Meet the woman behind Frieze
Victoria Siddall, director of Frieze Masters art fair, director of all three Frieze fairs. In an excerpt from last year's Living with Art, the 28-page guide to buying, demystifying and displaying art in our November issue Emily Tobin talks to Siddall as Frieze returns to the capital
INSIDE LIVING WITH ART 2016
What does your job entail?As the director of Frieze Masters, I'm responsible for various elements, including bringing in the best galleries, working with the architect on the __design and the curator on our talks programme, encouraging collectors to come to the fair and balancing the budget.
What can we expect from this year's Frieze Masters?High-quality work from the ancient era to the twentieth century, presented in a modern and minimal environment. It's a fresh approach to showing work from different centuries side by side.
So contemporary art and old masters can mix?Yes, when it's done in a meaningful way. Lucian Freud said that he would visit The National Gallery in the same way that he would visit the doctor. Artists are always looking at historical art - if we don't look at it too, we are missing an insight into their work.
Why is the historical art market booming?The rarity factor is extremely appealing. If a work by a great Old Master comes onto the market, it might be that it's the only chance in your lifetime to own a work by that artist.
What has been your career highlight?The opening day of the first Frieze Masters in 2012. We opened the doors and people started flowing into the fair - it was unlike fairs they had seen before and they loved it.
Which are your favourite galleries in London?The city has extraordinary museums and it's great to be able to visit world- leading collections, such as The National Gallery (where Victoria is pictured, above) and Tate, free of charge. I am on the board of Studio Voltaire in south London, which supports artists at a crucial and exciting stage in the career, often giving them their first institutional show, or their first show in London.
And your favourite British gallery outside London?I recently visited and loved the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives.
Where is the best place to see art outside a gallery?The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Clare Lilley, the Park's director of programme, also selects the Sculpture Park at Frieze - she has an understanding of how sculpture relates to the environment, which allows you to view both the sculpture and the landscape in a way that you probably would never have thought.
What's the first artwork you bought?A drawing by Hurvin Anderson for £300 including the frame. I still have it.
Do you have any advice for an aspiring collector?Buy what you love, focus on quality and don't worry too much about when the work was made. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions.
Which books are on your bedside table?At the moment, Alice Rawsthorn's book on design, Hello World, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and Geordie Greig's book on Lucian Freud.
Why buy at an art fair?A good art fair allows you to discover great art from all over the world, all under one roof. One benefit is that the galleries have been selected from a long list of applicants by a well-informed committee, so you should be seeing the best. At Frieze Masters, every work in the fair has also been examined by a committee of museum and independent experts who determine that it is what it says on the label, which gives people confidence to buy across different fields.
What is your house like?I live in Bethnal Green, east London, in a converted Victorian workshop that is all open-plan with lots of light. There are more artworks than there are walls.
Frieze Masters and Frieze London are in Regent's Park, NW1; tickets from £15
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