The Abrupt Closure of Mayor Gallery Blain Southern Leaves Art in Limbo—and Artists Out of Pocket

For the artist Nasan Tur, the choice was obvious. With two
museum shows about to open, he could not afford to have his work
stuck in storage in London and Berlin after Blain Southern, his
former gallery, went into administration. Tur paid to get his work
back rather than leave them in limbo until the financial mess is
sorted out.

The Berlin-based artist’s predicament is shared by several
artists who used to work with the gallery, which had spaces in
London, Berlin, and New York until it abruptly shuttered all three
on February 12, citing an inability to “secure the gallery’s future
long term.” Fine arts storage companies are in a similarly tough
spot as administrator’s begin to sort out who is owed what by the
gallery.

Three former Blain Southern artists confirm that their works are
being held in storage as shipping and fine arts logistics companies
work to recuperate money owed to them by the gallery.

The situation faced by artists and suppliers are all part of the
fall out from the gallery’s spectacular fall from grace. When a
major gallery closes, it causes a ripple effect within a complex
network of employees, fine arts service companies, graphic
designers and publishers, art handlers, and, of course,
artists.

After expanding to New York, and a series of high-profile hires,
the gallery founded by Harry Blain and Graham Southern ten years
ago appears to have got into financial trouble in the middle of
last year.

London-based Martin Speed is one of the fine art storage and
shipping companies that did business with Blain Southern. The
company’s chairman, Simon Sheffield, confirms that by late summer
it was becoming increasingly difficult to receive payments. The
company grew concerned at the press coverage that began trickling
through in late fall as directors and high-profile artists began
their respective walk–outs.

Southern split from Blain in November. According to company
filings, before Southern handed back his stake, the company was 90
percent owned by his former partner and co-founder Blain. Blain did
not respond to a request for a comment.

All parties owed money or assets are no longer dealing with the
gallery but the London-based administrator ReSolve. Several artists
and shipping companies contacted declined to comment on the
situation, citing client privacy concerns and ongoing legal
proceedings.

According to one email seen by Artnet News, artists were asked
to sign non-disclosure agreements in late January. One artist told
us that they were felt obliged to sign if they wanted to get
paid.

Caught in the Fall-Out

With around 40 artists on its rosters until late last year,
there could be a lot of high-value works of art held up in storage
facilities in London, New York, and Berlin. The gallery
represented Chiharu Shiota, Bill Viola, Lynn Chadwick’s
estate, Wim Wenders, Michael Joo, and Bosco Sodi, among
others. Several had left in the lead up to the gallery’s
ultimate closure, including Sean Scully and the Chapman
Brothers.

Sheffield says Martin Speed is working with the administrator to
resolve matters “in what are very difficult circumstances.” He
confirms the company has been put in the awkward position of having
to hold on to artworks for the time being. He would not confirm how
many artists or works are affected. “We’re trying to come up with
solutions so that artists can get their works back,” he stresses.
He reveals that some of Blain Southern’s former artists have opted
to leave their works with the company by opening personal
accounts.

In New York, Fritz Ewins, who runs a family-owned art shipping
company, sounds noticeably pained as he discusses the extremely
tough decision he had to make to hold onto artworks while seeking
payment. “It’s a frustrating situation for everyone involved,”
Ewins admits. “We are not looking to take advantage of anyone and
we hope this situation is resolved in the near future,” he
says.

Getting Back Artworks

When the alarm bells began ringing about Blain Southern’s
finances earlier this year, artists had to act quickly to recover
their works. According to one artist formerly represented by the
gallery who asked not to be named as legal proceedings are
underway, former Blain Southern director Adrian Sutton called a
week before the gallery announced it was closing to alert artists
they should collect their works immediately. Nasan Tur says he was
notified. Staffers tried to help “as far as it was possible for
them under this situation,” Tur says.

Others are less understanding. “Everything was wrong in this,
but we knew we had to just get it done because we needed to remove
the work quickly,” says another artist formerly represented the
gallery. “All these works are my property and it would be terrible
timing had we waited longer.” They bought-out some of their
artworks from a London fine arts storage, but others are still in
limbo.

It remains to be seen how the administrator will resolve the
situation and who could be left out of pocket. “The
non-preferential creditors are going to bear the brunt of this,”
Sheffield says. “I would be surprised if there are not some losses
incurred.” In cases of insolvency, secured creditors are typically
paid first. Prioritized creditors like employees tend to be second
in line; non-preferential creditors would include everyone else
with whom the company has done business. ReSolve, the company
handling the administration, did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.

Beyond artists’ works consigned to the gallery, there are also
works on loan to third parties caught up in the fallout. The Royal
Society of Sculptors in London has a Michael Joo pink zebra on
display on its sculpture terrace. On loan from the artist via Blain
Southern since December, the artist-led society is now unclear
where Doppelganger (Pink
Rocinante)(2009) should
return to later this month. “We understand it should still go back
to the gallery,” says the society’s director, Caroline Worthington,
but they are checking with Joo’s studio in New York as
circumstances have changed since agreeing the loan. She calls the
closing of the gallery very sad, particularly for the gallery’s
staff who have lost their jobs. “I suspect there are other
institutions that have borrowed their artists’ work in the same
situation,” she adds. 

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Leaves Art in Limbo—and Artists Out of Pocket appeared first on
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