In conversation with Ben Springett

Art was always my favourite subject at school and I enjoyed flicking through books about artists and attempting to appropriate their styles in my own work from an early age. Unfortunately, my artistic high point was a drawing of an apple aged 12 and my dreams of being the next Monet were unrealistic. Therefore I decided to combine an apparent talent at writing history essays with a passion for art and opted for History of Art at university, despite never studying it as a subject before. Luckily, it was a gamble that paid off.

I’ve bought and sold a few pieces over the years, normally by artists and photographers that we work with at the gallery. Ten years working with a commercial dealer has taught me to always keep an eye open for good investment opportunities. Saying that, my favourite pieces at home are works that I have bought because I was immediately attracted to them or which resonate with me on a more personal level. With these pieces I don’t really think about value and just enjoy living with them, which of course should be the most important criteria for any collector buying a work of art…

You might find it a strange suggestion, but I think we should talk less about art and the art world and more about each other. I’ve found that the best contacts I’ve made have become friends purely because we can switch off and enjoy a lunch or a beer after work and not always talk shop. Then when it comes to actually working together, things are often a lot easier. Even if something goes wrong, it’s often simpler to work through a disagreement with someone you’ve got a good rapport with. I organise pub nights for people from the art world a few times a year and generally encourage people just to come and get to know each other. ‘Networking’ is a banned word though!

Study hard and try to do a variety of internships/work experiences in different areas of the art world to make you a more rounded candidate. Use the internships wisely and try to meet a good number of people in the trade to increase the number of contacts you have. Indeed, the more people you know, the easier it might be to secure a permanent role. Be professional, honest, trustworthy and as easy to work with as possible so people remember you for the right reasons.

I’d make it illegal to offer artworks to people which you have absolutely no control over. We are contacted on a daily basis by people with ‘direct access’ to amazing Picassos etc at over inflated prices when really they are in a huge chain and couldn’t deliver even if we were interested. It’s such a waste of everyone’s time. We’ve even been offered works we actually own before. It’s always a pleasure to send a photo back of one of us holding the painting in question!

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