How did you start your journey in the art world?

I have always been interested in Art and Art History and I was lucky enough to study History of Art at University before starting graduate training at Sotheby’s in 2002. After eight years at Sotheby’s as a specialist in Impressionist and Modern Art and four years at a major west end gallery, Waterhouse and Dodd, I founded Oliver Shuttleworth Fine Art in 2014. Since then, I have worked with private clients and family offices around the world. I help to build outstanding collections, across all budgets, whilst avoiding the pitfalls (and the trade sharks) associated with the art world.

Last year brought about many changes as a result of the pandemic, were there any consequences for you as an art advisor?

My work as an art advisor was as important as ever during the Covid pandemic as clients were far less sure about visiting galleries and auction houses during the pandemic. The lack of travel (I usually travel about three months of the year) was a hindrance but I found clients were willing to trust me even if I was unable to view works of art in person. I could arrange for trusted colleagues to see pictures on my behalf in Paris, Vienna, Milan and New York last year and I always knew what questions to ask restorers over a facetime call in front of the piece.

I think Covid made a lot of collectors review their collections and take stock of their collecting goals. Some decided to strengthen their collections whilst others reflected on a change of direction. Overall, the market held up very well with Sotheby’s, in particular, making huge progress in online auction marketing and production.

Were there any works or artists that stood out for you during that time? Or were you surprised about any art market results?

I thought the work being offered was pretty solid but with less available of the very highest order. There were no major single owner auctions (i.e. Rockefeller/Mellon/Taubman) which tend to bring out the finest names: be they Monet, Picasso or a great Old Master painting.

I was constantly surprised by the calibre of weak contemporary art that was selling for huge sums. Artists such as Banksy and KAWS have a market that is a bubble in my view. The strong contemporary artists at present: Nicolas Party, Matthew Wong and Jean-Michel Basquiat are making the kinds of prices that Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko fetch – that, to me, is crazy. Buyers need to be careful and they need advice now more than ever.

Many people who are new to buying art are looking for inspiration and guidance from those that have been buying art for a while, especially when it comes to buying their first work of art. Do you remember your first art purchase, and can you tell us what it was and why you acquired it?

I was 12 years old on holiday in Scotland and I fell for an Angus Stewart watercolour of a harbour scene with blue trees. My parents didn’t like the picture, which was in horrid condition, but I bought it and still love it. The paper was flattened and beautifully framed – it hangs in my daughter’s bedroom.

Now I try to buy one painting on a yearly basis, but it is terribly hard not to buy more. At every art fair I visited in 2019 I fell for at least one piece but only bought one picture: a vast Richard Hoglund canvas having seen his work at TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair). It is fantastic.

Is there one stand out tip that you can give to those who are starting a new collection or considering buying their first work of art?

Collect slowly. The main issue is that clients are desperate to fill all their wall space in one gallery viewing. Mere decoration of wall space can be solved in a trip to a print shop. Collecting art should be a real pleasure which takes time. However, if you love a work of art, get good advice and if it passes muster then go for it!

Is there is one work that you either own or would like to own that stands out above all others for you? What is it and why?

That is an impossible question as there are hundreds of paintings I pine after! It is hard for me to stand in front of a large, mid-career Mark Rothko without wanting one. I also find Monet’s 1890s Seine pictures almost unbelievably beautiful in their elegance and their pure, technical excellence. Yet, the one work I would want to own above all is the Georges Seurat painting in the National here in London: ‘The Bathers at Asnieres’. It is still modern, completely revolutionary for the time and is the reason I studied history of art over 20 year ago. I have a print hanging beside my desk.

Many collectors are looking to deepen their knowledge of the arts and the market. Is there a book you can recommend?

I think the best book on the art market and the vagaries of the process in buying art (which makes one go into collecting ‘in the know’) is Michael Findlay’s ‘The Value of Art’. It is also very funny.

What do you feel is the role of art advisors and how do you think they can help collectors?

We make the process fun. It is that simple. By using a decent advisor (with both auction and gallery trading experience) we diminish worries about authenticity, restitution, condition, export paperwork, framing, the list of issues can be endless! Also, the access a good advisor gives is priceless – by knowing the auction houses and galleries to go to and those to avoid it saves time and hassle. One client told me that it was wonderful going to a gallery with me as none of the salespeople gave them any hassle.

What is the one thing you look forward to in the art world in 2021?

I love art fairs and it would be great to think that Art Basel Miami might be up and running in December. They are a place to see people in the trade and to meet up with collectors. Art fairs make for ideal places to get the latest news on artist’s markets and overall trading conditions. I would like to think that a few auctions will take place physically this year too. Overall, I would like to get out and see my clients and friends in the US and Europe, who I have not been able to see in the flesh for a year.

www.olivershuttleworth.com