Star gazing
SYRETT, the artist behind online Runway Gallery, tells us about his line-up of creatives, plans for the gallery and why beauty in art is key
Where did the impulse for the creation of Runway Gallery come from?
I come from the fashion industry originally and that was influential when I was developing the Runway Gallery site. There’s been a big discussion in the art world about whether fashion should be within the arts. It sounds ridiculous, because it should be. Creating a fashionfocused gallery seemed like a natural thing to do and I knew it would stand out from everything else out there. The fashion aspect is because it is something I love. It’s been a big part of my life and my career – and it also seemed like an interesting new way to whittle out the right artists.
How do you find the artists for the gallery?
Instagram is very instrumental in my search; I utilised it a lot in the beginning – and I still use it now. Some of the artists don’t use fashion in their work, but they come from that industry. We’ve got a new artist coming on board who has been a fashion designer for years – Chinakwe. About a third of the artists on the site are people that I already knew – photographers I’ve worked with, for example, or friends of mine who are artists.
What do you look for in the work?
The prerequisite of Runway Gallery art is beauty. Beauty has become a bit of a dirty word in the art world. You’ve got the gritty aesthetic of street art and then you go into galleries and it’s about concepts, and it’s not necessarily about what is visually pleasing. So, the first thing is beauty. The next is what I call the extraordinary. I’ve got Martha Haversham coming onto the site, for example. She goes for walks and finds detritus and rubbish, and turns it into prints for her Found Fashion collection. They’re just so simple and clever. Finally, it comes down to quality: the standard of the work on the site. Everybody on Runway Gallery is of an exceptionally high standard.
Which artists are proving the early favourites?
We’ve had success with Louise Dear; Olly Howe has also done really well. The whole concept of Runway Gallery has been much more successful than I had anticipated. We’ve had major interest from interior designers, too, which I certainly didn’t expect to happen at this stage. We’ve had talks about doing all the artwork for a hotel. We’re also looking to provide the artwork for a private club. And we’ve had interest from an interior designer for three pieces by Bruce Atherton to go to Miami.
Can you tell us what will be the highlights for Runway Gallery in 2019?
I’m planning an extensive exhibition that’s happening in my hometown of Leeds this autumn. I’ve been invited by Black Box, who have teamed up with Land Securities and the Trinity Centre in Leeds, to exhibit my work, and I’ve extended this to the Runway Gallery artists. I’m thinking of calling it Salon Noir, after the cave in the south of France, which has Palaeolithic drawings. The Runway Gallery artists are all doing new work and creating what I call ‘museum’ pieces, so they’re not necessarily things to go into people’s homes. I’m also looking to get a space in London, which I can use as a permanent gallery.
Do you think it’s important to have a physical space for the work?
Yes, I think so – people are prepared to spend a lot of money on the internet for the art, but they also want to see it.