Headlines
Virtually Stunning
01 April 2021
Passionate about art and determined to promote his business despite the challenges of Covid, Graham Hunter has had great success with online exhibitions – raising his gallery’s profile and winning support from artists and customers in the process.
Graham traditionally ran a full programme of physical exhibitions showing original paintings and drawings by new and established artists, alongside limited edition prints and lithographs. Over the years, artists featured in the gallery have included Henri Matisse, Fernand Leger, Francis Bacon, Jim Dine, Picasso, Marc Chagall and many others.
In order to attract a new online audience, however, Graham wanted to focus on emerging artists who would create interest and debate and the gallery’s website currently showcases a stunning array of talent across a wide spectrum of genres.
Graham’s blueprint for online exhibitions is something that he will continue to use through 2021, even as restrictions relax, as events in the virtual world can be attended by so many more people! Graham holds previews on Zoom for his virtual exhibitions with the artists taking part in a question and answer session. These forums, not surprisingly, can be quite lively!
Contemporary artists featured virtually to date include Jane Clatworthy. She believes the male nude is underrepresented in recent art history and says: "I aim to disrupt ‘the gaze’ that falls so strongly on the female form, and I'm pushing back against the idea that ‘beauty’ of the human form is found predominantly in the feminine". She has therefore positioned herself right at the forefront of artists confronting patriarchal stereotypes.
Henrietta Stuart was a great success with her Extravagant Light – Location and Imagination show, featuring gorgeous landscapes. This was both in terms of sales as well as interest levels and engagement.
Drawn to Carbon was another exhibition that attracted considerable interest. Curated by Elina Cerla and Graham Hunter, it focused on drawing as a fundamental act and the selection is purposefully monochrome.
Resurfacing was an exhibition of paintings by three well established female artists. All work was executed during the Covid-19 Lockdown, and each represents a personal response by the artist when forced to reassess or embrace their established practice.
Graham believes that the key to successful online exhibitions is to feature impactful art, and create a very simple yet stylish online experience that allows the art to shine with simple flags for the title, the medium, the size and the price – with plenty of links for those wanting more detail.
“People are unlikely to buy online unless they know what they are buying,” he says, “but having a serious digital presence has given us a massive boost in terms of profile and engagement. I am also using Facebook and Instagram in particular to spread the word.”
Find out more about Graham’s plans on social media @grahamhuntergallery or via the website.
www.grahamhuntergallery.co.uk
