This is a complex and painful issue for me to discuss, but after many years of gallery, dealer and arts advisor collaborations, in 2019 I decided to withdraw from all external representation; instead electing to regain control of my schedule, pricing, inventory, consignments, press, projects and generally how my work is seen by the outside world.

‘Morpho Amathonto 0220’ from the ‘Swarm’ series, dated 2011.

This is my personal view of course, so take it with a pinch of salt please.

‘I no longer have respect for the gallery collector, they are too heavily enthused with the intellectual prostitution and the circle of institutions feeding upon it. The big gallery system has clearly become dysfunctional, the only worthy provenance for a collector is that of direct contact with the artist and their studio.’

For any collector just starting out or those with an already well structured collection, visiting gallery exhibitions & art fairs has always been said to be an important avenue to tune your eye, discovering what is good and what is not and to see trends rising and falling. But in a digital age we are able to do that in private, surely. It is important to remember that the artist behind these glossy gallery spaces is and always should be the central dialogue, regardless of their presence in the room when you encounter the work.

Most true artists are exploring their process through a lifelong journey, a cruel obsession of love, fear and torment. For me I am an artist not because I failed at something else, I do this because there is nothing else. All of the great artists I admire, either written in history or those of today suffer greatly for their creations, working long and solitary hours, often negating food, forsaking even basic healthcare so that all their energy, emotion and every single cent of revenue available is continually directed onto the canvas, whatever form it takes. Please remember this when you see the well choreographed and candelabra lit ‘Sale Room’.

Over 90% of gallery represented artists receive 50% of sales revenue in a best case scenario, so the price you pay is more than double what could ever hope to reach the artist to support them.

If you are buying an artwork I would hope the artist’s journey and message has meaning to you, that it adds emotional value to your acquisition, to know about the story behind its creation. I believe this is something of true importance, that the collector feels involved and a part of that continuing legacy.

For any artist in whatever medium, the concept of a gallery for me would be to support and nurture their chosen practice, one that I hope they would fervently believe in. This support, while bringing the artist’s work to the attention of a wider audience, should broaden that scope through exhibitions, art fairs and consistent dialogue with the media and outside world.

Over the years for me this unfortunately has not been the case. There are many instances of broken promises, deals done without consent, shameful use of works in the media without even basic moral rights being recognised, and one of the most heartbreaking events of having works returned to the studio in terrible condition after being loaned to gallery inventory or consignment hangs.

Large format museum framed photographic works are incredibly expensive for me to produce at my own cost. These works in sizes up to 200cms can weigh in excess of 80 kilos and with a protective museum face they are prone to scratching, especially with my extensive use of deep blacks. You can understand my feelings when works arrive back at the studio after bouncing around in the back of a rented van without proper care or protection. To me this is sheer disrespectful madness.

ABOVE: the condition of works returned to the studio after consignment with ‘The House of Nobleman’. Of the 9 works loaned, 5 came back with serious damage, with the gallery failing to mention it.

During the period 2010 to 2016, I invested all of my earnings aside from basic studio costs into creating a broad ranging inventory from the previous 20 years’ work. The printing, mounting and framing costs were staggering, but I built a physical archive of my work in museum standard frames that was second to none. To see this investment so poorly cared for was unforgivable.

After nearly 40 years I was no longer prepared to grin and bear these things. Internally this was a violent decision to make: to tear myself away from what is known toward what is possible. Five years have passed since that time and the studio and I are still here, continually producing new bodies of work with more time to plan my own trajectory undeterred by outside influences.

Sales are of course thinner on the ground, but I see that as a bonus. There have always been very few of my works out there, and scarcity adds greatly to their collectable value, now and in the future. My collectors know that I am involved in every element of production, adding rarity to a monastic dedication to craftsmanship and provenance.

Resident artist Inna Schestakova inside the ‘Dark Vat’ holographic reflection pool.

Installation view of ‘Renaciendo’

In 2021 I was able to open the first carbon neutral plastic and aluminium recycling studio in the Maldives called ‘Makers Place’. The facility conserves water and energy during every part of the process, with no fumes or pollution leaving the site.

The organic mushroom-inspired architecture of the Makers Place recycling studio.

All of these projects were handled internally with no gallery or institutional support. They received strong public engagement and media coverage despite being in remote locations. I believe deeply that there was a time when people did great things; now many simply talk about them. I refuse that apathy.

Of course every artist must find their own path. This was my decision. I bear no malice, only clarity. It is about choosing your own trajectory rather than having it dictated to you.

For one thing, exhibiting independently is a monumental undertaking, but over the years I have developed my own ‘Bullet’ lighting system made by recycling aluminium cans into specialist artwork lighting. This has allowed installations without electricians or specialists.

‘No screws’ lighting rig, Iset Tower, Yekaterinburg, with the British Trade Council.

This independence allows me to work beyond institutional confines, engaging directly with public space, landscape and community. It has enabled me to focus on practice and education projects that have meaning to me — and that is reason enough.

I would welcome hearing from collectors and artists about your own experiences. Was I alone in wishing to go it alone? Do you prefer the gallery path for acquisition?

‘The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.’