Harry Blain

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Harry Blain
Harry Blain, art dealer
Born(1967-09-12)12 September 1967
Surrey, England

Harry Blain is a British art dealer.[1]

Career[edit]

Blain opened his first gallery, Blains Fine Art, in 1992.[1] It staged a number of notable exhibitions, including In the Eye of the Beholder,[2] a group show which brought together works by Matisse, Degas and Andy Warhol, as well as London School, a show featuring paintings by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff.[3] In 2002, Blains Fine Art was renamed Haunch of Venison,[1] taking its name from the street in Mayfair where it was located. Exhibitions included surveys of Abstract Expressionism[4] and late twentieth century Russian art[5] in New York and London respectively. It also acquired spaces in Berlin, Zurich, New York and Moscow designed by David Adjaye and Caruso St John.[6] Haunch of Venison was acquired by Christie’s in 2007,[1] with Blain running the auction house's Global private sales. The gallery subsequently moved to 6 Burlington Gardens, formerly the home of The Museum of Mankind.[7] The gallery represented more than 50 artists, including five Turner Prize winners, amongst them Rachel Whiteread, Tony Cragg and Richard Long. In 2010, Blain, along with fellow director Graham Southern, set up a new gallery, Blain|Southern,[7] with spaces in London and New York, while also founding with Emmanuel di Donna, Blain di Donna,[8] which focussed on Modern Art. Blain|Southern staged a number of highly praised exhibitions, including Lucian Freud Drawings,[9] Damien Hirst and Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Candy,[10] as well as shows by Bill Viola,[11] Marcel Duchamp[12] and Edward Kienholz.[13] The gallery closed in 2020,[14] and since then Blain has worked closely with a number of clients, assisting them in building their collections.

Other projects[edit]

Blain co-founded Sedition in 2011, establishing the first online marketplace for collectors to buy, share and sell digital artworks.[15] Sedition is acknowledged as the forerunner to NFT’s.[16][17]

Personal life[edit]

Blain has been married twice and has four children. He actively supports various charities, including the Naked Heart Foundation[18] and has co-chaired events such as the NSPCC Ball.[19] He has frequently been listed as one of Britain’s most influential dealers.[20] He had a part in the Wim Wenders film, Palermo Shooting, in which he played an art dealer called Harry, appearing alongside Lou Reed, Dennis Hopper, Milla Jovovich and Peter Lindberhg.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Is Harry Blain Britart's most powerful man?". The Independent. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  2. ^ "in the eye of the beholder". www.newexhibitions.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Frank Auerbach, Head of JYM, 1983". James Hyman Gallery. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  4. ^ The New York Sun, September 2010
  5. ^ "Time Out, May 2010". Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Blain Southern Gallery". Caruso St John Architects. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b Byrnes, Sholto (10 April 2012). "The artful dodgers: Graham Southern and Harry Blain". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ^ "The Observer - You're So Blain: Meet the Surreal New Upper East Side Gallery - News - Di Donna Galleries". www.didonna.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. ^ McKENZIE, Dr JANET. "Lucian Freud: Drawings". www.studiointernational.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Aesthetica Magazine - Review of Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Damien Hirst: Candy at Blain | Southern, London". Aesthetica Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Aesthetica Magazine - Bill Viola, Moving Stillness, Blain Southern, London". Aesthetica Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Marcel Duchamp and the contemporary readymade ← Events ← Austrian Cultural Forum London". www.acflondon.org. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  13. ^ "London – America My Hometown by Edward Kienholz at Blain Southern through July 14, 2018". Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Art news daily: 13 February". Apollo Magazine. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  15. ^ "S[edition]". Dazed. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Screen time: digital displays bring art to your home at the touch of a button". wallpaper.com. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Digital art available on S[edition]". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  18. ^ "From Russia, With Love". W Magazine. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Stella McCartney and Natalia Vodianova host the NSPCC's Pop Art Ball". Harper's BAZAAR. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Harry Blain & Graham Southern". artreview.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  21. ^ Wenders, Wim (20 November 2008), Palermo Shooting (Drama), Campino, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Dennis Hopper, Neue Road Movies, P.O.R. Sicilia, Arte France Cinéma, retrieved 26 March 2024
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