MEET THE
EXPER T S
PHIL COLES
How and when did you get your start in the art business? What is your position today? Can you give us a brief overview of how you got there? Our family began in the art business in 1977 at Nature’s Scene and Art of Trader Horn. I was just 12 years old. My first job was to make adjustments in price lists and other clerking tasks. At 16, I was head shipper and by 17, I started in sales. I’ve been representing artists since I was 17 and I am now 48.
Why do you think art is an essential part of our lives? Why is it important to you personally? You could survive on potatoes and rice, but wouldn’t you rather have the variety that is available to us? It’s all about color and joy. You think about art as something that you don’t need. But as beings, things are very primal. Since we’ve been able to communicate, we’ve communicated through art, and as we evolved, it became recognized as art.
We started to promote Robert Bateman in the mid- 70s. When the Western world was out of control, Bateman told us to get back in touch with nature, and I think that the world needed that. His paintings are just so beautifully designed. Pino came along, hugely popular. When I first saw his art, how it hit me! He has huge respect for the strength and beauty of women. With Pino I thought we really needed to embrace that feminine energy. His fine art paintings had that quality to them. They had the power and the grace — they were showing real women.
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“Celebration”, Henry Asencio Fine Art Limited Edition, 22” x 32”
What is the most important thing that an art gallery needs to have a prosperous venue for its artists?
Art galleries have a responsibility to choose artists who are original, have integrity, and are true to the craft. It is hard for artists to be truly original these days. When I saw Asencio’s paintings, his are very much his own, and I feel the same way about Michael Flohr. I have seen other artists try to imitate their styles, but they disappear fairly quickly. It is easy these days with the Internet to look into an artist that you like, and you are going to be pretty disappointed if you find someone else out there doing the same work but even better.
OFF THE EASEL MAGAZINE – SPRING 2014
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