The remit of Frieze Masters is somewhat baffling. Unlike Frieze London, its (ironically older) sister fair that takes place on the other side of Regent’s Park, it is not tied to the thirst for ‘newness’ that defines the contemporary art market. Instead, it spans thousands of years of history, where a dinosaur skeleton might rub shoulders with a display of illuminated manuscripts, some 17th-century portraiture and a few ancient Egyptian relics.
Among the most bombastic displays this year is a set of resplendently etched gilt armour presented by Peter Finer, worn by a ghostly mannequin and set astride a similarly decorated horse as if the pair are about to march into battle, as well as a circle of life-sized marble swans flanked by busts of Roman emperors, courtesy of Leeds- and London-based gallery Tomasso.
Making sense of such a huge breadth of artistry (for Masters has a hand in objets d’art as well as painting, sculpture and traditional antiques) can present quite a challenge. The clamour of so many competing aesthetics can feel akin to visual whiplash, which is both exhilarating and overwhelming depending on each fair-goer’s level of booth-hopping resilience.
Drawing a through-line among the fray is a new curated section of the fair, titled ‘Reflections’. A handful of galleries have been invited by the organisers to reflect on the discerning tastes of two of Britain’s greatest house museums: Sir John Soane’s maximalist Wunderkammer in London’s Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and Kettle’s Yard, the former home of Jim and Helen Ede in Cambridge, which functions as an ode to the balance and restraint of 20th-century modernism.
Embracing the wildly different approaches to collecting, curator Abby Bangser hopes that each booth will capture the essence of these masterful art lovers, and visitors will find new affinities among the objects on show. ‘Each presentation is like a jewel-box, and there’s also an educational element to the pieces, much like the museums themselves,’ she says. ‘It is also a chance to draw more subtle connections with international artists hailing from Japan and Mexico.’
The galleries are effectively divided into two sets of three, battling across the aisle like opposing groups of cheerleaders. On Soane’s team, Brun Fine Art alludes to the masses of marble adorning every surface of the great architect’s home, with Neoclassical vases, architectural fragments and busts set high on decorative columns. Vagabond seizes the baton with educational Grand Tour miniatures, replicating in Siena marble the Temple of Vespasian and the Temple of Castor and Pollux. More tongue-in-cheek references to Soane’s great collection are found in a series of caricatures by the great satirist Thomas Rowlandson, which alludes to the more salacious elements of antiquarian study.
On the other side of the fence clear reverence is paid to the beauty of studio pottery by the gallery Erskine, Hall and Coe, with a display featuring ceramics by Lucie Rie, Jennifer Lee and Hans Coper (all of whom have featured at Kettle’s Yard). Less obvious but equally compelling displays come from Ippodo, a Japanese gallery that is showcasing the work of Laura de Santillana, a hugely talented glass artist who followed in the footsteps of her grandfather Paolo Venini. Her series Tokyo-Ga was inspired by trips to the city as well as traditional architecture and practices. Her focus on colour, texture and innovative techniques – which include folding and burnishing glass – is astounding, and has a natural kinship with many of the glass objects housed at Kettle’s Yard.
At AGO Projects, a gallery based in Mexico City, clay pieces by the esteemed ceramicist Gustavo Pérez share the same obsessive approach to detail that one might expect to find in the Edes’ house. Pin-prick punctures and slices reveal gorgeous internal glazes, and the shell form of Untitled (1999) immediately brings to mind the spiral collections of pebbles found throughout the home. Pieces are presented on a lemon-yellow table, which draws the eye to the kaleidoscopic textiles that adorn the walls, made by Pedro Preux. The artist reinvigorated tapestry-work by combining expert craftsmanship with modernist principles, and while the palette might seem at odds with the earthy refinement of British artistry, the thread remains bright and clear.
So does Soane or Ede win out? One might be tempted to take sides when it comes to such wildly differing collecting styles, but it is clear that the merits of fine taste are all about finding joy in the connections that can be drawn among these objects. Whatever the professed allegiance, with such fine wares on display it is the intrepid visitor who ultimately triumphs.
‘Reflections’ runs at Frieze Masters, The Regent’s Park, London NW1, until 19 October. For more information visit frieze.com
