Where are you from originally? Where do you consider home?
Originally from New York area, currently living in London. Both cities are close to my heart and feel like home.
Something you cannot live without?
My friends and family, certainly.
Most unexpected source of inspiration?
I have always found inspiration meandering around cities and I get really excited about unusual colour combinations. An unexpected source of inspiration comes from a slew of paint swatches from The Little Greene Company’s ‘Periods’ collection which I enjoy looking through from time to time.
Favourite place you’ve visited?
I suppose it would be London, as that it why I moved here! The first time I visited it poured rain for a week straight, but it didn’t matter, I had been completely and utterly charmed.
Highlight of your career so far?
I curated a show this past autumn in Tracey Emin’s longtime former studio. Set on the site of a 17th century silk mill, the Victorian building is a special piece of East London history. In terms of upcoming projects, I curated an exhibition for Fortnum and Mason aligned with the unveiling of their renovation, which opens this week and is on view for three months.
The most inspiring person you’ve ever met?
My grandfather. His zest for life was unparalleled! He was a chemist, spoke eight languages and learned the trumpet in his late seventies.
Best and worst piece of advice you’ve been given?Â
A mantra I’ve always followed is to say yes even if it means being vulnerable. Say yes to the blind coffee meeting, the party where you only know the host, moving to a city where you don’t know anyone.
Art can really exist in many forms. To me it’s about a creative experience that informs, inspires beauty, heightens the senses, so on and so forth.
Tell us one thing few people know about you?
In my professional life there’s few people that know I play guitar.
One item you cannot work without?
Every since I was young I have always had the compulsion to carry around a little notebook and a black pen. The paper has to be completely blank without lines on it, for this makes me feel less constrained.Â
What does art mean to you?
It’s hard to pin down, as art can really exist in many forms. To me it’s about a creative experience that informs, inspires beauty, heightens the senses, so on and so forth. Â
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m usually reading several books simultaneously, right now it’s Anna Keay’s The Restless Republic and I am re-reading Virgina Woolf’s Orlando after seeing the beautiful Emma Corrin adaptation in London last month. Favourite book on my coffee table at this time is Voluptuous Panic by Mel Gordon, which details the wild and experimental nature of Weimar Berlin.
Your most prized possession?
The first academic journal I was published in. I have it stowed away in a special corner of my bookcase.
Strangest job you’ve ever had?
I interned for a genealogical institution for a semester. It was all quite random, as I walked into the building from off the street because I was curious about their archives and then left with an internship offer.Â
Is there anything you wish you were asked more often?
To meet for a very early morning coffee! I have always been an early bird.Â
Do you have any superstitions?
Superstitions, can’t say that I have any.
What kind of artwork do you like to surround yourself with or be in the company of?
I gravitate towards works that are moody.Â
What advice would you give to someone looking to buy their first artwork?
Go on a studio visit with the artist, if you can.
What was the first piece of artwork you purchased, and how did you feel?
As a teenager, I was wandering through an antique shop and saw this impasto painting by an unknown artist that I purchased.Â
What are you looking for in a piece of art at the moment?
I love visceral, emotive work. Lately I have found myself particularly drawn to surrealist photography.
What is your relationship with social media?
I mainly post about art shows I am visiting or curating.Â
What are some things you’re most passionate about outside of work?
I go to many concerts from smaller places in Camden with lesser-known artists to every once in a while a show at a historic venue like the Royal Albert Hall.
Can you tell us about your selection of artists and works in Révéler?
I thought it would be nice to choose artists who work in a range of mediums: photography, painting, works on paper, sculpture, and from a variety of countries: Germany, America, Australia, the United Kingdom. They have vastly different approaches to portraying women and the body, yet there is such commonality in the thoughtfulness behind their practice.Â
