GALLERIES

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SEPTEMBER 2017 GALLERIES 39
M AY FA I R a r o u n d
Fashion and Art. The two, a pair which traditionally
and historically seek inspiration from one another,
but at the same time, in the case of Mayfair, the
galleries continue to jostle with the international
retail brands for space.
As the retailers acquire further spaces on the
area’s famed streets, they are creating visual
masterpieces, experiential stores where one visits
over an afternoon. The space as well as the content
is the attraction, something which has not escaped
the galleries as well as the retailers – for example
this spring Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac opened at
Ely House in Dover Street. New York architect
Annabelle Selldorf remodelled the imposing listed
18th century mansion of 16,000 square feet into
five floors of elegant separate galleries.
Following the trend, galleries and museums are
thinking beyond the traditional preview nights,
followed by long term exhibitions, instead they are
streaming their preview nights live, like the fashion
week catwalk’s, hosting shorter exhibitions and
converting social media engagement into sales.
With so many retail and gallery flagships arriving,
Mayfair is burnishing its crown as the leader of
luxury in Europe. Dior, known as the Dior Town
House, is a quintessential store evoking many a
Parisian memory.
Meanwhile plans are fully underway for British
fashion designer Stella McCartney as she moves
her store from Bruton Street to Old Bond Street.
The town house will feature three floors of retail
space including a VIP suite overlooking Old Bond
Street. Sitting elegantly across from Royal Arcade,
the headquarters will operate from the remaining
floors. Architect Househam Henderson is
responsible for transforming the space, whose
recent projects include Elie Saab. I did mention the
courtyard, didn’t I?
Elizabeth Attew of
looks at the bigger picture
D I A R Y d a t e
September 9-17: Bridport & West Dorset Open
Studios.
Over 78 of Dorset’s finest artists and makers open
their galleries and studios with painting, printmaking,
illustration, ceramics, jewellery, textiles and more.
ART FOR LIFE
Charity Auction
CHRIS BEETLES GALLERY
Thursday 2 November 2017
CHRIS BEETLES GALLERY
8 &10 Ryder Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6QB
020 7839 7551 • gallery
Artists taking part include Royal
Academicians and members of the Royal
Watercolour Society and New English Art
Club, and are amongst the most celebrated
artists in this country.
ARTISTS
Diana Armfield, Richard Bawden, Sir Peter Blake,
Alan Cotton, Patrick Cullen,Tracey Emin,
Annabel Fairfax, Judith Gardner, Keith Grant,
Ken Howard, Chris Orr, Richard Pikesley,
Salliann Puttnam, Barbara Rae, Ruth Stage
& Duncan Wood
Champagne Reception 6-8pm
Live Auction 7pm
Auctioneer
JEFFREY ARCHER
RSVP gallery
Richard Pikesley, Boat Road & Walkers, Lyme Regis
View the works in the gallery and on our website
from 28 October
Gerry Dudgon
‘Path to the Trees’
(detail)