Part 3/4 : Diary of Thursday, January 22nd 2015
Interview with Jonathan Burton
Jonathan Burton has been the artistic director of the London Art Fair since 2005. We spoke with him about the role of photography at the fair and the British art market in general.
What’s the market for photography like in England?
Burton says the market is on the rise in the UK. With the first edition of Photo 50 ten years ago, the London Art Fair presented presented photography projects. At first, the London public and professionals were skeptical, holding to the idea that the strongholds of photography were New York and Paris.
Burton says the London market has yet to reach the level of the United States or France, but it is growing. He cites the upcoming Photo London salon in May 2015 as evidence. “I think the market is a developing one, not undeveloped,” he says. “Thousands of visitors came to the London Art Fair, and in that sense, we can have a real impact.” This can also be seen in the public sector. Before directing the London Art Fair, Burton worked at the Tate Modern when it held its first major photography exhibition fifteen years ago. Today the Tate Modern owns a large number of photographs.
But the evolution of the market goes beyond art fairs to include galleries, institutions, and the ways in which photo world professionals and the media approach photography.
The London Art Fair has existed for 27 years. What role does photography play at the fair?
Burton reminds us that photography has always been featured at the festival. His passion for photography has made him into a collector, and he strives to encourage galleries and stimulate interest among visitors and collectors.
For the past ten years, the exhibition Photo 50, part of the London Art Fair, has been designed to raise awareness about photography in contemporary art, encouraging galleries to participate and offer collectors new works to acquire. Photo 50 displayed a real curatorial approach, which has grown over the years, and which places photography in the heart of critical discussions alongside painting and sculpture.
Burton also discussed the profound importance of galleries like Voie Off, who have long supported young artists unknown to the British public. He hopes to establish ties with many countries, as seen this year by the presence of New York 21st publishing house, which is presenting its sumptuous limited-edition artist’s books, including those by Eikoh Hosoe and Imogen Cunningham for prices ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 euros.
INFORMATIONS
London Art Fair
21-25 January 2015
58 White Lion Street
N1 9PP London
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7288 6736
[email protected]
http://www.londonartfair.co.uk/exhibiting
http://voies-off.com
