Make it Up

Bespoke commissions are an exciting way to buy craft. Here the director of Collect 2019 offers some advice

Words ISOBEL DENNIS FAIR DIRECTOR, COLLECT 2019

The detail and skill in Katie Spragg’s ceramic sculptures can conjure memories and sensations of the wilderness of summer meadows in the warm afternoon sunshine. Her beautifully formed blades of grass and wheat pushing through rocks and stone are evocative depictions of the natural world. To commission a piece from Spragg would be a powerful way to keep or relive a memory or moment. “I’m interested in how you can represent a place through an object,” she says, “and I’m seeking to evoke feelings and memories we associate with special places.”

Collect 2019, The International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design returns to the Saatchi Gallery for its 15th edition 28 February – 3 March 2019. The gallery-presented fair dedicated to modern craft and design, provides an opportunity to invest in exceptional work and commission to order.

Ceramicist Katie Spragg, who is represented by gallerist Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections, is just one of the many artists exhibiting at Collect and she welcomes personal commissions (from £650).

Commissions are a key part of Collect and it’s an area that has grown exponentially. The boundaries between craft and art have heated up more than ever with impressive price tags for Craft – a bowl by Lucie Rie, Austrian-born British potter sold for $212,000 - five times its estimate at Phillips New York recently and galleries are increasingly curating craft in a fineart way. Craft is a movement, not a moment.

Commissioning is one of the most exciting ways to buy into craft but it’s a two-way process for the artist and client. It’s the larger pieces that are often proving most popular with bespoke clients. As a result of Collect 2018, interior architect Liaigre commissioned an installation for its Mayfair store from South London-based Brazilian artist Valeria Nascimento via UK gallery Jaggedart. Entitled ‘Rainforest’, the installation consists of thousands of hand-crafted, paper-thin porcelain petals hanging on delicate strands from the ceiling. As Valeria says: “Working to commission is one of the most stimulating ways to create. These requests lead to new processes of making and as an artist, exploring these limitless boundaries is what keeps me inspired.”

Martha Rieger in her studio

But it doesn’t have to be large scale. Most artists have a problem-solving mindset combined with an emotional, human connection and empathy, as well as a deep material skill and artistic knowledge that comes from training and learning, creating results that can be truly stunning.

But how to ensure the commissioning process goes smoothly and delivers the returns you want? Buying and working directly with a gallery is a good way as their expertise, advice and knowledge of the artists they represent will be hugely valuable to anyone considering commissioning from an artist.

Deborah Finn, of gallery Cavaliero Finn advises, “Before commissioning an artist, make sure you know the full scope of the artist’s work. Discuss with them those pieces you’re drawn to and those that appeal less. That way you can be truly confident that whatever your chosen artist creates, you will like it.”

As with any transaction, it’s a good idea to be clear from the outset in terms of budget, timings and expectations. Both parties should sign a contract and the client should expect to pay 50% of the fee up front.

Angel Monzon at Vessel gallery, which specializes in glass, adds: ‘The key thing is not to be too prescriptive: you are commissioning a work that is the artist’s creation, not yours. Keep the lines of communication open and enjoy the process. The result will be magical.”

To commission a piece from Spragg would be a powerful way to keep a memory

Deep Slumber by Hattori Makiko, Porcelain, With Joanna Bird

Kate Spragg in her studio

Alice Couttoupes, My Blue China, My Blue Flowers #17, Porcelain, cobalt glaze, 2018

Moon Desheng, WoIbVertical

Buncheong jar, Huh Sang-wook