Martin Gayford: Jackson’s Portray Prize 2023 Professional Decide Interview
Martin Gayford is an Artwork Critic for The Spectator and writer of books on David Hockney, Antony Gormley and extra. He joins the skilled judges panel for Jackson’s Portray Prize 2023 and right here, he shares his exhibition highlights of the previous 12 months and recommendation to these enthusiastic about getting into the competitors this 12 months.
Above picture: Pages from Love Lucian: The Letters of Lucian Freud 1939–1954, 2022 by Martin Gayford and David Dawson
Might you inform us a bit about your self and your work?
Martin: I’m a author, primarily about artwork. Over time I’ve been an artwork critic for a number of publications together with the Day by day Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and Spectator. Amongst my books are biographic works about Van Gogh, Michelangelo and Constable. I’ve written continuously on David Hockney (together with two works co-written with him) and Lucian Freud. Shaping the World: Sculpture from Prehistory to Now (2020) was a collaboration with Antony Gormley. Spring Can not Be Cancelled, co-written with David Hockney, appeared in 2021. My most up-to-date ebook is Love Lucian (2022), a set of Lucian Freud’s early correspondence, co-edited with David Dawson. I’ve sat for portraits by each Hockney and Lucian Freud.
Love Lucian – The Letters of Lucian Freud 1939–1954 2022
David Dawson and Martin Gayford
What have been your exhibition highlights of 2022? Who’re the artists or artworks you have been most impressed by this previous 12 months?
Martin: Properly, for me 2022 was a 12 months by which I spent a number of time organising exhibitions of which I used to be a part of the curatorial staff together with Hockney’s Eye on the Fitzwilliam Museum and Downing School, Cambridge and Lucian Freud: The Painter and his Household on the Freud Museum, London. In any other case I used to be tremendously struck by the Freud present on the Nationwide Gallery, Household Relations at Gagosian, and quite a lot of shows on the Venice Biennale.
Spring Can not Be Cancelled: David Hockney in Normandy, 2022
David Hockney and Martin Gayford
How necessary do you suppose awards and competitions are for artists in the present day?
Martin: Properly, they’re actually a part of the sport, however artwork isn’t the identical as sport – and it is very important keep in mind that the very best particular person doesn’t essentially win.
The Pursuit of Artwork: Travels, Encounters and Revelations, 2019
Martin Gayford
What’s going to you be searching for within the entries submitted to the competitors this 12 months?
Martin: Originality, visible sensitivity and pizazz.
Shaping the World: Sculpture from Prehistory to Now, 2020
Antony Gormley and Martin Gayford
Do you will have any recommendation for artists on the market enthusiastic about getting into Jackson’s Portray Prize this 12 months?
Martin: An important recommendation for any artist (or author) is to maintain at it.
