Curator, artwork advisor, and Director of Reasonably priced Artwork Truthful UK, Hugo Barclay is a Visitor Decide for Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025. With an acute understanding of the gallery ecosystem, he’s notably enthusiastic about nurturing residing artists and the galleries supporting them. On this interview, he discusses his artistic background, what made him select his Decide’s Alternative Award winner final yr, and leaning into his instincts when trying by the entries.
Visitor Judges
Anita Klein: Printmaker and painter, fellow and previous president of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers
Anne Rothenstein: Artist represented by Stephen Friedman Gallery, RWA Academician
Péjú Oshin: Curator, author, and lecturer whose work sits on the intersection of artwork, type, and tradition
Hugo Barclay: Director of Reasonably priced Artwork Truthful UK, Curator, and Artwork Advisor
Joshua Donkor: Artist, member of the Modern British Portrait Painters
Andrew Torr: Artist, winner of Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 along with his portray ‘Property’
Interview with Hugo Barclay
Josephine: Welcome again to the judging panel for the third yr! Are you able to inform us just a little bit about your journey within the artwork world and the way it led to your present position as director of the artwork agency UK?
Hugo: My journey into the artistic business actually got here from my childhood. I come from a household of creatives; each my mother and father are working towards vocational artists, so I grew up at house with a studio. So the thought of ideation, of constructing artwork and of artistic freedom got here very naturally. On the age of 12, I used to be awarded an Artwork and Design Scholarship, and that gave me the boldness to leap into the business and discover the thought of understanding tips on how to see.
Early in my profession, I rapidly got here to phrases with the concept that I needed to focus extra on the industrial facet of the business. So I’ve curated exhibitions, labored with galleries to leverage the web, labored on artwork commissions and naturally, artwork gala’s, which is what I do now. Artwork gala’s convey collectively each an enormous quantity of people that wish to purchase and interact with artwork, and naturally, the artwork galleries, who help all of the represented artists who work tirelessly to supply artwork.
The Jackson’s Artwork Prize stand at Reasonably priced Artwork Truthful, 2024
Josephine: Final yr, you selected Sugar Plum Phrases, as your Judges Alternative Award winner. What was it about Melanie Berman’s work that spoke to you, and was it exhausting to decide on a favorite from the longlist?
Hugo: It actually is a difficult goal to undergo so many submissions and select only one particular person from 1000’s, however Melanie’s work actually stood out to me. There was an attention-grabbing relationship between the color, form, and damaging house in her follow. That drew me in and needed me to discover extra concerning the interaction of these issues.
Sugar Plum Phrases, 2024
Melanie Berman
Acrylic on linen, 70 x 60 cm | 27.55 x 23.62 in
Josephine: What did you discover most pleasing when judging the competitors final yr, and had been there any memorable moments?
Hugo: It’s the third time that I’ve judged Jackson’s Artwork Prize, and one of many issues that I discover so pleasing about judging it’s that it’s a prize for all visible artists. We see 1000’s of submissions which are actually worldwide, artists from throughout borders. And likewise we now have artists which are actually early stage, early profession artists by to established artists.
Josephine: What exhibitions or artists have impressed you over the past yr?
Hugo: One of many exhibitions that I all the time look ahead to seeing yearly is the members’ present on the Edinburgh Printmakers. I spend a whole lot of time up in Scotland, and Edinburgh Printmakers is an excellent establishment that has a whole bunch of members; artists which are concerned within the artwork of printmaking. The members’ present on the finish of November showcases all kinds of what the members have been producing yearly, and it’s only a actually heat, beautiful present.
Edinburgh Printmakers Members Present 2024
Photograph credit score: Alan Dimmick
Josephine: What is going to you be searching for within the submissions this yr?
Hugo: There are two issues I’ll be searching for in submissions. The primary is consistency – I feel that it’s necessary to see how follow has developed – not essentially an artist doing the identical factor time and again, however actually consistency in a holistic manner about your follow: is it grounded across the identical matters and identical topics?
And the second factor is for artists to be themselves. You is perhaps submitting a submission that’s going to get judged by exterior individuals, however don’t produce artwork for us judges, produce artwork for your self. That’s actually necessary, and that can come throughout in your follow.
Guests take a look at Watering by Daisuke Minowa (left) and Sugar Plum Phrases by Melanie Berman (proper) on the Personal View night.
Josephine: What’s your favourite a part of the artwork gala’s and why?
Hugo: We’re actually trying ahead to having Jackson’s Artwork Prize again for the showcase on the Hampstead Truthful in 2025. One of many issues that I look ahead to is reconnecting with our galleries. We’ve got some galleries which have been displaying with us for 20 years, after which we now have some galleries the place it’s their first time taking part in our gala’s. I simply love reconnecting with our galleries and their sellers, and speaking to them concerning the new artists that they’re bringing on and which are taking part this yr, and simply speaking store with them.
The Jackson’s Artwork Prize stand at Reasonably priced Artwork Truthful, 2024
Josephine: What recommendation would you give to artists submitting their work to the competitors this yr?
Hugo: The recommendation that I might recommend artists take into consideration when submitting artworks are a few issues. The primary is don’t overthink. I’d a lot somewhat you get the work over the road and submit it, than get consumed overthinking whether or not you’re submitting the proper factor or not the proper factor.
The second is from a holistic perspective, simply be your self and submit works which are actually about you, and your soul will shine by your work in the event you try this. Don’t submit works that you simply suppose we must always see, however submit works which are actually about your follow.
And the third level is to be inspired. Do not forget that though there are millions of submissions, you actually have a combating probability to be chosen for one of many prizes. It’s an especially common competitors however be inspired – it’s a really clear competitors that you’ve a possibility to win.
Guests view the First Prize winner, Property by Andrew Torr.
How do you steadiness private desire with broader traits within the artwork world when making your judgement?
Hugo: I discover traits are usually fairly short-term and never timeless. I’d encourage all artists which are contemplating submitting works not to have a look at traits, however actually be a person and submit works for your self. With private preferences, I’m very conscious that all of us have unconscious biases primarily based on what we’ve been uncovered to. I don’t are inclined to struggle them… I feel that if I lean into these instincts, then I’ll actually select the artwork that I join with and interact with.
Watch our interview with Hugo Barclay on Instagram
Additional Studying
How We Collaborate With Artists
Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 Exhibition on the Reasonably priced Artwork Truthful
Artwork Truthful Guidelines for Artists
Professional Recommendation on Making Your Means as an Artist
Go to Jackson’s Artwork Prize web site
