Although it appears to be several creative lives, ultimately it’s all tied in together under the beautiful umbrella we call ART. Music, painting, fashion, photography, writing, dancing are just all forms of creative expression and creation. I couldn’t see myself really doing anything else. I am an artist and a creator at the core but also thrive on the business side of art too. I’m a classic Gemini!

Q: Taste is often described as instinct, but your work also requires knowledge, discipline and market intelligence. How do you personally know when a piece has real staying power?

I look at artists and their careers, body of work, the trajectory they are on and how liquid their works are in the market or the demand. I like to study and look at current auction results and also how things are selling in the primary markets across galleries in this market and abroad etc. I am an art nerd, I love it, live and breathe it. I work with artists I love and am inspired by but also have commercial appeal. Of course as a gallery, we want to spread ourselves across the three main categories; Blue Chip, Established and Emerging Artists.

Q: You work with both seasoned collectors and people beginning their art journey. What is the first misconception you try to undo when someone says, “I want to start collecting”?

I want to understand my clients’ motivation. It’s so interesting as everyone has a different motivation for collecting art. Whether its legacy, statement, investment, styling the common thread is having to love the work. If you love it you can never lose.

Q: A lot of people still buy art to “match” a room. How do you move a client from decoration toward collecting with meaning, identity and long-term value?

I think it comes back to education. Understanding what makes the medium investable, being able to clearly articulate how the market moves and why artists are more investable than others, being an advisor. Buying decorative art serves a purpose but ultimately is a waste of money in my opinion. Investing in the correct artists can show massive capital appreciation. If I can enjoy it and also have it appreciate in value, this is really the ultimate win.

Q: You’ve spoken about the importance of relationships in the art world. In an industry that can be transactional, how do you protect the human side of collecting, the artist, the collector and the story between them?

The art industry is so small. Reputation is everything. Integrity is everything. I manage to protect the human side by remembering I am a collector and I am also an artist, so I feel I can understand both sides of the coin. I am able to help artists navigate some of the things they are less passionate about with their practice and I am also able to help collectors with gaining access to unique works, special releases, access to the artist and investing in to the right pieces. Artists love to be connected to their collectors and vice versa. Being the conduit of that relationship is special.

Q: We live in a culture of screenshots, mood boards and instant visual consumption. Has digital culture sharpened people’s eye for art, or made it harder for them to slow down and really see?

In many ways the digital age has made the market appreciate and value even more anything that is hand made or has the human craftsmanship. I think photography took a hard hit with the coming of the digital age but the resurgence of owning Platinum prints/silver gelatins, the last true hand-made photographic prints.

Q: What makes a room feel alive to you? Not styled, not expensive, alive.

I love big dramatic pieces that undeniably grab your attention and suck you in.

Q: Is there a difference between buying something beautiful and buying something that changes the energy of your life?

1000%. Sometimes I believe that artworks find their owners. You remember how a place, person, piece of art makes you feel. If you are feeling something that innately has the power to change your life it then it’s already yours energetically. We all can appreciate beauty and beautiful things but connection is more than surface.

Q: You work in a world where instinct and value constantly overlap. How do you separate genuine emotional pull from hype, status or market noise?

I keep it pretty simple. Do I love it? Would I want to put it on my wall? I am not too fussed by hype. I personally collect because I love it, appreciate it and am flat out addicted 🙂

Q: What kind of artwork do people underestimate until they see it in the right space?

I think reflective pieces create so much space in a room and can really have a play on light with the way light hits the surfaces whether curved or angular can create a whole different mood.

Q: The Taste Maker Chronicles is about the people who shape culture through instinct. What do you think your taste is ultimately trying to protect, beauty, emotion, rebellion, intimacy, or freedom?

Ultimately my style, aesthetic and taste always comes back to Classic. The idea of timelessness is so central to my style. It never relies on fads or trends. Always in style. It’s iconic.

Art plus Gallery – now showing Jeremy Kay