Let's have more heart for art....
We have all by now heard the news of the devastating fire that has destroyed - for a second time - the Glasgow School of Art. Its heartbreaking to think that this time it really might be the end of the journey for this Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece that has become such an important feature of the Glasgow street-scape. Interestingly when Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art was first unveiled in 1899 it was deeply unpopular – lacking symmetry and logic, everyone seemed to prefer the balance of the Kelvingrove Museum just a few streets away. Mackintosh was himself a former pupil at the art school; he was a heavy drinker who suffered regular spells of depression and was described as having a satanic personality.
I remember visiting the Library and to me it was the most perfect of rooms. Circled by balconies and verandas, I loved how the wooden grid floated in space – surely one of the finest rooms in Britain! Ironic indeed that Mackintosh and his radical friends dubbed themselves The Immortals. What many people don’t know is that this year is the 150th anniversary of his birth and the city that once rejected his brilliance is now mourning the loss of his architectural jewel. The alumni of this great institution is a true list of talent from the much loved David Donaldson and Robbie Coltrane to Murial Grey and Douglas Gordon – an endless list of national treasures have lived and enjoyed this very special institution. Who knows whether its realistic to consider a rebuild of this iconic piece of British history – The Immortals will no doubt be watching mischievously to see how we respond to a further reported ￡100m spend.
At Sanlam last week we hosted an evening for our clients at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) Summer Exhibition - the RA is actually the oldest art school in Britain and this year celebrates its 250th anniversary. This year the exhibition has been co-curated by Grayson Perry - the flamboyant, celebrated ceramicist has said that he wants the exhibition to celebrate the "democratic rough and tumble" of the world's largest open-submission show. I promise you it certainly delivers. I love how any one of us can submit a piece of art for the exhibition and just maybe that’s what I’ll do next year – or perhaps borrow one of my son's GCSE submissions - surely he wouldn’t mind?
The highlight of the evening was Sanlam’s pre-exhibition talk, with Eileen Cooper and Bonham’s Mike Neil. One of my favourite artists, Eileen, was the first female keeper of art at the RA - and together with Mike we were guided round the show with so much inspiration that I found myself wanting to buy almost everything. For our clients it was one of a series of art lectures that enables them to understand more about art as an investment and benefit from our advisory services where we can introduce them to experts who both know the space and can look at art in the same way that they would consider specific stocks or companies to invest in.
This weekend I might just have to escape back to the exhibition to hunt down a very special painting that sits up high and slightly hidden behind a wall of Hockney - the beautiful Tiger Tiger by Eileen. Whoever takes that piece of magic home with them is very lucky indeed. For me it’s a case of enjoying it on the walls of the RA until the exhibition ends on August 18th with maybe a daydream from time to time about stealing it in the dark of night so I can enjoy it on my walls at home forever. I think Mackintosh and his Immortals would approve. Happy 250th birthday to the Royal Academy!
Please note the value of investments and any income from them can fall and you may get back less than you invested. For information only and not to be considered financial advice. If you want help with your investment choices, we suggest you take financial advice, such as from a Sanlam financial adviser.