British artist Lincoln Townley has launched a new collection of works called “Anti-Frieze” motivating artists to market their own works.
Townley, one of the UK’s leading and most successful figurative artists has launched the attack on Frieze London, the annual contemporary art fair which opens on Wednesday, October 9.
The self-taught artist married to British actress Denise Welch is well established in the global art market and is now collected across the world including America, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.
Townley, who has just celebrated ten years of his successful Bankers Collection, has made a name for himself for his stance against galleries and the extraordinary commissions they take from artists.
Many in the art world privately complain about giving away a minimum of 50% commission to galleries and exhibitions whereas Townley has championed the principle of buying directly from the artist.
This year’s Frieze takes place from October 9-13 in a huge tent in London’s Regent’s Park, an event that was first launched in 2003.
Instead of joining this art circus in Frieze’s tent in the park, Townley has put on his own sold-out £1million show at London’s The Colony Club, which purposely launched the same week as Frieze London as Anti-Frieze exhibition.
He did this to demonstrate to artists one important thing – you don’t need galleries, artists make the best salespeople because they know their work.
Townley said: “The cold shoulder that the traditional art markets like Frieze London give to artists has encouraged me to create ‘Anti-Frieze’ which is designed to highlight how these events prevent many artists from being seen.
“It is extremely difficult to exhibit at Frieze and artists cannot represent themselves, they must have a suitable gallery backing them. These galleries then take at least 50 per cent commission from artists on works sold.
“From an art buyer’s point of view, this is crazy because if you buy directly from the artist the works will be half the price.
“If someone buys art for £500,000 the painting is only worth just over half that, it just doesn’t make sense and many artists have for many years felt let down by the cosy work of galleries and some major exhibitions.”
He added: “My new collection is an addition to the Bankers and is born out of my curiosity of what high-flying bankers and financial traders got up to in the years the Colony Rooms was open (1950-2008).
“I have always been interested in mischief in Soho, the area cleaned itself up but it still has an energetic spark which other parts of London lack. It is fiercely independent which is what I am.
“My work has always been about what successful people are willing to do to succeed. 80% of my collectors work within the financial industry and these are the people who have bought out the entire collection of eight new oil paintings.
“In the true nature of the great contemporary artist Francis Bacon, I have wanted to sell all these works directly to my collectors as I do not want to share any of the profits with an art agent or gallery, a model that I believe Francis Bacon would be proud of.
“These works have been created as a homage to his legacy. Like many artists, Bacon had a history of frustration at the beginning of his career when his works weren’t taken seriously enough to be shown in galleries.”
Townley celebrated ten years of the successful Bankers Collection with a special show at the world-renowned La Biennale in Venice earlier this year.
It was the London-born artist’s biggest show to date at the prestigious Palazzo Bembo on The Grand Canal and featured a collection of 24 abstract figurative oil paintings exploring the controversial obsession with money, power and greed focussing on the world of bankers.
One of the UK’s most successful modern artists, Townley’s dramatic rise to fame in the global art market has seen him grow from ten years ago to today where his work sells for in excess of £1million.
His original oil paintings of demons drawn from the unconscious mind, have been exhibited at major international galleries including the National Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Los Angeles and the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Townley is also known for his celebrated and highly collectable ICONS series being commissioned to paint many of the world’s biggest icons including Charlie Sheen, Al Pacino, and Sir Michael Caine.
The portraits of stars Lincoln has painted also include the annual BAFTA honourees, Dame Judi Dench, John Cleese, Kate Moss, Charlie Sheen, Russell Brand, Leonardo Di Caprio, Marlon Brando, Princess Diana, Mohammed Ali, David Bowie, Pele, Ronaldinho and many others.
Lincoln painted Sir Michael Caine and his wife Shakira, after presenting him the painting the legendary actor said: “There’s no doubt in my opinion that Lincoln is the next Andy Warhol.”
The global launch at La Biennale of 24 works of art depicts banker’s desires and the need to succeed. The collection shows graphically the layers of our lives controlled by the use of oil paint in the twisted, empty faces.
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