Meet the Curator: Frankie Shea

For our annual Winter Auction, Art on a Postcard has invited six guest curators - we will be introducing each curator with a short interview. Bidding for the auction is currently open until 23 November via Dreweatts Auction House.

This week we sat down with Frankie Shea, an arts producer, project manager, art advisor and dealer, born and based in London. 

As a curator, what fuels your inspiration when selecting artists or themes for exhibitions?

For Art on a Postcard, I chose artists that I have worked with in the past and included some young emerging artists who I personally like.

Could you provide a brief overview of your career in the art world? How did arrive at your current position?

I worked within the art world on a secondary market basis, but became embedded into the street art movement and began to manage several artists from the genre. When I attempted to break into the art-fair circuit to further exhibit my roster, I found the door was firmly closed. So, in the typical DIY/Street art ethos, I decided to start my own art fair dedicated to artists with roots in urban culture. I grew the fair and sold it several years later to concentrate on public art initiatives and various brand campaigns, but since the lockdowns occurred, I’ve reverted back to mostly secondary market art dealing … and I’m enjoying that very much.

At AOAP we are always keen to champion emerging talent. What rising stars are you most excited about in your auction?

I recently discovered the Iranian artist Fa Razavi through my friend and gallerist Kevin Martin and her practice captured my attention. Other artists I’ve relatively recently been collecting are from the notorious and prolific graffiti writers 10FOOT and TOX. I like the rawness.

What artwork would you buy if money was no object?

A Picasso from his Blue Period, An early Bridget Riley painting and a late 90’s KAWS Bus Stop Ad-Disruption

Looking ahead to 2024, what are some of the projects or exhibitions you’re particularly looking forward to?

The Italian Renaissance exhibition that will be taking place at the Royal Academy and early retirement … (which isn’t happening).

What are your top 5 artworks across the auction outside of the artworks you curated?

97. Sam Lock - Leave and Return

35. Coco Lom - Shadow Ladder

178. Ian Everard - Verso Vanishing Point Four

233. Lee Knott - Bit of an Apple 5

306. Janie Longmore - Flush