ANTHONY D’OFFAY AND AMY DICKSON IN CONVERSATION

25/02/2012 2PM FREE

To celebrate the Anselm Kiefer ARTIST ROOMS exhibition Mostyn presents a unique illustrated conversation between Anthony d’Offay, the founder of ARTIST ROOMS and Amy Dickson, the Collection’s Managing Curator. This is an un-missable opportunity to hear first hand from one of the most influential art dealers in the country. It will allow the audience a unique insight into a little of the history of the collection of which the Kiefer exhibition is part, and of Anthony’s relationship with this important artist.

The event also provides a privileged opportunity to learn of new developments to ARTIST ROOMS. It provides visitors to the exhibition an opportunity to ask questions both about the works, the collection in which they are set, and more generally about the collection of art today and the nature of the philanthropy associated with it.

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Anthony d’Offay built up the collection now known as ARTIST ROOMS over a period of some thirty years. He worked closely with artists and artist’s estates, often over many years, to bring together significant bodies of work, for example, the important collections of photographs by Diane Arbus and Robert Mapplethorpe, over 100 drawings by Joseph Beuys and a key group of early works by Jannis Kounellis – amongst many others. The works by Anselm Keifer currently on display are a newly acquired group which complement existing works in the collection.

Tate, National Galleries of Scotland, and exhibiting partners such as the Mostyn, draw on Anthony’s deep knowledge of the works and the artists who made them, to ensure that the rationale behind the groupings, concepts for display and anecdotal histories can be captured and shared. Through Anthony’s dedication to the project, several artists, artist’s estates and individuals have already pledged to give further works to enhance the collection.

Anthony d’Offay
Anthony d’Offay was born in Sheffield in 1940 and grew up in Leicester. His father was a surgeon and his mother an antiques dealer. He studied art at Edinburgh University and begun dealing contemporary art in the late 1960s, and became one of the pre-eminent art dealers in London operating from premises in Dering Street. It was here in the 1970s that he held important exhibitions by the likes of Lucian Freud, Gilbert & George, Eduardo Paolozzi and Frank Auerbach.

In 1980 he opened The Anthony D’Offay Gallery, and for the next 20 years worked as the main agent for Joseph Beuys as well as representing some of the most significant German artists of the late 20th century including Christian Boltanski, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Georg Baselitz and Anselm Kiefer. In addition he presented historically significant exhibitions by artists such as Gilbert and George, Richard Long, Jeff Koons and Richard Hamilton. In the early 1990s d’Offay moved into representing a number of young British artists including Rachel Whiteread and Richard Patterson.

To the surprise of the artworld it was announced in 2001 that he was closing the business. (The last exhibition at the Anthony d’Offay Gallery, of Bill Viola, had 50,000 visitors and helped fund Rachel Whiteread’s Monument (2001) in Trafalgar Square). Since then, for the last ten years, he has tirelessly devoted his efforts to build up the ARTIST ROOMS collection for the public.

Amy Dickson
Amy Dickson is the new Managing Curator, ARTIST ROOMS. Before that, she was an Assistant Curator at Tate Modern, where she worked on a number of exhibitions including Cildo Meireles, Gauguin: Maker of Myth and most recently, Gerhard Richter: Panorama. She is also writing a book on Richter in the Modern Artists series for Tate Publishing, which will be published next year.

She says of her appointment to ARTIST ROOMS: “I’m delighted to be taking up the position of Managing Curator, ARTIST ROOMS and very much look forward to working with the teams in Edinburgh and London, as well as all our partnership organisations around the UK – such as Mostyn, who are also part of our ‘Plus Tate’ network – to help to realise Anthony d’Offay’s vision for this wonderful collection, to inspire people, and especially young people, through art.”

This event is related to the following exhibitions:

ANSELM KIEFER - ARTIST ROOMS ON TOUR WITH THE ART FUND
03 Dec, 2011
to 11 Mar, 2012