I went home for the weekend and my parents and I took a visit to the new Castle Fine Art space on the Stamford high street. We went on the day of the Lawrence Coulson grand opening so there was a definite buzz about the gallery – champagne was being given and the sales experts were very well dressed and welcoming. It was great to see paintings coming to life in front of your eyes.
They certainly instilled their passion in every customer who walked through the doors while we were in there. We were very much first-time browsers; however the gallery obviously attracted the more seasoned collector. The gallery appeared to be designed with comfort and ambiance in mind – with the main aim of getting guests to stay longer and consider a purchase. The space has plush sofas and private viewing rooms that equip the customer with everything they need to find their perfect piece.
Similarly, the sofas also make the space feel homely and invite the guests to imagine themselves looking at the art in the comfort of their own home. The pieces that I saw would certainly make a statement in a home and therefore I feel that if the customer had an empty space, the home could be built around the artwork, making it unique to the individual.
What I think worked really well was the fact the furniture makes the viewer notice the art, with each piece making an individual impact, no matter the size. It also allowed the contrast between each artist’s work even more evident.
I was drawn to Coulson’s work in particular. During A Level Art, my preferred media was oil paint as I enjoyed seemly blending the colours together. Lawrence uses a simple pencil line to map out the composition, and then he applies oil paint before blending it with his fingers and again with a fine brush. Although layering is used, this is not evident to the eye; it appears so smooth with no brush strokes visible and creates an effortless finish.
Rachel
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