Does Frieze’s “inner circle” put other visual artists at a disadvantage?
Vanessa Thorpe reports on Gulf War artist John Keane’s view that Frieze Art Fair is only for the in-crowd, as his gallery has been told “not to bother applying any more”.
The Frieze art fair, which opens for business next week, is a success story for its founders, for artists and for commercial galleries. But those artists and galleries who are consistently left out of the annual event complain it creates a chill wind for everyone else.
John Keane, who was appointed as the official Gulf war artist by the Imperial War Museum in 1994, believes that Frieze is too selective and has an unhealthy relationship with the contemporary art establishment, particularly Tate Modern. There is now an inner circle, he argues, that puts other visual artists at a disadvantage.
"While Frieze is going on it is hard for anyone else to be seen," he said this weekend. "All the newspapers cover the same shows and you tend to see the same artists' names coming up at the Tate, Hayward and Whitechapel galleries."
Keane, who is probably best known for his 2002 portrait of the late politician Mo Mowlam, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, believes that the system allows a small group of private galleries to benefit from the public support of a nationally funded gallery, such as Tate Modern, that receives money each year to buy new work at the fair.
"It is almost like a supermarket sweep," said Keane. "The Tate is allowed in early to look for the best stuff. It might be exciting, and I congratulate Frieze for becoming so successful, but if you happen to be outside the loop it doesn't look quite so good."
The Frieze art fair, which opens for business next week, is a success story for its founders, for artists and for commercial galleries. But those artists and galleries who are consistently left out of the annual event complain it creates a chill wind for everyone else.
John Keane, who was appointed as the official Gulf war artist by the Imperial War Museum in 1994, believes that Frieze is too selective and has an unhealthy relationship with the contemporary art establishment, particularly Tate Modern. There is now an inner circle, he argues, that puts other visual artists at a disadvantage.
"While Frieze is going on it is hard for anyone else to be seen," he said this weekend. "All the newspapers cover the same shows and you tend to see the same artists' names coming up at the Tate, Hayward and Whitechapel galleries."
Keane, who is probably best known for his 2002 portrait of the late politician Mo Mowlam, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, believes that the system allows a small group of private galleries to benefit from the public support of a nationally funded gallery, such as Tate Modern, that receives money each year to buy new work at the fair.
"It is almost like a supermarket sweep," said Keane. "The Tate is allowed in early to look for the best stuff. It might be exciting, and I congratulate Frieze for becoming so successful, but if you happen to be outside the loop it doesn't look quite so good."