Tuesday 15 November 2011

Q & A with Ryan Stanier

The Other Art Fair opens at 5pm on Thursday 24th of November at The Bargehouse. (Tickets are available through the website: theotherartfair.com)
The Other Art Fair provides "a fresh, open platform to connect art buyers of all tastes and experience directly with young, emerging artists before they are signed. Visitors can buy direct from 100 of the UK's best unrepresented artists. All artists chosen by our selection committee of experts 1,000+ pieces to buy from £100 - Not just an art fair, an art experience – loads of fun and interactive activities. Located next to the iconic OXO Tower."
Rebel magazine had a few questions for the fair's director: Mr Ryan Stanier...


The Rebel: What's the Ryan Stanier story - where are you from, what's your background?
Ryan: "Not that exciting a story I am afriad, grew up in Surrey, went to Kingston Business School. I can pinpoint the time when art really became central to my life. I went to see a Russian Art exhibition at the V & A whilst I was still at school and was just blown over by it."

How did you get to be a director of an art fair?
"I have a background in running succesfull exhibitions and events in Fashion, Wine and Art as well as running Pop-Up galleries featuring graduate artists so I guess the Other Art Fair is the marriage of the two."

What's your favourite gallery and what's the best art show you've ever seen?
"The Josh Lilley Gallery or Saatchi. The latter because I think he has a similar ethos of looking for new talent. Best exhibition would be the Russian one I mentioned previously purely because it changed my life."

Do you think going to art school is always the best route an artist can take? Do you have any advice for young people who feel that making art is what they should do with their life but are unsure of how to pay the bills?
"Depends really – I think they most important this is to do what you love. I think that is what I admire most about artists, their love is their work despite the difficulties they face. They don’t become artists they are artists that are constantly evolving."

What do you like most about London? Can you describe a perfect day in the capital?
"The energy of London - perfect day...I guess Breakfast in Primrose Hill, Watch Brentford beat Man Utd followed by celebratory drinks and dinner in the Owl and the Pussycat in Shoreditch."

Are you a bitter man? Are there things that happened to you in your early years you feel angry about?
"Definitely not bitter. Having only just turned 30 I think I’ll need another 10 years to think about it!"

Name some of your favourite films, CDs, plays, brands
"True Romance – Quintin Tarantino, Hendrix, led zeppelin, Anna Calvi,
Dizzee Rascals first album."

Tell us about the Other Art Fair team. Who are the people who helped you make your art fair dreams a reality?
"I think any successful event is based on teamwork rather than an individual and I have been lucky enough to have an incredible team of Sarah, Erica and Georgia that have been there since the beginning."

What next for Ryan Stanier? Do you have a 5 year plan or dreams of world domination?
"Yes – World domination by The Other Art Fair is a definite plan!I would love to go international but first we are going to make the Other Art Fair a success here in the UK. We have so much talent here in the UK that I want to focus on that for the moment."

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