We are thrilled that Rebecca Gordon has joined the judging panel for 2017’s Jackson’s Open Painting Prize. Now in its second year, The Jackson’s Open Painting Prize exists to recognise and appreciate original, 2-dimensional fine artworks in any painting or drawing media.
Rebecca Gordon is the Head Curator of the online contemporary art gallery Rise Art. She is predominately focused on recruiting talented emerging artists to the site and managing Rise Art’s board of Insiders as well as advising Corporate companies and private individuals on their art collections. She previously worked for Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert (London-based Modern British dealer in 20th-century art) and before that John Mitchell Fine Paintings, London (dealer of Dutch Old Master and 19th-century French art). She has an M.A. in History of Art from Edinburgh University.
Ahead of competition judging we wanted to find out more about Rebecca and what she will be looking for on JOPP Judgement Day.
Lisa: When did you first discover your love of art?
Rebecca: Being dyslexic, art lessons at school were always my safe haven, however, with a limited natural artistic ability, I became more interested in the historical and theoretical side of art! Learning the stories and context behind great masterpieces became addictive and my love continued through university leading me straight into the world of art dealers.
Lisa: What does your role at Riseart.com involve?
Rebecca: My position as head curator at Rise Art involves many different roles but the main ones are selecting and approaching new, fantastic artists for the gallery, curating the site content that we want to put in front of our customers by highlighting some of the latest most exciting new works on the site and working closely with our board of Insiders. Lastly, I assist customers in our ‘talk with a curator’ service where I guide them one-on-one, depending on their specific needs.
Lisa: What pieces of artwork have you most enjoyed working with in 2016?
Rebecca: I particularly enjoyed curating an exhibition that we held in Hong Kong last September where we took a selection of works from our top artists to showcase. A couple of my favourites were 2 large monoprints by Bruce McLean ‘Lemon Light Garden’ and ‘Crimson Light Garden’ and 2 fantastic aerial photographs of Salt flats by Tommy Clarke, ‘Utah Blue’ and ‘Useless Loop’.
Lisa: What projects do you have to look forward to in 2017?
Rebecca: We are looking forward to increasing the number of artist events in 2017, such as ‘pop-up’ exhibitions, collaborations with other businesses and an Art Prize competition. Alongside this, we are excited to welcome a new Artist Champion to our team, who will be focusing on recruiting more international artists from around the world.
Lisa: What will you be looking for in the work submitted to the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize?
Rebecca: I am drawn to many different types and styles of artwork, therefore, simply, I will look for striking, visually stimulating works that catch my attention & speak to me. Of course, I will also be assessing the overall technical ability in painting and drawing.
Lisa: What is your creative New Year’s resolution?
Rebecca: To continue to add to my small but growing art collection with some exciting, new emerging artists!
Rebecca Gordon (left), Scott Phillips (found of Rise Art, Centre), and Vicky Xu (Rise Art Insider, right)
