A biography for Alexander Gilkeshasn’t been written yet.
“My dream, dream acquisition would probably be a Twombly chalkboard. I've been fortunate to see one or two in a private context, and I think it's just sort of quintessentially brilliant, timeless, modern.”
“In Europe, there is a lower instance of startups because there's a permanent fear of failure. Everyone fears failure because it is this permanent black mark against your name, whereas in the U.S., failure seems to be par for the course.”
“We want as best as possible to encourage emerging talent and galleries by their inclusion on Paddle8. Our exhibitions help bring interesting new works on the platform. We have to be agnostic in that respect and the galleries themselves have complete carte blanche as far as what they include on the site.”
“I think when you're collecting, the best advice is just 'see see see see.' The more you get used to the nuances of the art world and what people are doing and whose opinion matters, the more you can tune your own collection and know that these are works that do count; these are artists that will be of relevance tomorrow.”
“I respect people's privacy.”
“My father discovered that our family had made long-case clocks in Warwickshire in the early 18th century. He managed to track down a fine example through an English antiquarian and horologist and gifted it to me for my 30th birthday.”
“In terms of wedding gifts, I like to buy people experiences.”
“Auctions typically are an opportunity for you to be able to acquire what you're looking for at a lower price; typically, the auctioneer sets the opening price at much lower than the retail price and certain interest develops and as more people come in it drives the price up.”
“I started my career at LVMH and then I joined Phillips de Pury under the tutelage of Simon de Pury as second auctioneer and head of marketing.”
“I was given an eight-foot painting on a luminous yellow background as a parting gift when leaving Paris in 2008. I did not dare take it with me to N.Y.C. and understood that the cost of shipping would have far outweighed the cost of the work.”
“We're big believers that people can learn to collect through the eyes of great collectors.”
“My brother and I have always had a great interest in people and building relationships. I probably have my parents to thank for that.”
“I always have my lucky gavel in case I have to do an auction on short notice.”
“I spent lots of time on drama, music and art.”
“We want to ensure works are placed with people who collect responsibly.”
“If I find an item of clothing I like, I tend to buy it in multiples.”
“I'm a bit of a vault of secrets. I'm a victim of English reserve, which is slightly in contrast to how I communicate when I auction.”
“If I'm in the English countryside and get on my bicycle, I see what sort of strange inbred rural locals I can snap.”
“I am never without my gavel, which I bought from an antique shop in Burford, in the Cotswolds.”
“If you're trying to learn how to collect art, the key is getting access to insider opinions, and we pride ourselves on working with the most relevant artists and the collectors with the most authoritative voices.”