Making Waves in the Art World: Interview with Contemporary Art Dealer & Collector Adam Baldwin

London-based dealer and collector Adam Baldwin opened his eponymous gallery, Baldwin Contemporary, in his early 30s and soon after gained a reputation for himself as a serious dealer of important post-war and contemporary art.

Operating from a by-appointment space housed within a white stucco-fronted victorian townhouse in London’s exclusive South Kensington district, with his multidisciplinary focus and a deep ambition to carve out a niche for himself in the global art world, it’s easy to see how, in just 4 years, Baldwin has amassed a roster of high profile clients. And what’s more – he’s done this all without having a traditional gallery space.

In this interview, Adam shares his thoughts on the importance of private sales and discusses his gallery’s new publishing venture, Baldwin Books. This series of publications will explore the artists, genres, and themes that Baldwin Contemporary handles, providing an opportunity for collectors to engage in thought-provoking discourse.

From his approach to promotion and sales to the future of the gallery, this interview offers a glimpse into the workings of one of the rapidly emerging talents in the art world.

Interview with Adam Baldwin

Your gallery specializes in secondary-market work by acclaimed artists who are well-known for their contributions to popular art genres and movements. It’s also clear from speaking to you that private sales are the central part of your gallery’s strategy. What would need to happen for you to reconsider running a primary program?

You know, I get approached a lot by artists looking for representation. There’s a lot of noise in the gallery world right now, and so I think it’s more important than ever to be honest with yourself as to exactly where your value is. To me, so far, that’s been the handling of post-war and contemporary works of art on the secondary market, conducted in a private sales setting. I don’t want to lose sight of that.

Running a primary program would be a totally different ballgame, especially to do it at the level I’d want it to operate at. And so, whilst I’m certainly not ruling anything out, it just doesn’t really feel like the right route for us just now.

How would you describe your clientele or a typical Baldwin Contemporary collector?

Informed, passionate, knowledgeable.

Baldwin Contemporary is releasing a series of publications this year – Baldwin Books. Can you tell us more about this project? Who are you working with on these publications?

I’m very excited about this project. Baldwin Books has been created to allow us to present our collectors with intriguing discourse in and around the artists, genres, and thematics that we handle. I’ve always believed that a gallery should serve its collectors by standing as a sort of cultural coterie, and what I’m really focused on right now is building a strong and loyal community of collectors who share our passions and beliefs. And so for that reason alone, this project feels important to me.

As a successful gallery owner and collector, you must have come across many individuals in the art world and beyond who have inspired and impressed you. Are there any other dealers or professionals, past or present, who you particularly admire? 

Saatchi. Gagosian. Castelli.

Are there any specific artists or movements you consider undervalued today? How do you balance the desire to take risks on lesser-known or underrecognized artists with the need to sell works guaranteed to perform well on the market?

I get asked this question a lot. The truth is that periods of dislocation between art history and the art market are much more common than they probably should be. Just look at Rauschenberg’s market. Or the overall under-appreciation of female artists throughout art history. Or, dare I say it, some of the prices are currently being spent on emerging work right now.

I’ve said this before, but one particular area where I see value right now is in the early YBAs. And I’m not talking about the Hirst and Emin markets but rather the other members of the group who were still hugely important in the movement. I’m talking about Gary Hume‘s hospital doors, Gavin Turk‘s trompe-l’oeil series, Angus Fairhurst’s gorillas, Sarah Lucas‘ Bunny girls, Jake and Dinos Chapman’s iconoclastic sculptures, Abigail Lane’s ink pads and so on. And there’s loads more. Some of these works are hugely important pieces when contextualized within art history, but the market right now just isn’t reflecting this. I’ve seen so many of these works come to market over the past couple of years at what I think are pretty low prices relative to their historical importance. It’s a good buying opportunity right now.