Gas Art Agency was founded by Gina Cross, an experienced Art Buyer and Curator with over 15 years experience. Today Gina talks to Pargy about the idea behind the agency and some of the Artists it represents.Gina also gives us the low-down on what she has in store for this year’s Tent.
Hello Gina and welcome to Pargy!
Please do tell us more about Gas Art Agency and how you got started?
Hello Pargy. GAS Art Agency has come about by osmosis!. Having originally come from a textiles background but then later moving in to commissioning artwork for publishing, when I decided to start up alone I always knew I wanted to do two different lines. I run the online gallery A Little bit of Art which is an online gallery selling affordable limited edition prints. GAS is edgier and crosses the line from sourcing artwork to sell to showcasing work for commissions for applied projects as well as representing designs that can be licensed for manufacture.
GAS enables me to do what I really love which is encouraging the artists & designers to take new directions with their work, and I am providing the avenue for the world to see their new work and to get commissions and sales. In some cases I’m talking with the Artists to take their designs as far as they can, not follow trends but really let their talent flow.
I started A Little bit of Art in 2009 and starting to develop GAS in 2010, but it is only now that GAS is starting up so there is a lot to be very excited about.
What would you say is your Mission Statement for what you are trying to achieve with GAS?
Overall, our mission is: to represent the work of artists and designers whose work is available to buy, commission & license for a variety of applications including bespoke interior pieces, site specific artwork. wallpaper & textile designs, surface design & decoration for homewares & furnishings, limited edition artwork, ceramics, murals and more.
We also offer a range of products and limited edition prints to purchase.
Our small stable of Artists & Designers are established and experienced in working to a very high standard across a variety of mediums. We provide a creative and professional approach to projects, working with each client to interpret their brief without compromising on creativity.
GAS believes in providing beautiful outcomes for design projects.
What we are not is a manufacturer – the work is available to buy directly, commission or for license . We will develop limited editions of work but not on a mass produced scale.
You represent a very varied range of Artists. How do you go about selecting Artists that are relevant for Gas Art?
The small stable of artists that GAS represents have been chosen for their potential to create beautiful designs, within budget, on time and to a very high standard. All of the Artists are established and experienced in working to deadline and to client specifications. The overall aesthetic GAS aims to represent is exciting, high standard decorative artwork & designs that aren’t following the herd but setting the trend.
What was it that made you finally decide to change from being an Art Buyer to running your own company?
The decision came about while I was still working at the Guardian newspaper. I had come to the point where I needed to have more of a challenge in my working life, and to do what I love most which is working with Artists & Designers – enabling them to develop their skills and to promote that talent. As an Art Buyer, I have a strong eye for colour and design, and I had already had dreams of having my own gallery, which `I have achieved by setting up online gallery “A Little bit of Art” – but I always knew that there needed to be two avenues to be truly representative of what I’m about. ALBOA is perfect for gift buying and showcasing lovely artwork, but GAS is for applied art projects that can be commissioned by interior decorators, designers, manufacturers and retailers as well as some work being available to buy individually.
Please explain a bit more about the interiors aspect of Gas Art Agency?
The potential for GAS and interiors is very exciting. All of our artists’ work can be applied to decoration : ie textile design, wallpaper, flooring, site specific artwork, tiling etc, but it can also go beyond the realms of interiors into fashion and graphic design projects.
In terms of interiors projects, we can work with private & commercial clients, creating bespoke artwork, surface decoration designs, site specific pieces eg: Murals and other details. We want to take risks, and we are keen to work on exciting projects across the world and to interpret client vision with our own special talent.
For example: Gordon Robertson’s beautiful etched metals can be used for interior and exterior work: eg it can make great splashbacks, wall panels, table tops alongside being perfect for homeware products. Pewter and Copper is so durable that it will last a lifetime and get better with age.
What exciting things do you have in store for us at Tent this year?
TENT is so exciting! We will have a range of upcycled tables by Gordon Robertson which have been given new etched pewter & copper table tops, alongside a range of incredible abstract wallpaper designs from Jonas Ranson .
We shall be showcasing a new set of limited edition prints from Delphine Lebourgeois alongside showing her portflio of decorative pieces. Her work will lend itself well to textiles and homeware designs.
Also new and unshown will be a range of screenprinted lampshade designs from Gary S Holt – these are of limited editions and are hand printed and made. The designs are available to license.
Also on show will be range of designs and prints from Anna Marrow, whose large scale screenprints are perfect for interiors – big and bold and beautiful. Her work is being developed for textiles including lampshades & soft furnishings.
We will have more up our sleeves, so come and visit us at stand D06!
Tent London 2011 and its associated events are part of London Design Festival and takes place 22-25 September at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL, UK.
[...] Agency will be at Tent London from 22 to 25th September at the Old Truman Brewery London E1. Click here to read an interview with Gina Cross the founder of A Little Bit of Art and GAS Art [...]