In this column, David Hughes, chairman of the Arts Society Glaven Valley talks about our ongoing fascination with art, Banksy and the latest online trends.
There’s something about an auction sale, isn’t there? On most days, the TV series 'Bargain Hunt' can be found on at least one TV channel.
We all thrill on those rare occasions when a £50 purchase sells for several hundred. And we sympathise (or smirk) when the very expensive item sells for a farthing.
Who doesn’t want that golden gavel? It’s exciting to watch and more so to take part.
In North Norfolk, there are plenty of opportunities to experience bargain hunting, and enjoy the sights and sounds of a busy auction house.
Several regular auctions take place in Norfolk, on a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis. You can buy antique and household furniture, art and collectables, farm and machinery equipment, jewellery, ceramics, glassware, clocks, watches, building materials and so much more.
At James Beck Auction in Fakenham every Thursday, you can see an auction room for a working town in a still rural community, with a flea market run by the family closeby, or you can visit the 'top tier' Keys Auction House in Aylsham, where there is more focus on fine arts items in their regular sales.
The Arts Society Glaven Valley, at Cley Village Hall, recently heard a brilliant talk by Dr Tom Flynn on the history of fine art auctions.
While auctions as a means of trade go back as far as slave auctions in ancient Rome and Greece, the 'modern' auction houses started to be formed in the 18th Century.
The world saw a post-war boom in Impressionist art sales. The 1980s were boom years for art sales for modern art.
Then the 1990s turned to bust as prices fell in the wake of global recession. In the new millennium, the trend is towards financialisation of the market, and soaring prices.
Banksy’s infamous artwork 'Love is in the Bin' even half shredded itself at the very moment it was being auctioned, immediately adding considerable value to the work!
Purchasers - often oil-rich Middle Eastern states - are buying at auctions and privately to acquire assets and increase their global reputations.
Predictably too, international organised crime groups are regular bidders, using auctions to launder their proceeds of crime.
Currently, the fashionable market is turning towards works of art that exist only in cyberspace, sometimes even created by artificial intelligence machines without human hand.
Make a visit to one of the North Norfolk auction houses. You may not see an exotic potentate spending millions, or a Banksy being shredded in front of you, but you will enjoy that real thrill of the bargain hunt and the hunters!
The next meeting of the Arts Society Glaven Valley at Cley Village Hall is on Tuesday, February 21 at 1.45pm for a 2.15pm start when expert Pamela Campbell-Johnson will be talking about the photographer Jorge Lewinski.
Born in Lwow, Poland (now Ukraine) in 1921, he has an unparalleled reputation for portraits of the iconic British painters and sculptors of the 20th Century.
Lewinski photographed over 300 leading British artists principally between 1962 and 1995, revealing the character of each sitter as both a person and as an artist.
Among others, he captured through his lens David Hockney, Henry Moore, Anthony Gormley and Barbra Hepworth. His work is often found for sale by auction today. Lewinski’s photos are frequently found in auction catalogues.
The Arts Society Glaven Valley (TASGV) meets for lectures on the arts, in the widest sense, once a month on the third Tuesday, from September to June.
In addition to its expert monthly lectures, TASGV organises a programme of Study Days, Visits and social occasions.
It also supports a Young Arts Group and other volunteering activities such as producing Trails of Discovery for local historic churches and venues. Membership of TASGV costs £45 a year. You can come as a guest to see if you enjoy our meeting.
There is free parking in the car park next to the village hall. New members are welcomed and you can find out how to join on our website www.theartssocietyglavenvalley.org.uk
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