"I’d be divorced before I bought my second Rothko"

Reflections, aspirations, and insights - we delve into the inner thoughts of Head of 20th Century Design John Black...


Reflections, aspirations, and insights - we delve into the inner thoughts of Head of 20th Century Design John Black...

 

John Black

John Black | Head of 20th Century Design

 

Your favourite object and why?
My iPhone – it keeps me up to date with emails it gets me to my appointments, takes better photos than any other camera. It’s dependable and I can turn it off when I want!

If money was no object what would you collect?
I’d be divorced before I bought my second Rothko.

What was your most surprising find of 2020?
Every week brings surprises, everyday new challenges – I’m surprised and absorbed by everything!

What are your go-to resources for research?
I can only thank many collections worldwide who have digitised theirs – the VAM in particular, helps me on many occasions finding a design or an object. 

What's been 2020's strangest request?
Hannah, my wife, asking me to stop bringing things home that I had to buy from one of our auctions… strange isn’t it?

 

johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

 

 


 

Recent News

 

Behind the Lens | Martin Luther King Jr. and Lal Bahadur Shastri

Discover the story behind two rare photographs of Martin Luther King Jr. and Lal Bahadur Shastri, exploring their historic meeting in London, and the significance of the original colour film.

8 September 2026 

The HALO Trust: Clearing the Path to Peace

Through a compelling series of photographs, this exhibition shines a light on The HALO Trust’s work in communities affected by conflict, capturing both the danger of landmine clearance and the hope that follows when land can be safely used again.

3 September 2026

Scenes of a Changing India

The term ‘Company School’ refers to a genre of painting that emerged in India in the late 18th and 19th centuries, flourishing under the patronage of British East India Company officials, their families, and other European residents in India.

28 August 2026

 


 

Get Sworders News