January and February 2010

I find myself hosted in the most wonderful settings in Tate Britain seated between Dinos Chapman and David Batchelor. It was a lovely ménage à trois, I have to say.










The Chris Ofili show was spectacular: bursting with colour and energy, I had never seen the likes of. Sadly I don't have his work in the collection, as my other half always had a problem with the Dung thing.

We entered the caverns of the David Adjaye installation and there were laid out before us the most beautiful jewel-like paintings I have laid my eyes on.

I bumped into Ales Ortuzar from David Zwirner talking to the art philanthropist Hazel Collins.






Wendy Fisher having a serious and instense conversation with Louisa Guiness and Ben Brown.











Then we headed off to Camden Arts Centre for a little breath of fresh air as Briony Fer, the curator of this show took us around with Lizzie, Valeria Napoleone and her sister Stefania Prammi, looking magnificent dressed in their wonderful ensembles.


Then it was to the home of Karsten Schubert, who was giving a dinner for the artist Dan Perfect.

This is Dan with the artist Jane Burstyn.













Jack Kirkland looking a little shy.











Matthew Collins GOTCHA and other guests.








Carla Borel from Tim Taylor Gallery













Glenn Brown










Ben Parsons deep in conversation.






















Our host, Karsten Schubert












Laurel Nakadate came over to visit us and her work at 176.



















We premiered her film Stay the Same Never Change, which was very well received. She was a pupil of Gregory Crewdson, who as well as being a good friend is incredibly well represented in the collection. Laurel is part of my Gregory Girl collection, which includes such Justine Kirland, Anna Gaskell, Dana Hoey etc...

We gave Laurel a lovely Sunday lunch at home.







Darren and Christabel Flook came with their gorgeous four month baby Ludovic.












Then we headed off to 176 where David Blandy gave a performance of Shaolin monks being hit with Baseball bats followed by the film Enter the 36th Chamber. Not really my kind of thing but very interesting.









Monday was John Gerrard's opening at Thomas Dane. The dinner was held at Gordon Watson and it was very special. John had designed the whole evening. He designed the chairs - poor Emily King went crashing hope she has no bruises.


The chairs were inspired by Cuba and he described them as drawings, the cutelry was moulded from goats' bones and he used the shoulders as salad tossers.

He shows the tossers to Michael Craig-Martin...








...and then gives Martine d'Anglejan Chatillon a big cuddle in front of a wonderful Glen Ligon neon.












The guest list included many fabulous people. Francois Chantala had to leave early - sadly his Granny had just died. Kadee and friend receiving a loving kiss from a very happy Gordon.










Tuesday I find myself in Israel planning my daughter's Batmitzvah.

I had time to visit the studio in the countryside on a farm of the artist/photographer LOVKA it was the most beautiful studio I have ever visited.







































Now I am on holiday skiing and when I get back we have our opening of The Library of Babel curated by Anna-Catharina Gebbers with the help of our 176 team, Lizzie, Ellen and Maitreyi (and even a little bit me!) The opening is on 25th February and seeing that you made such an effort to check me out the least I can do is invite you to join us on the 25th if you are in town.

Into the New Year...

This year we had an amazing Christmas party for 176 and the Collection at HIX in Soho.

Mark and I share our birthday - sadly he got run over by a bus and was somewhat in pain but he gave me a beautiful silver goblet to drink the homegrown English south coast Vodka from.















DJ Tom Richards was amazing - he even threw in a few old-people songs for me.

My team gifted me a beautiful poem written by the lovely Lail Arad.













Artists Haroon Mirza and Laura Buckley.












Rosie Allerhand, Rob Diament, and I.
















The Wilkinson brothers and Bruce Haines and Harriet Quick.










Sam Lee and his new guy getting it together...

















George Young with Graham Hudson (Great artists. Great dancers)










Before we all headed to NY, we dropped into MOT to be photographed by Heather Cantrell.

























Then we dropped by to see Mustafa and his new statues, entitled The Ruins.


















Then off to New York and the JUDD foundation where we were made to feel most welcome.

We discussed a female interpretation of the masculinity of Donald Judd with Donald’s daughter Rainer and Barbara Hunt McLanahan showed us their wonderful Judd furniture.






















With Jane Hamlyn and all the girls at Teen Vogue.

Then dropped into a couple of galleries.







At Andrea Rosen’s we purchased a lovely work by the artist Erik Wysocan and admired the work of William J O’Brian at Marianne Boesky.







Spencer Sweeney welcomed me into his installation where he was painting a self-portrait a day.















Then St Barth’s. So many successful collectors, artists and art dealers go there to play. It was quite a scene. I found it quite fascinating that not one person apart from Peter Brandt and Vito Schnabel spoke about art.

Tony Shafrazi was the only one out there working his butt off , showing the beautiful paintings by Jason Bereswill in his pristine pop-up gallery.










Larry Gagosian and Shala Monroque gave a beautiful wedding party in their gorgeous new home built by Christian Liaigre. The wedding was for an exuberant Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo. They both looked incredible with a cake to match!










Next thing we were all dancing the night away in front of Gwen Stefani at Dasha and Roman's spectacular New Year's Party. It was the best New Year we ever had.

















On our way home Robin Vousden (with broken arm) and Pauline Karpidas dropped Roy and me off in Miami, we headed to visit Mera Rubell and she gave us a private tour - it was totally fascinating.

We camped out in front of her Mark Handforth Motor Bike.

Then home sweet home and to London Art Fair where we were exhibiting our editions and selecting some wonderful photographers for them to show. I enjoyed London Art Fair, it was friendly and not overwhelming and also a pleasure to see Modern British and contemporary under the same roof.

Congratulations!

A big congratulations goes to Dr Michaela Neumeister who married Simon de Pury: the biggest and best-kept secret in the Art World!

Michaela announces she married, her submarine emerged and her crocodile is called Simon.