Packed full of talent, art fairs can sometimes be a hard place to navigate. Where do you begin? What do you see first? Who do you talk to?
Whilst visiting the Other Art Fair earlier this year, we asked a few of our artists about their top tips on how to navigate an art fair, both from the viewpoint of an artist and a visitor. The art world's calendar is packed with a variety of shows to visit, so take these tips on board when you're next planning a trip to an art fair.
From the view of an artist, what is your top tip for surviving an art fair?
Have lots of snacks! It’s very hard to get away from your stall so having help is great. My dad helped me set it up and my husband is helping me take it down, so it’s nice to have the extra pair of hands.
Do you have any advice for anyone buying at an art fair?
Try to go for art you love rather than buying as an investment.
Do you have a specific artwork or series of works that gets the most attention at events like this?
The Aurora series. People always want to know how they’re made because there is a kind of magic to them, especially as they can move with the piece. People are so intrigued by the way the artworks change and shift.
Do you have any advice for anyone buying at an art fair?
Buy the art you love and do it now because it might not be there later.
What is your top tip for surviving an art fair?
Bring comfy shoes, a bottle of water and don’t have any expectations. Try not to worry and talk to other artists as they are invaluable and they are your support network. Get to know your customers and find out about them personally as that is your audience and you have to build a rapport with them. When you are selling at an art fair people are constantly looking - don’t approach them and let them have time alone with the work to build that emotional connection. Then go in and assist. I want people to have a relationship with the work and fall in love with the piece.
Do you have a specific artwork or series of works that gets the most attention at events like this?
I’m most proud of my new Blown series. They’re a new take on an earlier series of mine, but with a new technique. It’s all about displaying the image in a different way. I first make the grenades as sculptures and then photograph them and this is how I make most of my prints. When I made the first grenade sculpture, the US was one of the world’s only superpowers. I decided to make a new version of the original print, the Blown series, because it seems that now the US is slowly stepping away from being that world power. I also like to think about how money is a conduit of power. It’s also about a transcendence of power and it can all crumble away in a second.
What is your top tip for surviving an art fair?
“Don’t go out boozing until 4 in the morning before the opening day!”
Has all this talk of art fairs got you feeling inspired? Take at a look at our New Arrivals, and see if any of our new prints catch your eye.
