Art, like hemlines, moves in definite cycles, says fifth-generation dealer Trent Read, who owns Knysna Fine Art, the largest contemporary gallery space in the Western Cape. It celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.
“Sculpture has had the most extraordinary bull run over the past dozen years; painting rather languished in its shadow,” he says. “This is no longer the case. Paintings, across all genres, are the hottest things in the contemporary market right now. A good painting is an extraordinarily difficult thing to make. It takes decades to master the skills. A composer or mathematician may produce their most important work at an early age, but not so for a painter. Their best work often comes towards the end of their career, when they are working at the height of their powers.”
Read worked at Christie’s in London, ran a gallery in the US, also promoting South African art, and was a director of the family business Everard Read. He remains a director of Everard Read Franschhoek and has lived in Knysna for 30 years.
His ability to spot and nurture young talent is well recognised in a competitive field.
Read says the rise of AI has not hurt the art world. Paradoxically, it may have fanned creativity, with consumers seeking “beautiful, lush, handmade objects obviously made by humans with skill, intellect and passion”.
International trends show a demand for craftsmanship, strong technique and authenticity. Artists are embracing tactile practices such as collage, textiles, ceramics, beadwork and carved wood, which feel earthy, imperfect and unmistakably human. This renewed appetite includes painting, he says.
Instagram and other social media platforms have become powerful discovery tools, offering artists a virtual gallery
Read says South African artists punch far above their weight and continue to earn accolades worldwide. South African art has flourished in the past three decades; artists from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and women now feature strongly.
Art will always matter, no matter how the world changes, and the digital age has enhanced the lives of artists and buyers rather than harming the industry, he says.
Instagram and other social media platforms have become powerful discovery tools, offering artists a virtual gallery. But while viewing art online provides an ephemeral connection, nothing replaces the trust and integrity of a physical gallery space when it comes to buying serious work.
“The change in the way art is viewed and consumed has been immense, as it has in every industry, with social media platforms democratising exposure. Paradoxically, this has been good for art.”
Bricks-and-mortar galleries such as Knysna Fine Art will not be replaced by digital showrooms, Read says. “Buyers derive comfort from working with a gallery of probity and integrity, with an established track record of showing art that has substance and longevity.”
There is also an emotional response to a gallery that cannot be replicated online. “There is that sense of wonder when you visit a cathedral, a museum, the Tate in London or the Louvre. It feeds the soul in a way a digital experience cannot.”
Collectors typically have disposable income and fall between the ages of 30 and 60. People often begin buying art once they are established, and later, as they downscale their homes, may also reduce their collections. Buyers range from investors to those who fall in love with a piece and spend hard-earned money. Read’s youngest client was a four-year-old who saved her pocket money to buy a small work. She went on to study fine art, now has an impressive collection and remains in touch.
His advice is to keep an eye on younger, up-and-coming artists whose work is still affordable and may hold or increase its value.
Knysna Fine Art could be dubbed a bellwether of what is happening in the art world. It maintains an impressive stable of South African artists; at any given time, a range of genres, from ceramics to sculpture and painting, is represented.
Exports account for at least half of the gallery’s sales and, while this is increasing, Read notes concern about the rising cost and difficulty of freight as conflict rages in the Middle East.
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