INTERVIEW: WILLOUGHBY GERRISH
Photo of Willoughby Gerrish by Bella HowardHow long have you been involved in the art market?
I started working for the Fine Art Society as a student in Edinburgh in 2005. I then went on to work at the Fine Art Society in London, and latterly with Robert Bowman.
When and why did you start Willoughby Gerrish Ltd?
I opened the company in 2019. I wanted to spend more time with my wife and children, and running my own business gives me that balance and freedom. It also gives me the opportunity to focus on the two aspects of the business I enjoy the most; curating and travelling to see other museums and galleries.
Can you describe the MO of the company?
I specialise in artwork from the Impressionist, Modern and Post-War periods, with a specific focus on sculpture. I also deal in a small group of artists' estates, and contemporary artists.
How do you divide your time between Yorkshire and London?
I split my time 50/50.
What shows have you got on at the moment?
We currently have two exhibitions in Yorkshire: contemporary artist Jon Kipps' wall-based sculptures in our Orangery Gallery. And David Hockney's works on paper in our main gallery. The prints and drawings in this exhibition follow Hockney over a fifteen-year period: from youthful beginnings at the Royal College of Art in London to seminal journeys to New York and Los Angeles, where he relished in the dynamic energy and comparative sexual freedom he discovered in the USA. Both exhibitions continue until 22nd October.
What can we expect to see at British Art Fair?
This year we'll be presenting an important collection of mid-century British sculptures by Kenneth Armitage, Reg Butler, Anthony Caro, Geoffrey Clake, Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth, Bernard Meadows, Henry Moore, and Eduardo Paolozzi. Also amongst our highlights will be a collection of David Hockney's etchings, linking to our current exhibition of his works on paper at Thirsk Hall Sculpture Park in Yorkshire. As always, we'll also be showing works by the living artists and estates with whom we have close affiliations: Emily Young, Austin Wright, Michael Lyons, and Gerald Laing. And finally, I'm excited, for the first time, to be showing a collection of British ceramics by William Staite-Murray - a personal passion of mine.
How long have you been exhibiting at the Fair?
This is my first year.
Are any of the artists on your list doing unexpectedly well at the moment?
Emily Young is producing her best work ever, certainly, since I started working with her 15 years ago. The two large-scale heads we're exhibiting for the first time (Earth Dreamer I & II) are fantastic examples of her carvings.
What is your favourite public art gallery?
The Tate Britain.
Which work would you hang from your desert island palm tree?
Picasso's Girl before a Mirror, 1932