Della

Della’s interest in art was sparked at 14 when she attended a Picasso exhibition at Brighton College. She tells us: “I don’t remember why I was there, or who I was with, but I remember seeing his work and how it made me feel. From that point on I was fascinated by the art world, by art history, how it’s produced and how it makes people engage.”

Della pursued her passion to London where she studied for an Art Foundation at the Institute of Contemporary Art, which was established by Surrealist, Roland Penrose, and saw her tutored by visiting professors including American artist, Laurie Anderson. Della describes her time there as ‘a fantastically weird and wonderful experience’, which ended in her meeting her now husband of 40 years, and in true rock and roll style, jacking it in to go on tour around the USA with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Della returned to her love of art after starting a family, achieving a degree in Humanities with a focus on Art History. What kept her coming back for more? Della tells us: “I love art’s ability to take people out of themselves and to another place, where they think differently, or comprehend something differently. For me, that’s what art is about, and the possibilities of where it can take you are endless.”

Speaking about her favourite part of working at Enter Gallery, Della reveals: “I call it ‘The Face’. When you see a client who is absolutely enamoured with the artwork that they buy, they get ‘the face’ – you can see their connection with it, and how much they want to have it in their home. If you can help them find that right piece, it’s fabulous.”

If you could go back in time and hang out with artists from any artistic movement, who would you choose and why?

“The Surrealists because you just know they’d have the best parties. Dali in particular – if he can bring a cheetah to dinner, he must know how to party.”

What would you steal in a high stakes art heist?

“It’s got to be the Mona Lisa, because it’s the most famous piece in the world. It would be a difficult challenge, but I’d give Tom Cruise a call…see if he’s available to help out.”

If you could emulate the style of one artist, who would it be?

“Rather than choosing one artist, I’m going to choose one specific artwork that I would like to emulate - Guernica by Picasso, because of the sheer power and relevance of the piece.

The story behind the artwork is fascinating. Picasso made it in 1948 for the opening of the United Nations and it was in New York for a long time. Picasso said he’d never allow it to go back to Spain while Franco was alive because Franco had allowed the Nazi bombing raid on Guernica in the north of Spain that decimated the place. When Franco died, the piece was returned to Madrid, where it has its own museum.

Guernica represents everything I love about art. The provenance of it, why it was created, what it’s saying and where it takes you. Art isn’t produced in a bubble. It’s a reaction to life and it has the power to say so much.”

Why do you think art is important?

“Art is important because it expands the mind and keeps people curious, and it’s this curiosity that keeps us growing and moving forward - as people and as a society.”

Who is an artist that you think is one to watch?

“For pure artistic ability I have to say Fanakapan, because his technique is just brilliant. Mr Cenz is also a fantastic craftsman – to be able to create such lifelike portraits with just spray paint is incredible.”