Thomas Dane has only had his own gallery in London for a year, but this month he has pulled off quite a coup. He is showing rare 1940s works from the estate of Alexander Calder which is managed by the artist’s grandson Sandy Rower.
“I felt it was time for a commercial show in Europe”, says Mr Rower. A show of Calder’s 1960s work is also being held this month at the Marconi Gallery in Milan (from 15 April).
How did Mr Rower come to choose Thomas Dane? “I hadn’t heard of Thomas Dane, but I came to London and saw five galleries, we hit it off, and when I saw his gallery, it seemed ideal, the scale of the space was right for what we are showing”, says Mr Rower.
The Calder estate is rich in material by the artist, some of which is already reserved for a museum under construction. Mr Rower sells, but also buys works. “I am one of the largest Calder buyers on the market”, he says.
The show at Thomas Dane includes two major sculptures, a stabile, More extreme cantilever, 1949, and a mobile, Boomerangs, 1941, as well as four smaller sculptures, over 14 gouaches and 10 items of jewellery. More extreme cantilever is not for sale, but the other pieces are with prices ranging from a few thousand pounds to well over a million.
The show is organised in collaboration with Stefania Bortolami and Amalia Dayan, two ex-Gagosian employees, who are opening a new gallery in New York later this year called Bortolami Dayan Garage.
o Calder-The Forties is at Thomas Dane from 13 April to 21 May. 11 Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1Y6BN, Tel: +44(0) 207 925 2505