and Eggs, 1950, priced at £675,000.

Waterman, who has been showing at the fair since 1990, commented: “It was a fantastic start but I do have one reservation—apart from a few dealers, works on show are not quite up to standard this year.” In general there were few big-ticket pieces in evidence.

“I’m optimistic for weekend sales”, said Gordon Samuel of the London gallery Osborne Samuel, who sold British artist Peter Lanyon’s Unitled, 1963, for around £20,000. London’s Paisnel Gallery, which was exhibiting postwar and St Ives artists, also reported mid-range sales that included a stone sculpture by British artist Denis Mitchell, Skiddaw, 1974. It went to a British client for £22,500 and is due to be exhibited at Tate St Ives from 23 January.

This article was filed after the second day of the fair