Tastemaker Rosa Park is Rethinking The Gallery Experience

HUR CONVERSATIONS

Sep 15

ROSA PARK

This Tastemaker is Rethinking The Gallery Experience

By Bonnie Langedijk

What defines a tastemaker? Someone with great style, someone who influences what is or will become relevant, someone who doesn’t follow the crowd. Rosa Park ticks all of those boxes. Cereal, the biannual travel and style publication she founded with her partner Rich Stapleton, is a testament to her tastelevel and curated approach to style, design and art. And in a print industry that’s seen a decline in revenues of 8.7 per cent globally, Cereal has managed to succeed while sticking to their vision. But Park is embarking on a new chapter: Francis Gallery. The gallery curates works by emerging international artists and is based in Bath, with a second gallery location opening in Los Angeles in the fall. Her expansive knowledge on art and design has resulted in Park taking a more holistic approach when it comes to the gallery experience. Considering not only the art presented but the overall setting and mood. We spoke with the founder, editor and gallerist about curation, the digitization of art and design and the danger of trends.

You recently made the move into art. Why did you decide to start Francis Gallery? What was it that attracted you to the art world, or what was the gap you saw?

Rosa: Like most things that I do in my life, I just really wanted to. It was actually Cereal that led me here. Over the course of the magazine’s life we started covering more and more art. Exhibitions, different art institutions and foundations around the world and I found myself traveling very far just to see this one artist. And I realized it had become a central focus and probably one of my biggest passions. During all of my travels and after working with all these galleries and museums and interviewing artists that I admired, I started to want to buy art. Everybody has posters and prints, but I wasn’t necessarily purchasing big oil paintings or sculptures at this point in my life. And then I thought, where am I going to buy this art from? And not that I didn’t have options, because there are five bizillion galleries around the world at all types of price points and styles. But I still wondered: is there a gallery that speaks to me, and the kind of customer I am? That’s selling the kind of artists I connect to, their practice, their process and at a price point that is accessible for me? That’s presenting works in a way that I can relate to and that gives me more context? Oftentimes, especially at the very high end, it can be daunting. I can’t afford so many art works that I absolutely adore. For that simple reason, I wanted to create a space where I could represent artists that I really respect and admire. Put on exhibitions that felt true to how I would want to see art and then connect with my peers. People on my level in every sense and then have them be like: ‘Great, I’m so welcome here.’ A very warm, laid back, relaxed setting in which to consume art.

“But I still wondered: is there a GALLERY that speaks to me, and the kind of customer I am? ”

I agree that you rarely feel relaxed in a gallery. A luxury fashion store is the same in some ways. You’re usually quickly profiled as someone who can or someone who can’t afford it.

Rosa: Yes. There’s many sectors of the art world that we can engage with and inhabit. As a gallerist now, I don't think art is always about ownership. You can be enthusiastic and passionate about it and never have a piece of art in your home. It’s actually quite challenging to find a place that represents a group of artists that fits with your philosophy. With us, you don’t have to buy anything. And if you do want to buy something there’s no smoke or mirrors. We’re not saving a painting with the hopes that a museum is going to buy it. That's not my ambition. For me it’s very much like: come to this gallery, we love this artist, I hope you do too. Isn’t this work great? If you want to buy it, here’s the price list. When we opened the gallery in Bath and when we had the pop-up in London people were like: ‘Oh I have my dog, is that okay?’ And we were like bring your dogs, bring your babies. It’s fine. Everyone is welcome.

It makes a lot of sense when you’re talking about putting different elements within your aesthetic together. At Cereal you were curating too, this is just a different industry and setting.

Rosa: It’s three dimensional. I’ve noticed quite a lot of former editors or journalists foray more into interiors and art. And you can see why. You take different bits and you put it together until it’s a cohesive entity which is what an editor would do or a curator would do. It definitely is a similar mindset. The only difference is dealing with physical space. With a magazine, for example when I’m doing an interior photoshoot, what matters is that the art direction and photography is what I want it to be on a 2D scale. No one is going to get into the page and try to sit on a sofa, so functionality matters less. I’ve had to think very differently. Like does this actually work when someone walks in? What is the flow of the show? And even if I don’t say anything, what are they going to look at first? I think you take different considerations into play. My awareness of physical space in the last three years has dramatically changed. I’m really trying to get into the mindset of NFTs and digital viewing rooms as well.

I want to circle back to you as an editor. As you mentioned, as an editor your role is to create a tone of voice and consistent style, but not every publication manages to do so. Especially because of the business model that most titles are tied to. And I think you were able to do that, and that’s what makes Cereal unique. How do you find the balance between protecting your curatorial lens and aesthetic as a publication while working with commercial partners who might have a vision that’s different to yours?

Rosa: We just choose to make less money. But for Rich and I from the get go, the business has to work. It’s not an after school project. I’ve got employees, I’ve got bills to pay, I’ve got contributors and freelancers to pay. This is real. I make my living through it. It’s a very slippery slope. You have to grow. We never took on investment, because that’s a very different conversation. If you take on investment, the financial expectation is very different from when you still privately own and run your company. Because we chose to do that, we don’t answer to anybody but ourselves. We genuinely would say no to advertising, commercial opportunities, no matter how lucrative they were because it wasn’t right. People have different value systems. And maybe I would feel differently if I started a magazine today. I really don’t know. But my value system at that time, and still today, is that I want this business to work. However, that balance of my ethics and my philosophy versus money, I’ve been careful through the years to catch myself and keep myself in check.

Absolutely. You have to be realistic about the fact that you’re running a business. Let’s circle back to art. You touched on NFTs and this new movement in art. In terms of the democratization of art I find it quite difficult, as I don’t know if I’m getting to an age where you grow into buying art or if there’s actually a movement of more people getting involved due to the digitization of the art market.

Rosa: I think it’s a wider cultural shift. When I was growing up I was very interested in fashion. And I’m really past that. Most of my designer bags are collecting dust in my closet. And I don’t think that’s just me. A part of me also thinks there’s a little bit of virtue signaling. I think in our generation we’re so aware and we care about the environment, global affairs, society at large. And whether that is conscious or subconscious, to spend 7000 dollars on this luxury fashion item, somehow seems more vacuous than spending that money on a painting where you’re supporting an artist, and you’re cultured, and whatever. I think to deny that, is to not be truthful about where we’re at.

Completely. On Instagram you used to show off your new luxury fashion purchase, and now it’s about having a certain type of chair or wine. The funny thing is that so many wouldn’t have recognized that specific chair five years ago. But everyone is so much more educated about different artists and designers. It’s interesting to see that shift.

Rosa: Pierre Jeanneret is now the new Hermès bag. There are certain markers of design pieces where when you look at a photo, and you go like yep, yep, yep. And that’s funny because interiors used to move at a much slower pace than fashion. For most folks, you buy a really expensive couch. It’s probably the most expensive piece of furniture in your house. The chances of you getting a new sofa in a year is slim to none. What’s interesting now, there’s almost these fast-interior brands emerging and they’re dropping collections all the time. And people are just moving onto the next thing. What happened in fashion is happening to design. Perhaps that’s inescapable, and yet there’s a very old fashioned part of me that’s like: it’s not about the trends! But it’s always about a trend.

The trend has also become to share the full 360 of your life. It’s not just about showing off the product you own, but it’s about showing off your aesthetic as a whole. Everyone’s the curator of their own Instagram feed. Sometimes I wonder how far we’ll take this.

Rosa: Yes, it’s your whole life. The word lifestyle gives me the hibbie jibbies.

I agree. It’s the worst word. We need to come up with something new.

Rosa: Whatever we choose to share, we’re all privy to each other's lives. Some people, especially those in the creative industry will effectively curate what they choose to share. They’re building that persona and that image. We’re the first generation to do that on this digital level. Every day, 24/7. Things are faster, but one thing that you just made me think about is with Francis, it’s really.. I use the word emotional a lot because I feel very emotional about the art I purchase, the artists I connect with, the shows I put on. I’m not even trying to intellectualize. Sure, we can do that, talk about an artist’s practice and process and that’s very important and relevant but people are like why did you buy this? It literally takes me ten minutes to decide if I want to buy something. It’s an emotional reaction to a piece of work. Even with my furniture or clothes, I’ve moved past aesthetics to how does it make me feel? I’m 37, I’m turning 40 soon. I’m still young, I still have a lot to learn. But this space or chapter that I’ve entered in the last year or two is: I want to be comfortable. I want to be relaxed. I don’t care about pretense. I’m in sweatpants because it’s super comfortable. I don’t wear heels anymore because it’s really uncomfortable. I want this couch with the soft edges because I don’t want my 11-month-old son to run into it. It needs to function and it needs to be calming. Even with a painting or a sculpture or an installation piece, I’m not someone who will purchase for investment, provocation, or political statement. I purchase because it makes me feel good.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.