We are excited to have Nicholas Campbell taking over the OD account all this week. Sharing some of his favourite all time photographic prints but also some of his highlights from the results of our first open call competition, HOME.
Nicholas Campbell is a London-based Art Consultant specialising in modern and contemporary art at the accessible end of the art market. With a huge amount of experience in the industry and having worked with some of the biggest names, we can’t wait to see his selection. Don’t miss it!
@odtakeovers – or see some of his selections from HOME below
Hi, I’m Nick from @narcissusarts1, an art advisor based here in London who has the pleasure of taking over the OD Instagram this week. Photography is a medium that I have always been drawn, so I am constantly on the lookout for rising stars and hidden talent to advise clients to buy. This new Open Doors Competition, ‘Home’ has uncovered some exciting, skilled work, my favourites of which I will be showcasing throughout the week, starting today.
Everything in this image by Giorgia Belotti perfectly encapsulates what most of us have felt during this recent period, especially for those of us in self-isolation. Trapped, confused, wrapped up in our familiar, and unfamiliar, new surroundings, not knowing when we can untangle ourselves from life’s rigid constraints. But just like Bellotti herself encapsulated here, the darkness is receding, and we are all starting to break out of our Chrysalis’s, as new versions of ourselves.
Above:
Giorgia Bellotti
Quarantine Diary 1
Another favourite of mine from the recent ‘Home’ competition has to be this wonderful image by Paul Freeth. To me, this image is a snapshot of what so many of us have been through; for the past two months, a third of the world has been constrained to our homes, the majority of us forbidden from enjoying the pleasures of the countryside. Similar to the smiling face in this image, all we have been able to do is look in wonder through panes of glass, watching from afar as spring passes us by.
Above:
Paul Freeth
Untitled 5
Whether we have been trying to re-create famous masterpieces or bake banana bread at home, people have become so creative in these times, drawing upon their surroundings and making do with what they’ve got. In my eyes, there is no better example of this than this superb still life by Vicente Manssur. Here we see an excellent composition of bottled water, vegetables and photographic film, being bathed in the sunlight of a setting sun. His understanding of colour, form and lighting is impressive, and I love the contrast between the objects in the foreground and their shadows in the back—what a fantastic little image.
Above:
Vicente Manssur
Still Life
From one accomplished still life to another, this time by Benedetta Ristori. Once again, this photographer shows real skill in composition and light. I love how the actual subject matter is blurred or out of sight, and instead, we are left with the subject matter only being presented as shimmering shadows in the background. Ristori’s play on surfaces is also intriguing; are we looking at a reflection, or perhaps through a door? It all adds to the overall ambiguity of the piece. I also like that there is a hint of Mapplethorpe about it.
Above:
Benedetta Ristori
Pink Orchid
Here we have this very eye-catching image by Alex Fell. Taken while isolating at his parent’s house in the English countryside, he gives us a glimpse of what country life has been like. Rolling green hills, pastured meadows and unbridled horses are running free. Not one human insight tainting the landscape. Although not the most elegant pose, congrats to Alex for capturing this shot, and evoking such beauty.
Above:
Alexander Fell
White Horse
From a rural idyl to urban decay, we have this haunting but beautiful image by Margaret Durow. As we know all too well, the majority of towns and cities have been left empty, except for the occasional food shopper or energetic runner. Just as this crow shows, nature has been allowed to explore these urban jungles, uninhibited. Traffic lights stop no one, and walkways sit empty. What I particularly like about this solitary crow is that it can symbolise what so many who have self-isolated have felt; still in the middle of things, but still feeling so alone.
Above:
by Margaret Durow
Crow
Nicholas Campbell, Narcissus Arts
Nicholas Campbell is a London-based Art Consultant who established Narcissus Arts in 2010. Narcissus Arts is the UK’s leading contemporary art consultancy specialising in modern and contemporary art under £10,000. Since then, Nicholas has helped private, corporate and commercial national and international clients buy artworks from some of the most exciting, emerging and established artistic talents on the market for a limited budget.
In addition to this, Nicholas is also founded Campbell Art Advisory, who specialise in sourcing the best contemporary art for clients with a more substantial budget, alongside his cousin, who advises on the Old Master side.
Nicholas is the winner of the Spear’s Young Turk Art Adviser award 2014. He stands as an Ambassador by The Photographers’ Gallery, Frieze Art Fairs and The Cultivist. Nicholas is frequently invited to speak at national and international events on collecting art and the art market. Nick and his companies have featured in publications ranging from The Financial Times, Vanity Fair, and New York Times, to industry titles such as Artsy and The Arts Newspaper.