by Harry Weskin, Pimlico School
On the 3rd October this year I witnessed, first hand, the contrast between t
he different areas in the art world. Along with my A-level art class of twenty students, we went to Liverpool Street to interview the Deutsche Bank buyer, Alistair Hicks. We then went on to interview an artist by the name of John Strutton in his studio. The experience as a whole really opened my eyes to the art world and has given me a new perspective on the contrast within.Entering Deutsche Bank I was soon shocked by a wave of art hung up on the walls and even in the middle of the floor. It was not what you would expect to find in a city bank. (However the rushing bankers who ignored the jaw dropping sculptures are certainly what one would expect to find inside a city bank.)
I soon found my self around a table so extravagantly big, that I was surprised I could see Alistair Hicks down the other end and even more surprised that I could hear him. Throughout the fascinating interview, he described a number of things that I never knew about the art world. For instance, how competitive and demanding the art market can get.
"Of all the contemporary artwork out there; only a very small percentage of it is being seen and even a smaller percentage is being sold." By saying things like this, he made it obvious to me that being an artist is a very challenging and difficult career to choose. This daunting interview was fascinating but also quite frightening and could easily scare people from becoming an artist.
From the large, busy and expensive bank we arrived in a small, calm and cosy art studio of John Strutton, it was like arriving down the other end of the art world spectrum. The main thing that was comforting about John was that he incorporated his hobbies and enjoyments in life, into his artwork.
He was laid back and the answers he gave to our questions were reassuring. He did this by explaining, "I enjoy being an artist and can’t imagine being anything else." This was reassuring because it made me believe that there is still a side to art that isn’t interested in money.
The two interviews highlighted the differences in the art world by really contrasting with each other. This contrast fascinates me by opening a door into the art world that I never knew was there. On one side you have the artists working hard to make a living and on the other you have the commercial side of art. This does involve artists but it involves a lot of money too!
