Welcoming Bryn Sayles | Modern & Contemporary Art

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I am excited to be joining Sworders’ Modern & Contemporary team, having devoted the last 15 years of my career to the promotion of 20th Century British Art. My love of British Art began with a visit to London from my native Wisconsin at the age of 16. Visits to the National Gallery, Regent’s Park, curry houses and the theatre transformed me into a lifelong Anglophile, with a desire to return to the country by any means necessary.

At University I studied under a professor who was passionate about the Pre- Raphaelites, something rarely seen in American Art History courses. I was absolutely hooked and went on to study late 19th Century Victorian Art at the Courtauld. This was followed by an internship and then a role as a cataloguer working on the Victorian, Irish, Scottish and Modern British sales at Sotheby's.

The experience of handling such a range of different artists during my first years in an auction house was a great introduction to the commercial art world. I learned so much and came to truly appreciate works of art from every angle. Whether analysing condition, researching provenance or discovering a work had been shown in a key exhibition of the time- each told a story beyond the image that was initially presented.

^{Bryn Sayles | Modern & Contemporary Art - Senior Valuer, Business Development}

As I shifted my focus to Modern British Art, I was privileged to work on some incredible single owner sales, from Mary Soames and the Legacy of Churchill in 2014, Bowie/Collector in 2016, to the incredible Evill/Frost Collection in 2011, which featured the largest private collection of works by Stanley Spencer to come to market, as well as wonderful pieces by Lucian Freud, Edward Burra and William Roberts.

Much of my time working in the Modern British department was dedicated to showcasing 20th Century British art to a new audience. So many artists working in Britian during this period were influential on an international level- from Lynn Chadwick beating Giacometti to the sculpture prize at the Venice Biennale in 1956, to Patrick Heron befriending Rothko and inviting him to St Ives, to amazing female artists such as Barbara Hepworth, who was exhibiting internationally and receiving commissions for public sculptures such as  Single Form for the United Nations in New York. Having the opportunity to introduce new collectors from around the world to the wonderful work coming out of Britain has been one of the greatest joys of my career.

I have also loved being able to work closely with collectors, both private and institutional, at every stage of the process. Whether that means helping clients build a collection from the very start, filling gaps through private sales, or managing the sale of treasured family collections with care and attention. It has been particularly gratifying placing works from major institutions such as MOMA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, with new custodians who will enjoy them for years to come. Modern British collectors are amongst the most knowledgeable in this business, and one of the joys of visiting collections has been how much I have learned from passionate and scholarly owners.

I am excited to be joining Sworders at a time when there is a real opportunity to grow this area and showcase these artists to our clients. When I am not working, I am kept busy by my two children, who I am doing my best to instil with a love of art and creativity. I also am as a volunteer in my hometown of Harpenden and am a trustee for a wonderful charity, SWEDA, who support individuals with eating disorders.

 Bryn Sayles | contactable at: brynsayles@sworder.co.uk

pictures@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

Tuesday 31 March | 10am

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