When did you begin your gallery practice under Henry Miller Fine Art? What inspired you to set this up?
Osmar Schindler, Zweigespräch, Crayon on paper, 76cm x 41cm, framed. undated.
My dealership under Henry Miller Fine Art started formally in 2016, although I was already putting together a collection of pictures to sell about 2 years prior to this. So back in 2013 during my sabbatical studying at Christie’s, I came to realise that I could actually pave a new career ahead of me. And a career that involved my life long passion for art. And maybe a small part of the story was that the thought of going back to a 70 hour week seemed a lot less appealing too….
But I always planned to work for myself in the future. A fine art gallery practice seemed a perfect solution in the end – I now get to combine my interest with the freedom of working for myself. Looking back, I have in effect turned my hobby into a business by building on to what I had learned as a collector and turning into a dealer from that.
How long have you been an art collector?
Watching Derek Jarman’s Jubilee and seeing works by Caravaggio sparked something in me at a young age. Growing up I was fascinated mostly by art meeting counter culture. I started collecting art as soon as I could afford it. In fact, I still have my first print, an Andy Warhol film poster for ‘Querelle’ that I got at 17.
Photo credit © Henry Miller.
Even during my studies I continued acquiring. It was mostly at random, collecting what I liked or thought interesting. I also never really went to auctions, just galleries. Looking back now I can see there was always an emphasis on figurative works, and often the male form.
Duncan Grant, Male Nude (Paul Roche), 1947. Gouache and watercolour on paper, 56cm x 44cm, framed.
And why did you decide to specialise in collecting the male form?
My focus on the male form stems from my love of figurative pictures. For me looking at a work of the human form you are, in essence, looking at yourself. As a gay man, inevitably over the years my focus has leaned towards collecting the male form.
Circle of William Mulready, Male Figure Study, charcoal on paper, 56cm x 37.5cm, unframed.
My biggest inspiration for opening my gallery is that I always felt I couldn’t find galleries that reflected my taste. Often galleries tend to sell pictures according to a particular period, so maybe Dutch 17th century, modern British or Irish.
I tend to find this a little restrictive, so with Henry Miller Fine Art I curate thematically instead. It allows buyers to look at images from different styles and periods. In essence, I’ve created the gallery that I always wanted to go shopping in, but could not find when I was a just a collector.
What have been some of the most interesting learnings running Henry Miller Fine Art from your home?
I am constantly surprised by the amount of positive reception that I receive running my gallery from home. As part of the Walthamstow Art Trail 2017 I opened my house to the public for a few weeks. I had approximately 500 visitors visit my home. It was an encouraging experience to see the audience so complimentary to my gallery becoming part of the local art scene here.
A view of some of Henry’s home, selected works available at Henry Miller Fine Art. Photo credit © Henry Miller.
More generally speaking, I am also very pleased with my decision to treat my house as a gallery for Henry Miller Fine Art. There’s a really relaxed and personal setting in which people can imagine what a work would look like in their own home. I’m quite certain this has contributed to me selling pictures to those who are too intimated to go into galleries in central London.
Photo credit © Henry Miller.
French School, Male Torso, 1909, oil on canvas, 46cm x 39cm, framed. Sold at Henry Miller Fine Art.
What do you think are the most important considerations to get your exhibition curation “right” at Henry Miller Fine Art?
I think a good selection of pictures and a thorough catalogue is a good place to start. Although all of my exhibitions are highly eclectic, I do add a particular focus to each show of my collection. For example, I previously had a room of ‘Queer British Artists’. The upcoming exhibition will focus on older ’Academic’ work.
Circle of Edmé Bouchardon, Male Figure Study, 18th Century, pen and brown ink, 21.5cm x 19.5cm, framed.
For me, curation is a continual learning process. I feel I’m improving for each exhibition I hang. However, I’d actually say there are many ways to get it “right”, all of which are equally valid. So I tend to just treat the space like I would any interior. Often it is obvious to me what goes with what, and what will not work.
“I hope my curation will show that these works as both accessible in price and that they can look wonderful in modern interiors”. Photo credit © Henry Miller.
Can you tell us a little bit about the upcoming exhibition, what highlights can we expect to see?
As we just mentioned, with all my exhibitions, you can expect a highly eclectic collection of pictures. This time I have assembled a collection of works influenced by the art academies across Europe. I think the type of work is to many very familiar on the walls of galleries and country houses. I hope my curation will show that these works as both accessible in price and that they can look wonderful in modern interiors.
Detailed shot from the staircase hanging at Henry Miller Fine Art. Photo credit © Henry Miller.
Photo credit © Henry Miller.
Any other upcoming exhibitions we can look forward to?
I will have continuous exhibitions both in central London and in my home throughout this year. One I’m particularly excited about is showing a body of work by the British artist Michael Leonard. His portrait of HM Queen is one of the most popular works in the National Portrait Gallery. Michael has always been a hero of mine. I’m honoured to be working with him now, especially because he has kindly granted me access to some works never previously released to the market! In any case, hope to see you at my next opening on 5th March at the The Coningsby Gallery!
Henry in his home and gallery. Photo credit © Henry Miller Fine Art.
Thank you Henry, always a pleasure to learn from you!
For more details on Henry’s exhibition program visit his website or simply email him under henry@henrymillerfineart.co.uk!