Buyers Want ‘Known’ and ‘Historically Significant,’ Gallery Curator Says

Colin Gleadell interviews Emma Dexter, former curator at Tate Modern, who is now Exhibitions Director at Timothy Taylor Gallery:

CG: What is the main advantage of working with a commercial gallery?

ED: The speed and ease with which you can operate – there’s so little bureaucracy!

CG: Are commercial galleries doing what museums can’t?

ED: Museums can’t be expected to do everything. But it’s clear that galleries are moving into their territory by exploring overlooked backwaters of art history as well as the more traditional territory of discovering new talents. The healthiest situation is when you have an ambitious gallery scene alongside a lively public sector. That’s why London continues to be such a great art city.

CG: What do you think influences buyers’ taste most these days?

ED: Since the downturn there has been a flight towards the known and the historically significant. The market has definitely been looking backwards towards figures who have been unfairly overlooked or under-appreciated. Our current Tàpies exhibition, which has nearly sold out, is a good example.

CG: What’s on the horizon for you?

ED: We have a Philip Guston centenary exhibition of the great late works in June. That’s a show I would never have been able to get close to at Tate Modern.