Category Archives: Our Team News

Macklowe Collection

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Jonathan Horwich – Modern Art Specialist

After 10 years of legal wrangling through the divorce courts of New York, the Macklowe Collection finally hit the auction block on November 15th.

For the warring Harry and Linda Macklowe, the sale brought some partial closure to their epic divorce battle. For Sotheby’s it represents significant market share and the highest possible Art Market profile for 2021 and 2022.
For collectors worldwide it was a truly golden opportunity to pick and choose from the most important single owner collection sale in auction history. Each and every work is a Masterwork in its own right and everything is so carefully chosen, curated and of the highest quality that it would be impossible to ever put a collection like this together again. Equally the quantity of works in the collection quite simply couldn’t be sourced or is even available. This was a landmark sale in all respects, putting aside all the couple’s endless arguments, it has rewritten the record books.

In a rapidly changing Post Lockdown Art World, this collection of Modern and Contemporary Art Masterworks re-defines the boundaries of both categories. The collection was ‘guaranteed’ to sell, it was just a matter of how much it would sell for! Having been an auctioneer myself for over 30 years I could feel the excitement even from this side of the Pond, and as we got nearer to the sale itself, collectors and advisors would have all been in a heightened state of excitement.

Each of the 65 works is a masterwork and together they constitute an unrivalled ensemble that meticulously traces the most important art
historical achievements of the last 80 years.

The November 15th auction, which was held at Sotherby’s New York, featured 35 works, ranging in date from the 1940s to works painted less than a decade ago. Many artists – among them Jeff Koons, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol – are represented by multiple works, each one marking a distinct and critical moment in their respective careers, and together forming an insightful portrait of the artists’ evolution over time.

The entire group of 35 works was backed by the auction house with a guarantee and every single lot was sold, 21 lots came to the sale with ‘irrevocable bids’ and the sale total soared over its pre-sale low/high estimate expected total of between $439.4 million-$618.9 million.

This was only the first half of the 65 works in total from the Macklowes’ holdings to be auctioned off by authority of the NY Courts, the second half is to be offered in another final standalone sale devoted to the remaining works in May 2022.

The first half of the Macklowe collection sale totalled $676 million.

Here are some of my highlights:

 

 

 

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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David Oxtoby prints

If my godfather left me £5,000, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend every penny buying the suite of etchings (24), which Dave Oxtoby produced in 1974.

David Jowett Greaves Oxtoby is undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest printmakers, as the show at the British Museum proved a few summers ago. He was one of the notorious ‘Bradford Mafia’, a group of young Yorkshire artists, who after attending the Regional College of Art in Bradford, came to London to further their education at the Royal College of Art and The Royal Academy schools. As well as Oxtoby, the group included David Hockney, Norman Stevens A.R.A, John Loker and Mick Vaughn. Before he had left the Royal Academy schools, Oxtoby had his first one man show in New York. His was and is a prodigious talent.

By the early 1970s his hands were starting to crack, and he was told that he was allergic to the acrylic paints he was using. After taking medical advice, he took up etching and what a triumph that was. In collaboration with J.C. Editons he produced a suite of 24 immensely complicated, in some cases, 4 colour, etchings. I have the good fortune to own a set of artist’s proofs.

In 1974 I worked for Alex Postan Fine Art and was entrusted with getting publicity for the show of etchings, which included watercolours and acrylics as well as prints. It was the easiest job I have ever had. Marina Vaizey wrote a half page review of it in The Telegraph, Bill Packer, a half page in the Financial Times and it was in the list of the 10 best things to do this Christmas in London in the Daily Express. Rod Stewart came to the private view. Oxtoby went on to exhibit with the Redfern Gallery in Cork Street in the 70s where the private views would sell out. Elton John bought Oxtoby’s canvases in vast numbers, for prices that were somewhere between Hockney and Picasso. He is still with the Redfern.

He has had more than 50 solo exhibitions and taken part in more than 70 group shows, yet for much of the last 30 years has lived like a recluse and kept all his latest work from public scrutiny. The result of this has had an adverse effect on the value of his work.

Oxtoby has not had the recognition for the brilliance of his draftsmanship and use of colour from the establishment that his oeuvre deserves. This seems to be because his work is inspired by popular culture, pop, rock and blues music, which is considered low brow and because he works from photographs, despite knowing subjects like Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Roger Daltrey well.

He was 83 in January and is not in good health. The cracked hands, which turned him into a printmaker, were actually caused by misdiagnosed diabetes. What future generations will make of his work remains to be seen, but I believe he is ready for a critical re-assessment and should take his rightful place amongst the greats of late 20th/early 21st century British art.

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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Jenny Knott, Silver & Jewellery Specialist

There is a perennial discussion around the valuation of silver in the current market; the feeling being that the many demands on silver in industry and technology will drive the price up as demand out strips supply. Many believe that it is only a matter of time before the base metal prices soars. Some say that it is already artificially suppressed by governments. There is much speculation.

Therefore, if I have £5,000 to spend on silver maybe I should buy uncommercial silver at scrap prices, hang onto it and hedge my bets. However, apart from the possible future pay out, and that is a big ‘however; where’s the enjoyment in that?

I have always felt that first and foremost I should like to enjoy my silver, and if it appreciates then happy days, but if not, I have had the pleasure of owning beautiful and possibly also useful items.

Fashions in silver, as with everything else change. There have been shifts in the market and mid-century silver, like mid-century furniture, is seeing something of a renaissance and might be a good place to invest a few thousand pounds. Makers like Gerald Benny and Stuart Devlin were influential pioneers in post war Britain, taking some of their inspiration from the clean lines of Scandinavian silversmiths, led of course by
Georg Jensen. £5,000 would enable you to purchase something from this genre of silver. It is likely to hold its value and may continue to rise and the objects themselves are stylish and pay tribute to the metal they are worked in.

However, if I forget about future proofing my investment and simply consider having £5,000 in my hand with no caveats, I would take myself along to The Goldsmiths Hall and buy something I fell in love with. I would have an individual piece which would give me great pleasure and I would have the additional thrill of supporting both emerging and established silversmiths. It is vitally important that we nurture silversmiths and encourage and support their craft. It is because others did this in the past, that we have such a rich variety of choice available to us today.

I particularly like the sinuous feel of Adrian Hope’s work and I could well be tempted to purchase silver bowls by Annabel Hood or Juliette Bigley. The Goldsmith’s Fair is a melting pot of top contemporary talent, and it would
be an utter joy to wander around pondering my self- indulgent spend.

The Goldsmiths Hall hosts an annual event in late September and early October each year. However, individual silversmiths exhibit all year round and can be found through their web sites. After a year of being unable to exhibit in 3D the appetite for seeing potential clients and having their wares on show have a renewed piquancy.

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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Download the article here

David Oxtoby prints
If my godfather left me £5,000, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend every penny buying the suite of etchings (24), which Dave Oxtoby produced in 1974.
David Jowett Greaves Oxtoby is undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest printmakers, as the show at the British Museum proved a few summers ago. He was one of the notorious ‘Bradford Mafia’, a group of young Yorkshire artists, who after attending the Regional College of Art in Bradford, came to London to further their education at the Royal College of Art and The Royal Academy schools. As well as Oxtoby, the group included David Hockney, Norman Stevens A.R.A, John Loker and Mick Vaughn. Before he had left the Royal Academy schools, Oxtoby had his first one man show in New York. His was and is a prodigious talent.
By the early 1970s his hands were starting to crack, and he was told that he was allergic to the acrylic paints he was using. After taking medical advice, he took up etching and what a triumph that was. In collaboration with J.C. Editons he produced a suite of 24 immensely complicated, in some cases, 4 colour, etchings. I have the good fortune to own a set of artist’s proofs.

In 1974 I worked for Alex Postan Fine Art and was entrusted with getting publicity for the show of etchings, which included watercolours and acrylics as well as prints. It was the easiest job I have ever had. Marina Vaizey wrote a half page review of it in The Telegraph, Bill Packer, a half page in the Financial Times and it was in the list of the 10 best things to do this Christmas in London in the Daily Express. Rod Stewart came to the private view. Oxtoby went on to exhibit with the Redfern Gallery in Cork Street in the 70s where the private views would sell out. Elton John bought Oxtoby’s canvases in vast numbers, for prices that were somewhere between Hockney and Picasso. He is still with the Redfern.
He has had more than 50 solo exhibitions and taken part in more than 70 group shows, yet for much of the last 30 years has lived like a recluse and kept all his latest work from public scrutiny. The result of this has had an adverse effect on the value of his work.
Oxtoby has not had the recognition for the brilliance of his draftsmanship and use of colour from the establishment that his oeuvre deserves. This seems to be because his work is inspired by popular culture, pop, rock and blues music, which is considered low brow and because he works from photographs, despite knowing subjects like Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Roger Daltrey well.
He was 83 in January and is not in good health. The cracked hands, which turned him into a printmaker, were actually caused by misdiagnosed diabetes. What future generations will make of his work remains to be seen, but I believe he is ready for a critical re-assessment and should take his rightful place amongst the greats of late 20th/early 21st century British art.

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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Jonathan Horwich
Modern & Contemporary Art Specialist

I would spend my £5,000 on a limited Edition by the Japanese Contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama (born 1929).

I would choose one of her objects series, perhaps a Tea Set (below), or a group of mini pumpkins (opposite). They are all colourful, tactile, fun, attractive, look great on display and invite curiosity. Plus, they offer an investment opportunity, as Kusama’s work has an international appeal and great originality. Not only is her work recognisable, but it also proves to be a strong international brand.

Her work comes up for sale all the time, is widely available and sells well around the world. This is of key importance with art investment; the more countries you can sell in the better your chances are of some financial uplift on your purchase price.

I have chosen a few examples which I would buy in a heartbeat.

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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Aurélia Turrall, Jewellery Specialist

Autumn is upon us, and so we all prepare to bring our winter coats and hats down from the attic ready to face the colder days and chill in the air. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Who says new season, says new coats, and perhaps new jewels…

If I had £5,000 I would buy myself a beautiful Art Déco diamond double clip brooch. And that would certainly brighten up any cold day and any winter coat or hat! Why would I pick that particular piece? The answer is simple and straight forward: one can never go wrong with diamonds. Diamonds are timeless, full of fire, brilliance and sparkle. Diamonds set in Art Déco pieces are often a mix between old brilliant-cut (round) and very sharp calibré-cut. Calibré-cut is the name for those stones which have been cut to fit a precise piece of jewellery. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can be diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, onyx… the list goes on. It is that unique combination of cuts which I find fascinating and exciting when wearing a piece of jewellery. Choosing an older piece of jewellery means embracing its history. With Art Déco, the history is in the stones, but not only. The material used to mount the stones changed from gold to platinum. Platinum became a new favourite in the roaring 20s and was used by all the great designers. So much so that Cartier launched their new platinum jewellery collection on the same day they opened their studio in Paris, rue de la Paix, because of what it represented in the world of jewellery. This new technique offered more sturdiness to the pieces and brighter metal.

But Art Déco is so much more than stones and metal. It is a symbol, synonymous of freedom and order after a world in chaos. The straight lines found in Art Déco jewellery break with the traditional ribbons and swags from the Belle époque. They can appear simple but are in fact very complex, combining circular shapes with kite or baguette-cuts for example. They are designed with an edge to give women an edge. The pieces can be angular but more importantly they have clean lines, with perfect symmetry, no room for “delicacy” found in earlier jewels. Even though on close inspection, Art Déco pieces are incredibly delicate as they try to juggle new shapes, cuts and combinations of colours. With an all diamond-set piece, one is able to add it to any coloured outfit.

A double-clip brooch from that period would combine all of the above and even more. I would pick this item for its ambivalence. It can be worn as one piece, or separately, allowing to wear one part on a silk scarf, to tie the two ends together for example, and the other perhaps on one’s coat, hat or a suit.

Chic and timeless, an Art Déco piece worn in a man’s world makes a strong statement of equality and fearlessness, fitting any suit or garment with its contemporary look filled with history. 

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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By Alastair Meiklejon, Senior Valuer and Wristwatch Specialist

£5,000 – it seems like a lot of money to be spending on a watch doesn’t it? A piece of mechanical jewellery that serves pretty much no other purpose than to look good, and make the owner proud to be wearing it… however, in the world of horological collections £5,000 is almost a starting point for many top tier watches.

The watches that I have included today represent the most popular category in the market – the gentleman’s stainless steel sports watch. If you have read my articles on the Rolex Submariner, you will be aware that even trying to look at one of these brand new is somewhat akin to trying to buy toilet roll in 2020, and unless you have the contacts, don’t even think about owning one until you have been on the waiting list for years…
We will however start with a couple of notable mentions – firstly the Ulysse Nardin Diver 8163. It’s a brilliant, strong move from a company that has always had a little bit of an identity crisis – from supplying the majority of the worlds naval forces to releasing slightly risqué watches with different images from the Kama Sutra, Ulysse Nardin have always been a choice for those who wanted something a bit different and this 42mm diver is about as accessible as they will ever get, it’s a great looking watch with a bold dial and bezel, and at £5,600 (I know I am cheating a little) I think it’s a great alternative to a modern Submariner.

Second, is the Grand Seiko Sport Automatic Spring Drive GMT which also comes in at around £5,500. This is a slightly bizarre choice as Grand Seiko occupy the position as the ‘Lexus’ of the watch world – everyone knows they probably make the best product, will work brilliantly well forever and when they need servicing, it will be at a moderate cost. So why aren’t they flying off the shelves? Because of that badge unfortunately. It’s a great shame, but wearing a £5,000 watch, with the same heritage as the digital timepiece I wore to school just doesn’t create the same desire as some of the more luxury brands we all know and love.
So – what would I buy with £5,000?
There is only one option, not only do I think that this is the best watch for the money, I also think that to a certain degree, you would be hard pushed to find a better time piece in many greater price brackets.
The Omega Seamaster – it is frankly, brilliant.
Coming in at £4,450 it’s also about a grand cheaper than my other alternatives, but never looks like a cheap watch. Omega are without doubt one of the power houses of Swiss watch design, Rolex are simply young upstarts when it comes to heritage (in fact Hans Wilsdorf launched Rolex as a cheaper alternative to Omega) and Omega can claim many of the worlds most notable horological moments including the first watch on the moon. Currently though, most people will associate the brand with James Bond, and that’s ok – what better ambassador than a secret agent whom can jump
out of planes, trains and blow stuff up – all with the aid of his timepiece.
The Seamaster, in my opinion is all the watch you would ever need in this category, it’s a proper divers watch with a stunning dial, a comfortable bracelet, 300m water resistance, and a great brand heritage. There are a multitude of colours to buy them in and you can literally walk into a shop and buy one, without having to sell your soul or pay a massive premium to own one.
A great watch, at a great price point.

If I had £5,000 to invest what would I buy?

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£5,000 to buy art – sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? It is certainly a decent chunk of change to play with – large enough to focus the mind and to open the possibility of buying something a little bit more special than a decorative wall filler. Conversely, the moment one starts looking at works in a slightly higher price bracket, and by artists who have more pedigree, suddenly £5,000 doesn’t seem that much at all! A strategy is, therefore, needed if the canny buyer is to maximise their buying power.

For me, if I had £5,000 to spend on one artwork, I would adopt a twofold approach – firstly I would look to buy as good a work on paper as I could find by an artist whose work I loved, but whose paintings are out of my reach. Secondly, in order to maximise my buying power, I would concentrate my search entirely on the auction market rather than buying from a retail gallery. Buying from auction can take a little more time, and it needs a little more research by the collector, but it often allows one to buy works considerably cheaper than retail level. As a famous supermarket says – every little helps!

The artist I would buy with my £5,000 is an artist who I think is significantly undervalued in the current market, both in terms of his talent as well as in comparison to the values many of his contemporaries achieve. Keith Vaughan is a relatively overlooked Modern British artist who was born in 1912 at Selsey Bill in Sussex. He was a self-taught artist with no formal instruction in art, yet he went onto forge a highly individualist and distinctive career which has until fairly recently has been overshadowed by the giants of his generation – Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Terry Frost, Ivan Hitchens etc.

Vaughan started his career as a commercial artist when he was apprenticed at the Lintas advertising agency, from which he gained an understanding of composition and form – both essential skills in commercial art. From 1939, after he left Lintas, Vaughan became a full-time artist. With the outbreak of World War II, Vaughan declared himself a conscientious objector and joined the St John Ambulance; in 1941 he was conscripted into the Non-Combatant Corps.


During the war Vaughan formed friendships with the painters Graham Sutherland and John Minton, with whom after demobilisation in 1946 he shared premises. Through these contacts he formed part of the neo-romantic circle of the immediate post-war period. However, Vaughan rapidly developed an idiosyncratic style which moved him away from the Neo-Romantics. Concentrating on studies of male figures, his works became increasingly abstract.
Vaughan worked as an art teacher at the Camberwell College of Arts, the Central School of Art and later at the Slade School.

Throughout his life, Vaughan’s struggled with his own internal demons. Keith Vaughan was a gay man living in a time when homosexuality was illegal and actively frowned upon by Society. His struggle with his sexuality is reflected throughout his work and in his source of subject matter. Studies of figures and male nudes feature heavily in his work, although they are simplified and abstracted showing the influence of both international Modernism, Cubism his love of ballet and dance. Vaughan suffered from habitual depression and alcoholism, which eventually resulted in his suicide in 1977.

One might be forgiven for thinking that in light of all this Vaughan’s work would be negative and dour, however, this is wrong. As is often the case, personal struggles can produce works of great sensitivity and subtly. Vaughan’s work has a graphic quality that is softened by the use of a very sophisticated colour palette. They are very beautiful, elegant images.

The commercial art market has begun to reflect the increasing interest in, and appreciation of Vaughan’s work, with good examples now regularly achieving six figure sums at the auction. His works are also appearing more frequently at high end art fairs, where wall space has a commercial value, and a dealer’s decision to show a Vaughan instead of another artist is a calculated strategy, and one that reflects growing demand.

And yet, even with this increased visibility Keith Vaughan’s work is still undervalued in relation to many of his contemporaries, and it represents significant investment potential. His drawings in particular are surprisingly accessible financially and it is entirely possible to buy lovely pencil or pen and ink studies for a thousand or two, sometimes less; and more important, finished watercolours and gouaches can be bought within our £5,000 budget at auction.

How long this relative accessibility will last, I cannot say, but in my opinion now is definitely the time to buy Keith Vaughan’s work if like it and respond to it. Clearly, as always, liking an artist’s work is the primary reason for buying it, but it’s always nice to have a healthy upside too.

Licence To Spend, The True Cost of Being Bond

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By Alastair Meiklejon, Senior Valuer

Finally, this month will see the release of the much anticipated ‘No Time to Die’ – the 25th film in the James Bond series, despite a very long wait since the original release date the world is waiting to see just what Bond can offer in Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007.
It is a phenomenon that in 2021, a character such as Bond can still pull the crowds, but it’s the franchise that always wins and whatever is associated with Bond generally brings in the royalties as well. With a supposed birthday of the 11th of November 1920, he is certainly looking good for his age…
How though, has Bond changed over the years? In 1962 when ‘Dr. No’ was released, it’s doubtful that anyone could have seen just what effect the Scottish/Swiss secret agent (who was named after an expert on American birds, and one of Ian Fleming’s favourite authors) would have on films, products and computer games to name but a few.
Now, what a lot of people don’t realise is that Bond’s car was a Bentley – according to Ian Fleming – the Aston Martin came with the films, but the DB5 is now possibly the most recognisable movie car on the planet, possibly more recognisable than some of the lesser-known Bond actors (sorry, Timothy). Strangely, the most expensive example of this legend is a Bond car, but not as one might imagine. The promotional car for ‘Goldfinger’ (1964) sold a couple of years ago for close to £5,000,000 and was in remarkable condition as Mr Connery had never driven it in anger during production. To put it in context a standard DB5, minus ejector seat and oil slick jets, can be purchased for under a million.

For those with a lesser budget, my choice would always be the Alfa Romeo GTV6 driven by Roger Moore in Octopussy – obviously this was a prop car as when I owned one of these, saving the world from nuclear destruction would not have been on my agenda – just getting it to start was considered a success.

Bond’s watches are another example of how one man (and maybe a great marketing department) can change the course of a product. So, what was the first ever Bond watch on screen? It was the instantly forgettable Gruen Precision 510 (Connery’s personal watch, and worn in many other Bond outings)… but nobody cares about that and so we always talk about the Rolex Submariner 6538.

Again, the source of the watch was reputably Connery, although it has been hinted that it may have belong to production staff… with the passing of Connery, I suppose we will never get the full lowdown… what is true however is the escalating value of the 6538 along with most other vintage Rolex sports models. If you want to` be a part of the ‘Big Crown’ Rolex club, be ready to hand over close to £100,000 for a good one these days.
There are of course, again many other options for classic Bond watches, with Seiko, Breitling and most recently Omega, whom have pretty much rejuvenated a brand tanks to Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig wearing some timepieces that do far, far more than tell the time.
When we look at the clothes that Bond sports, there has always been that sartorial elegance with Bond, with Daniel Craig wearing a symphony of Tom Ford attire, with accoutrements by Sunspel, Orlebar Brown and many others but, for me nothing beats Roger Moore in the Safari Suit though, capturing a moment when being a secret agent required a pair of flared trousers, and preferably with a silk cravat.
So, over the years – many things have changed with Bond from watches, to cars, and clothing manufacturers. Hopefully, ‘No Time to Die’ will be as good as we have come to expect from 007, as nobody does it better…

Sir Terry Frost, 1915-2003

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To be asked to write an article about one of my favourite artists is truly a delight. Sir Terry Frost’s muse wasn’t a person but the Cornish town of St Ives. Thanks to Covid this unique seaside town with all its artistic heritage, glorious light, sights and sounds of the sea, which was for so long an inspiration for Terry, is now the ‘go to’ vacation spot for families across the UK, so hopefully current and future generations will get to see for themselves just what inspired Terry and so many other great artists over the years.

Terry was born and brought up in Warwickshire, he left school at 14 and started work locally, working mostly manual jobs with no sense that his natural artistic ability would ever make him a living. When war came he served as a regular soldier, first in France then the Middle East and Greece before joining the Commandos. While serving with them in Crete in June 1941 he was captured and sent to various prisons for the duration of the war. During his time at Stalag 383 in Bavaria, he met the painter Adrian Heath who saw Terry’s talent and encouraged him to paint. Terry later described these years as ‘a tremendous spiritual experience’, he felt that he had gained ‘a more aware or heightened sense of perception during my semi starvation.’




As soon as the war was over, Terry went to study at the Birmingham College of Art, he soon discovered the action was in London and moved down to Camberwell School of Art. By 1946 he had removed to study at St Ives School of painting for one year where he held his first one man exhibition in 1947. He continued his studies in London and Cornwall and when in 1950 he was elected a member of the Penwith Society, he made a move to St Ives in 1951. He later taught at Leeds and in Cyprus and finally settled in Banbury, Oxfordshire in 1963.
In 1960, Frost held his first one-man show in New York at the Bertha Schaefer Gallery. This exhibition was a seminal moment in his career and he said of this experience:
‘In New York they all came to my exhibition, de Kooning, Rothko, Klein. Newman and Motherwell all took me to their studios.

I accepted it all as normal and they accepted me. They were all painters struggling to get somewhere like I was. They worked hard; they would sleep until noon, do eight or nine hours in the studio, and then starting at eleven at night proceeded to drink me under the table! Then we’d go out at four in the morning and have breakfast at a Chinese restaurant.’

I first met Terry in the 1980’s during my early days at Christie’s, I would see him either at our auction preview ‘Drinks’ or at his shows at the Whitford gallery just around the corner in Duke Street. He was always full of fun and told great stories such as this one from his days working in the 1950’s as an assistant to the sculptor Barbara Hepworth in her studios in St Ives … Hepworth was convinced her clients would not buy her work if they knew she didn’t make everything herself, so she was understandably nervous whenever prospective clients came to visit her studios. Terry told me that whenever visits took place he and the other assistants all went down to the pub until the coast was clear. One particular day important clients were coming so Terry and the other assistants made themselves scarce in the pub as usual, expecting on their return to find the visitors long gone. However as soon they arrived back Barbara told them to hide, the clients has arrived late and were still in the house and would be coming up the path any minute now. The assistants all managed to quickly find a hiding place and Barbara began showing the clients around the garden and studio. Terry was well hidden behind a bushy tree, however he could feel all the beer was beginning to well up inside him and very soon he was going to have to pee ! He hung on and on but with the tour continuing he could hold out no longer. He couldn’t risk nipping to the loo so performed the task from his bushy hiding place thinking he had got away with it. However unknown to Terry he had unwittingly created a small river which was running swiftly down the path towards Barbara and her prospective clients, Barbara noticed the stream but luckily her clients were too busy enjoying their tour to notice and Terry got an ‘earful’ from the boss after they had gone.


Terry’s many talents were fully recognised during his long career, he was made an R.A. in 1992 and Knighted in 1998. Speaking in the 1980’s about his work he said; ‘A shape is a shape, a flower is a flower.

A shape of red can contain as much content as the shape of a red flower. I don’t see why one should have to have any association, nostalgia or evocation of any kind. It boils down
to the value of the shape and the colour.’
Terry was always making art and exploring new avenues and mediums. I went to his last London show at the Whitford Gallery to see he had totally changed his medium and had made wonderfully colourful moulded and blown glass pieces. Forever energetic and full of new ideas, Terry Frost represents all that is good and great about late 20th century British Art.