When I leave ING at the end of 2005 I will have spent more than a quarter century looking after the ING - Barings before it - art collection. Put like that, it is quite a sobering thought! But without any doubt whatsoever, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and one for which I shall be eternally grateful.

I joined Barings in 1978 with degrees in economics and economic history and after having completed a stint at the Business Archives Council. I went to Barings to look after the wonderful historical archives of that famous old firm of merchant bankers but out of the blue they asked me to look after their pictures as well. At the time the full significance of this was lost on me but, as I found my way, I realised the enormity of the opportunity. I knew hardly anything about art so it was a wonderful chance to learn, my mentors being the senior Baring directors who did the purchasing and whose knowledge was matched by superb good taste.

At the time Barings appointed me they were preparing to move into a new headquarters building in the City which was very much larger than their existing building. It was the catalyst for enlarging the collection which, with the exception of around a dozen modern pictures by the likes of Lucien Freud, Stanley Spencer and William Nicholson, was mostly historical.

There were stately portraits by Sir Thomas Lawrence, Benjamin West, John Linnell, Gilbert Stuart, Ambrose McEvoy and many others as well as fine clocks, ceramics, ship models and table silver. Over the next fifteen years large and distinguished collections of twentieth century figurative pictures mostly by British artists and eighteenth and nineteenth century watercolours by English artists were steadily built up. It was a thrilling time for me; I remember exquisite pictures arriving by the car load !

When ING acquired Barings' business, it was another catalyst for change. Although we continued to buy pictures as opportunity permitted, the emphasis now was on making more use of the collection so that it added value to the business and to the community.

So we developed an arts programme based around our collection and exhibition space, the objectives being to make our collection more accessible to art lovers, to offer up-and-coming artists the opportunity to exhibit their pictures in one person shows and to hold exhibitions in support of community groups.

These groups have ranged from Tyneside community studios which teach art as a means of building good mental health to Wimbledon schools and Wimbledon School of Art which are working in partnership to strengthen the teaching of art in hard pressed state schools. I find the previews for the opening of these exhibitions profoundly moving. Artists grow visibly in stature as the evening progresses finding confidence in themselves they had never realised existed.

And sales put money into quite empty pockets. Some of this community-based work has been undertaken jointly with the Discerning Eye with support from Arts & Business and it has always been hugely successful; it has been well reported in previous newsletters. I first came in to contact with Discerning Eye in 1999 and have always been impressed by the opportunity their annual exhibition allows artists, who are seeking to make their reputation, to hang their pictures alongside the pictures of well established artists. It has taught me how artists are so short of opportunities to show and sell their work. They love the Discerning Eye show and their preview evening is one of the highlights of my year. So long live DE!

I can't paint but my workplace has taught me to love art and the company of artists. And for 25 years I've been paid for this pleasure - sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe its true!

 

Copyright © 2002-2010 The Discerning Eye  ~  Web site by Shepperton Software