At Enter Gallery we champion our artists and the art they create. Now, we are celebrating the people that support the arts and make it all possible… YOU!
Meet Enter Collector, Kieran
What was the first of piece of art you acquired?
Raffles, by Damien Hirst and was released in 2018 with Tate, there were eight in the Colour Space Series to choose from and we had to order them one to eight in the order we most wanted them and they would be allocated accordingly. The pre-release evening was PACKED! I thought my chances were out the window, but the excitement was unreal when I got the confirmation email that I was allocated my first choice!
Is the art market something you keep an eye on?
Yes! I collect art because I love it, I love having nice things and it’s like having a piece of someone’s mind on your wall. But there does come a point that you do need to sell things. One because wall space is always limited, but two, because my tastes change or I fall out of love with them. But that’s also refreshing too!
Is there an artist you would like to meet?
Hands down David Hockney! What a life he lived in his younger years in LA! He is my definition of a true artist, an artist and draughtsman at the top of his game! My favourite painting of all time is, 'The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate' and the one painting I would steal in an art heist. Lord knows where I’d put it! 'May Blossom on the Roman Road' is another favourite. I travelled to Amsterdam a couple of years ago specially to see them both and the Van Gogh Museum. A Bigger Picture at the RA was one of the first exhibition I ever saw, and I remember it so clearly to this day.
Do you have one piece of art which was ‘the one that got away’?
I don’t think there really has been... I tend to work a bit backwards and if I like something I buy it, and then worry about the money afterwards. Saying that, last year The Connor Brothers released a print to raise money for the NHS. I saw the ad as soon as the posted it and thought ‘that’s nice’ and scrolled on and didn't read it. Later that evening I saw the post again and realised they were selling these amazing prints and the whole lot had sold! I was gutted! However, not that long ago, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to buy an AP of a similar print The Connor Brothers did in their Pulp Fiction series on paperback books. I suppose it was meant to be!
What do you love most about Enter Gallery?
It is always a warm and engaging welcome going into Enter Gallery. The whole team are incredibly hospitable and I get a sense of comfort being there - their passion for contemporary art really shines through. The evening events held at the gallery have a brilliant atmosphere and it is the perfect opportunity to speak to like-minded people, the artists and really gain a better insight into the contemporary art world and the breadth of what it has to offer.
The gallery has been a key contact in growing my art collection. Their eclectic collection of works not only makes the gallery a fantastic space to be in, but a well of inspiration. There are some truly incredible, authentic, and unique artists out there and Enter Gallery does a fab job at showcasing some of the best!
If you have ever walked past the shopfront, but never gone in, just go for it! You won’t regret it!
What advice would you give to someone who is trying to get into collecting art?
The Own Art scheme which is an amazing way to buy pieces you may not ordinarily have been able to afford, or if you are like me you prefer to pay in smaller regular amounts rather than one lump-sum. It’s entirely interest free, and depending on how much you spend can be spread across ten or twenty months and you can include additional costs like mounting and framing.
You can have more than one agreement running at the same time and there is a handy app which shows you the different agreements and you can settle them early or pay a lump-sum, and there’s no fee for this either!
I’ve bought several pieces from the gallery on Own Art. Recently I have finished paying for my Peter Blake letter ‘K’ and competed my set of initials in Ben Eine’s iconic circus font.
I’ve made a chunk payment this week to settle my agreement on ‘Make Your Voice Heard’ by Ben Eine. The electric, pink neon font is really powerful against the black. I love bright colours and having this piece in the house I’m always finding myself looking at it. In life it is so important to make your voice heard and not be lost in the crowd. The colour combination, although simple, really echoes this and is reminder that it is so important to be heard and have your own voice.
Which artists are you really loving at the moment?
Currently, I’ve just started payments on a piece by The Connor Brothers. I’d love to collect more of their work, the thought behind each composition and how the painting portrays the text is really skilfully done and you really get a sense of emotion from it.
"It kind of gives me satisfaction that in some of the things I feel, it’s not just me that has these feelings, others have them too."
I think their work is a great portrayal of reality, everyone has a past, everyone has a future, everyone has skeletons and everyone carries baggage, and if you don’t... have you fucking lived?! A lot of the words in their pieces really resonate with me personally and it kind of gives me satisfaction that in some of the things I feel, it’s not just me that has these feelings, others have them too.
‘All she wanted was to be someone’s most precious person’ instantly hit me hard! Although it was created based on the artists mother and the death of their father, it very much echoed a lot of my romantic experience and how much of a hopeless romantic I am. Needless to say, this is the piece I have hanging at home. ‘Tell me beautiful untrue things’, ‘Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not after you’ and ‘All my life I’ve been lied to and that’s the truth’ are a few I’d love to own, all because I see a piece of myself in each one.
Other works I’ve added to my collection from the gallery are some sexy and seductive lips by the amazing Sara Pope and out-of-this-world collages by the genius Joe Webb.
His work is so original and just a pleasure to look at. I could look at them for ages, they make me want to know what’s going on, what are these people in the picture thinking? He’s another one I have my eye on!
You are obviously avid art collector. What are some of your other passions?
As well as being a collector, I do also paint myself! I really love bold colours, flowers and mark making!
Follow @originalkieran on Instagram to see some of art-lover Kieran’s paintings
Check out some of Kieran's favourites; The Connor Brothers, Sara Pope, Joe Webb and Ben Eine.
Want to be featured as an Enter Collector? Tell us about yourself and if chosen as an Enter Collector you will feature in your own blog celebrating your art collection.
