The Collectors' Edge
Welcome to The Collectors' Edge from Nordic Art Partners – our guide to the specific work we do in the modern and contemporary art world.We are researchers, dealers and collectors and our episodes explore the art and markets of under appreciated artists from history that intrigue and inspire us and that form the core of our professional activities. Our episodes strive to offer anecdotal journeys in learning, thoughtful insights and the wisdom of our professional experience, designed to help with well-informed collecting strategies.Whether you're intrigued by the intricacies of the art industry, seeking expert advice on putting some of yo...
S1 E13 · Tue, April 08, 2025
Lynda Benglis: Painting in Three Dimensions
In the late 1960s and early 70s, Lynda Benglis dissolved the boundaries between painting and sculpture through fearless experimentation, creating revolutionary works that sought to capture and freeze her gestures. The American artist, born in 1941 in Louisiana but Greek by heritage, developed her distinctive visual language after moving to New York in the 1960s, where she quickly integrated into, and made her own name in, one of the most dynamic and diverse creative decades of the C20th. She pioneered new approaches to materiality, beginning with beeswax reliefs shaped with blowtorches before creating her breakthrough "Pours" series—vibrant puddles of pigmented polyurethane poured directly onto gallery floors, where they would flow together and freeze into psychedelic sculptural forms. As she famously stated, "I wasn't breaking away from painting, but trying to redefine what it was." Beyond her artistic innovations, Benglis boldly challenged the gender politics of the art world. Her provocative 1974 Artforum advertisement directly confronted the male-dominated power structures of the industry. This image, which she arranged to publish after editors rejected it, has since been cited by The New York Times as one of the 25 works that defined art of the contemporary modern period. Her market has experienced dramatic acceleration only recently, despite her longstanding reputation and consistent presence in major museums worldwide. From her early wax works, through her pours and knots, to her signature pleated metallic sculptures, Benglis captures what she calls "an implosion or the beginning of an explosion of energy." Her auction record jumped from $245,000 in 2021 to $1.1 million in 2022, suggesting collectors are finally recognizing what art historians have long understood—that Benglis represents a rare combination of historical significance, formal innovation, and market potential. Want to learn more about collecting significant artists like Lynda Benglis? Visit nordicartpartners.com for expert guidance on building meaningful collections with confidence. Get in Touch
S1 E12 · Thu, February 06, 2025
Joan Snyder: A Female Sensibility
Join us, Nordic Art Partners, as we discuss the compelling work and career of American painter Joan Snyder. Discover key biographical details of her formative years, the limited role of art in her upbringing and how her determined approach to evolving her own formal visual language shaped her artistic development. We discuss a wide array of her formative influences, ranging from Van Gogh, through German Expressionism to Jackson Pollock; antecedents that she recognises as helping her to develop her singular and celebrated aesthetic. Against the vibrant backdrop of the 1970s women's art movement, where scrutiny of traditional gender roles and the early evolution of sexual politics facilitated burgeoning careers of Snyder and her many , accomplished peers. Through a daring blend of materiality and motif, learn how Snyder's work challenged the accepted conventions of abstract painting, championed a female sensibility and facilitated a meteoric rise in the reception and critical appreciation of her breakthrough. As always, we seek to place her work and achievements in a context relevant to the market and her place, both perceived and actual, within it. Despite her groundbreaking contributions, her work remains undervalued when set against similarly lauded contemporaries. With new opportunities under her current representation, we consider the next steps for this vibrant and productive 84 year old titan of American painting, expecting increasing prominence within the art historical canon. Get in Touch
S1 E11 · Mon, December 30, 2024
Miriam Cahn: Reclaiming the Body
In this episode of The Collectors’ Edge join us, Nordic Art Partners, for a discussion about the work and career of Miriam Cahn, the audacious Swiss painter whose figurative works are amongst the rawest and most expressive of the entire contemporary art milieu. From her formative years in Basel to her education at the Schule for Gestaltung, Cahn has always been an agent of activism and protest, where her bold and unremitting stance led her to reject traditional painting for decades in protest at the art world's male dominance. When she returned to the canvas in the mid 1990s, she continued to defy fashion, taste and expectations with her powerful and challenging themes, forming a reputation as one of the most uniquely uncompromising figures in the entire art world. With a body of work consisting of over 45 years of artistic innovation, Cahn's work is now celebrated globally, resonating particularly within the context of the MeToo movement due to its profound engagement with sexual politics. Our episode explores the increase in her renown, her almost unparalleled institutional recognition over the past decade, and how her singularity of vision and aesthetic marks her as amongst the most powerful of voices. No episode would be complete without a discussion about the artist’s place within today’s art market, and how Cahn’s soaring reputation amongst museums and collectors has led to a remarkable and consistently high performing secondary market at auction. Join us as we celebrate the unique and jarringly powerful work of Miriam Cahn. Get in Touch
S1 E10 · Mon, December 16, 2024
Ron Gorchov: Shaping Abstraction
In this episode from Nordic Art Partners, discover the work and career of Ron Gorchov, an enigmatic figure who pioneered major innovations in painterly abstraction in the late 1960s. We recount his early biography, beginning in the 1950s; a classic rites of passage story of a bohemian artist in post-war New York, a city teeming with life and a magnet for artists who flocked in droves to the tenement apartments of downtown looking to make their mark on the most fertile time and place of the mid-twentieth century. Following a conventional artistic education in Chicago, mentored by John Graham, Mark Rothko and other luminaries of the downtown scene, Gorchov quickly made his mark in his adopted city, garnering early success and some measure of acclaim with his early works, related to both Surrealism and Abstraction and aesthetically linked to many of the Abstract Expressionists of the New York School. Balancing roles as a lifeguard and swimming instructor, his relentless dedication helped him overcome financial struggles and carve out the beginnings of a promising career as a professional artist. After a decade of development and consistent exposure, the late 1960s bore witness to his greatest achievement, the development of a uniquely shaped canvas. Both convex and concave at the same time, and resembling a shield or saddle, this revolution of the painted object/surface was to innovate a unique painting/sculptural hybrid and forever became his defining legacy. His career would attain new heights and his achievements would be widely celebrated, before the despondency of dwindling interest and relative obscurity, a difficult time which would endure for the best part of two decades. The early years of the C21st would bring a renaissance. Learn how in later life his singular achievements were again celebrated and finding new audiences. Through the advocacy and support of Vito Schnabel, as well as from several other key prestigious international galleries in important global markets, Gorchov’s work would find its way back to public consciousness and provide a heartening vindication for the now elderly painter. Now deceased, Gorchov’s work is beginning to find its place as a seminal achievement of experimental painting. His work is known far and wide, celebrated by collectors and institutions alike and supported by an ever-deepening market, these special paintings are instantly recognisable by their unique forms. Get in Touch
S1 E9 · Mon, October 28, 2024
Imi Knoebel: Pared Back Purity
From the inception of his art career in 1968, Knoebel's work has been consistently driven by a quest to pare painting (and art generally) back to its absolute essentials. From an interest in readily available, humble materials to the manner in which colours can relate to other colours to create works of meditative intensity, his is an art that has always tried to distil and simplify, rather than become more complex. Our art expert, Nicholas Robinson, and your host Jeppe Curth guide us through Knoebel's life and career, from his family's dramatic exodus from post-war Communist East Germany to the West, to his education at the Werkundschule in Darmstadt where he learned from the legendary 'preliminary class' formulated by Mohly-Nagy at the Bauhaus some 40 years earlier, to his final studies at the legendary Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf. Learn how his art production has retained remarkable consistency, from his very first major work, 1968's Raum 19, made under the mentorship of Joseph Beuys, to today's serial bodies of work that occupy themselves with the very same concerns of material, line, form and colour. Knoebel has influenced several generations of artists in the manner he has developed (and lived up to) these highly personal and literal notions of 'minimalism'. Now one of the senior statesmen amongst the art world's non-objective practitioners, his sheer artistic integrity and consistency enables us to trace his lineage all the way back to the founding antecedents of Mandarin and Malevich. Further details of this episode focus on how his work has both captivated the art market and cemented his place in art history. We explore the history and trajectory of his place in today's behemoth art market, sampling a large data set to make a case for an altogether different kind of consistency: that of market value and growth over a sustained period of time. Once again, The Collector's Edge enables listeners to gain insights into Knoebel's enduring legacy and the market dynamics that continue to elevate the significance of his contributions to 20th-century abstract art. Episode Artwork: Imi Knoebel, Anima Mundi 31-5, 2023, Acrylic on Aluminum, In 5 parts (Each: 37 x 29 x 5.8cm), (Detail). Image courtesy, Nordic Art Partners, ©Imi Knoebel Get in Touch
S1 E8 · Wed, August 28, 2024
Martha Jungwirth: Dense Colour and Open Space
In this episode of The Collectors’ Edge we discuss the work and career of Austrian painter Martha Jungwirth. Join us in this insightful episode to learn how her dynamic and textured paintings have earned her widespread acclaim, relatively late in life. Hosted, as always, by Nordic Art Partners' Jeppe Curth and Nicholas Robinson, we take you on a journey through Jungwirth’s evolution—from her early days in Vienna at the Academy of Applied Arts, the prestigious prize wins as a student that signalled her early promise, to her present day career which includes significant critial and commercial success and full retrospective survey shows at leading international museums. We investigate the formative influences of the art world of the 1970s and the prevailing trends that formed the contextual backdrop of her early working life. Discover her painting methodologies, her unique approach to exploring colour, her oscillation between abstraction and figuration and why her innovative use of heavy paper and has become a signature element of her work. As always, we take a closer look at Jungwirth’s standing and reputation and how this is reflected by the global art market of today. It is clear that her works are becoming increasingly coveted by collectors and museums alike but what trends are driving her market, and what might be coming next for this pioneering artist? With her work commanding significant attention at major exhibitions and auctions, we’ll discuss the growing demand for her expressive, textured paintings and why Martha Jungwirth is a name every serious art collector should be watching. Get in Touch
S1 E7 · Thu, August 22, 2024
Repackaging The Sublime: The Pop Romanticism of Friedrich Kunath
In the lastest episode of The Collectors’ Edge from Nordic Art Partners we discuss the life, work and career of Friedrich Kunath, a celebrated German artist now based in Los Angeles. From his early experiences in pre-unification, Communist East Germany to the pinnacle of today’s art world, we discuss what makes Kunath’s work distinctive and unique and just why it has an incredible breadth of appeal to a wide range of tastes and geographic markets. A departure from the category of artists we often explore, Kunath is not a historic artist deserving of a reappraisal by the market, but a fully established mid-career artist following a stable but consistently improving trajectory. We learn about his formative influences under the tuition of Walter Dahn at Braunschweig University in the early 90s, his forays into the underground nightlife scene of turn of the millenium Berlin and, eventually, his full commitment to the life of an artist. Known for his ability to synthesise a wide range of visual and cutural influences, from the highest levels of classical landscape painting to the simplest and most common manifestations of pop culture, we discuss in detail the characteristics of Kunath’s paintings, the themes he explores and the unique blend of painterly skill and lyrical humour he applies to them. Distinguished by powerful feelings of wistful yearning, nostalgia and self-deprecating wit, we look into the ways Kunath’s cultural anthroplogy embraces both melancholia and euphoria and, in doing so, encompasses the full register of the human experience. As an artist who has honed and refined his craft to incredible levels of technical excellence, we discuss the current market status it has brought him and the highly credible galleries around the world that support, sustain and manage so well this position he has achieved both within the industry and wider cultural landscape. But what comes next for Kunath? After twenty years of evolution and improvement—of steadily building his body of work, his reputation and the insitutional regard for his work, is there to be a next step? We speculate as to what his career might need now, and the implications it may have for his pricing, value and place within a wider market context. Prepare to be captivated by one of the most compelling and poetic visual universes in today’s contemporary art scene and informed as to why collecting his work could be among the shrewdest acquisition choices any art buyer could make. Episode Artwork: Friedrich Kunath, We We Will Be Modern Until We Die, 2023, Oil on canvas, 90 x 120cm (Detail), Image courtesy Travesio Cuatro, Madrid, © Friedrich Kunath Get in Touch
S1 E7 · Tue, August 20, 2024
Friedrich Kunath: A Sublime Synthesis of High and Low
Explore the captivating and compelling visual world of Friedrich Kunath, an artist whose journey from pre-unification East Germany to the vibrant art scene of Los Angeles has given him a unique perspective on the role of art. Discover how his childhood in East Germany and subsequent move to the West during a period of cultural explosion shaped his artistic vision. This episode of The Collector's Edge from Nordic Art Partners dissects Kunath's unique blending of highly refined classical painting with low brow pop culture motifs, seeking to demonstrate how he successfully fuses traditional notions of beauty with contemporary ideas about popular culture and entertainment. Capturing the full spectrum of human emotion, weaving together melancholy and euphoria in a way that's both aesthetically pleasing and conceptually rigorous, we trace his ascent to the highest echelons of today's contemporary art industry. Kunath's work has evolved into a rich tapestry of seemingly competing visual ideologies, with his distinctive mature style earning him widespread acclaim, market success and an increasingly prominent place in the contemporary art world of today. We discuss the developmental arc of Kunath's career: beginning with his mentorship from Walter Dahn at the Braunschweig University of Art, his exhibitions with top European galleries and his highly anticipated upcoming show with Gagosian Gallery in 2025, we asses his standing, reputation, place in the market and predict even further career progress for one of today's most exciting visual artists. Get in Touch
S1 E6 · Wed, July 03, 2024
Katherine Bradford: Talent, Perseverance and Belated Recognition
Not all stars of the art world are overnight sensations. Join us on The Collector's Edge as we explore the extraordinary perseverance and journey of Katherine Bradford, an artist who embraced her true vocation somewhat later in life than many, but has gone on to achieve acclaim and recognition for her unique painterly vision. Learn about her formative years, her bold move to New York City in 1980, and the powerful themes of liberation and emancipation that define her work. From her early abstract pieces to her poignant depictions of swimmers and superheroes, Bradford's evolution as an artist is as compelling as it is inspiring. We discuss the methodologies of Bradford's paintings and their captivating qualities, highlighting her masterful balance of composition, light, and glazing techniques. Understand her place within the contemporary art market and learn how her works offer remarkable value for their quality and maturity. We delve into the recognition she's received, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, her extensive teaching legacy and her significant public art commissions, such as the murals at New York City's First Avenue Subway Station. We also offer insights into how you can research her practice and learn more through widely available content online. Tune in to learn how Katherine Bradford's inspiring journey from struggle to recognition has created an artist fully confident and in charge of her process and one who consequently appreciates the successful and highly respected career that has resulted from these attributes. Get in Touch
S1 E5 · Mon, June 10, 2024
Picasso's Ceramics: A 'Low' Art Form, Elevated to Unforeseen Heights
The greatest artist of the Twentieth century and one of the most iconic figures of all time....what if you could own a piece of Pablo Picasso's unique artistry without breaking the bank? That's exactly what we uncover as we embark on an exploration of Picasso's fascinating journey into ceramics. From his iconic Blue and Rose periods to his groundbreaking work in Cubism, we trace the evolution of his art, arriving at 1946, when a visit to a ceramics festival in the south of France ignited his passion for pottery. Discover how Picasso transformed the traditional Madoura Pottery in Villauris into a playground for his innovative spirit. We reveal Picasso's relentless experimentation and the refining of his process, his shift from decorating pre-existing forms to sculpting his own pieces and the intriguing tension with his dealer, Daniel Kahnweiler. Despite concerns about mass production devaluing his paintings, Picasso's ceramics captured the public's imagination with their blend of traditional utilitarian forms and his signature motifs. These works became accessible to a broader audience, providing a unique intersection between high art and the everyday object. Thinking about starting your own Picasso ceramics collection? We delve into the market dynamics, offering insights about this developing field, including methodologies of research, typical pricing and details about the wide range of available works. Learn how ceramics offer an effective way to own a piece of Picasso's unrivalled legacy and an entry point into a growing field of interest for sophisticated collectors. Get in Touch
S1 E4 · Mon, June 03, 2024
Lois Dodd: A Vocation of Quiet Observation
Modesty, quietude and humility are rarely words associated with history's greatest painters. Join us as we take a look at the life and work of Lois Dodd who has dedicated more than 70 years to further honing of her practised eye. We unravel the remarkable journey and achievements of Dodd, a pioneering woman artist who originated from the downtown New York scene of the 1950s, when bohemian life there was vibrant and new and whose work continues to captivate audiences at the age of 96. From her early days at Cooper Union to co-founding the groundbreaking Tanager Gallery in 1952 to summers spent luxuriating in the nature of Coastal Maine, Lois has been a central figure in the New York and North Eastern art community for 70 years. Our art expert, Nicholas Robinson, takes us on a fascinating tour of the Tenth Street scene and creative energy that shaped her career, alongside contemporaries like Alex Katz, Philip Pearlstein, and Tom Wesselmann. Dodd's story is more than just a timeline of achievements; find out what makes her unshowy work compelling and understand her wider impact on the art world and market of today. Despite her undeniable talent and contributions, her works remain affordably priced compared to her male counterparts. In this episode, we celebrate Lois Dodd's singular focus and achievement, her enduring influence and provide insights into appreciating and acquiring her art with a critical and discerning eye. Episode Image: Lois Dodd, Arbor Vitæ + Bill's Cottage, 2021, Oil on masonite, 31.1 x 31.1 cm (DETAIL), ©️Lois Dodd, 2024 Get in Touch
S1 E3 · Fri, May 31, 2024
Heinz Mack: An Unsung Icon of Modernism
Is Heinz Mack the most undervalued artist of the 20th century? Join Nordic Art Partners Jeppe Curth and art expert Nicholas Robinson on The Collector's Edge as we explore this provocative question and the genius of Mack, most known as the founder of the ZERO movement in the late 1950s and a pioneering figure in the experiential properties of light and colour in abstraction . We take you through Mack's remarkable journey from his early days at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, to co-founding the influential Zero Movement alongside Otto Piene and Günther Uecker. Discover the core philosophies behind the Zero Movement, which emphasized the power of monochrome, the interplay of light, and the spatial effects of colour. We look at the movement's global impact and the reverence with which Mack was regarded by his artist peers around the world, which encompassed many of the greatest and most prominent avant-garde practitioners of the mid C20th, including iconic figures such as Yves Klein, Lucio Fontana and Yayoi Kusama. From his early sculptural innovations to his recent "chromatic constellations" paintings, we dissect the multifaceted nature of Mack's art. Hear about his critical acclaim, extraordinary and unrivalled exhibition pedigree including the 1970 Venice Biennale, and the puzzle of his varying market recognition and discussions about why his works remain undervalued today. Whether you're an art enthusiast or a collector, this episode offers compelling insights into why Heinz Mack is one of the titans of C20th modernism and why his legacy is likely to be one to watch out for in the future market. Episode Image: Heinz Mack, Untitled, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 94 x 72cm (DETAIL) ©️ Heinz Mack, image courtesy Parra & Romero, Madrid Get in Touch
S1 E2 · Fri, May 31, 2024
The Salvo Phenomenon: Captivating Serenity and Market Momentum
Can the quiet beauty of Italian medieval architecture and lush Piedmont landscapes captivate modern art enthusiasts? In this episode, we delve into the intriguing work of Salvo, an influential Italian artist most renowned for the sumptuous colours and serene poise of his landscape paintings. We discuss his career and current market position and try to unpick the reasons for his growing reputation, almost a decade after his passing. Born Salvatore Mangione in 1947 in Sicily, Salvo’s journey from conceptual text-based art of the late 1960s Arte Povera movement to a distinctive and instantly recognisable painting style marked by historical references and vivid imagery has captured the attention of collectors and art enthusiasts alike. Join me, your host Jeppe Curth and our resident art expert Nicholas Robinson, as we explore Salvo's evolution as an artist, his major themes and his developing legacy in the art world. We’ll discuss his unique blend of Renaissance mythology and contemporary narratives, his growing impact on the art market, and why his works are increasingly highly sought after. Tune in to uncover the essence of Salvo’s enchanting artistry and gain valuable insights into what makes his works a worthy addition to any art collection. Episode Image: Salvo, Valle, 2008, Oil on board, 50 x 35 cm (DETAIL)©️ Salvo / Archivio Salvo Get in Touch
S1 E1 · Fri, May 31, 2024
Rediscovering Chico da Silva: From Amazonian Mythology to Global Art Market
What if a forgotten genius of Brazilian art was right under our noses all along? Join us for an inspiring exploration of Francisco 'Chico' da Silva's life and work, as Nicholas Robinson, a contemporary art expert, guides us through Chico's remarkable journey. From his early artistic influences rooted in the myths and legends of Amazonian visual culture to his global acclaim at the 1966 Venice Biennale, we trace the intricate tapestry of his career and the factors behind his resurgence in today's art world. Discover the global revival of Chico's work, underscored by exhibitions in New York, Geneva, Paris, and Shanghai and which have catapulted Chico's international visibility to exciting and impressive levels. We delve into the profound impact of nature on his art and its striking relevance in contemporary artistic discourse. Chico’s acquisition by and inclusion in prestigious collections at the Tate, Guggenheim, and Pompidou is cementing his legacy, illustrating the art world’s growing appreciation for his previously overlooked or forgotten talent. In our final segment, we dissect the market dynamics surrounding Chico's artwork. Nicholas offers valuable insights into how timing, market trends, and the various typologies of his work influence their desirability and market value. Hear about the challenges that must be faced and overcome in acquiring these rare treasures and the careful considerations collectors must make to navigate this increasingly competitive market. Whether you're a seasoned collector or a curious enthusiast, this episode promises to equip you with a deeper understanding of Chico da Silva's enduring artistic legacy. Episode Image: Chico da Silva, Untitled (Fish), 1969, Gouache on canvas, 62 x 72cm (DETAIL) ©️ Chico da Silva / The Estate of Chico da Silva Get in Touch
Thu, May 30, 2024
Introducing Nordic Art Partners: Learn About and Explore The Art of Collecting
Meet the Nordic Art Partners, Jeppe Curth and Nicholas Robinson, Copenhagen based modern and contemporary art dealers and your guides through these episodes. Learn about the mechanics of the art industry, their exploration of under appreciated giants of modernist art and their various methodologies that enable wisdom in collecting and art acquisition. Join us as our art expert, Nicholas Robinson, shares his infectious enthusiasm, invaluable knowledge and the insights of his 25 years of top level experience in London, New York and Copenhagen. Together with Jeppe Curth, former professional footballer turned art collector and entrepreneur, they unveil the Collector's Edge podcast. This is the intro episode which outlines their ideas for the pod, their methods for navigating the intricacies of a complex industry and how they reconcile the genuine passions of art appreciation and collecting with the rationality of astute market investigation. Our approach balances a love for art we buy with meticulous research to find undervalued artists who have had a significant historical impact but whose importance has perhaps not gained a wider reflection in the market. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting, you can enrich your own journey with The Collectors’ Edge. Get in Touch
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