Nathan Clements-Gillespie Shares Highlights from Frieze Masters 2023

Nathan Clements-Gillespie on this Year’s Edition of Frieze Masters

Frieze Masters opened to the public yesterday in London, open to the public through Sunday, October 15 at Regent’s Park. Directed by Nathan Clements-Gillespie, it coincides with the 20^th edition of Frieze London.

On view are works from pre-history to the 20^th century, including rare works, ancient pieces, a special Studio series curated by Sheena Wagstaff, a Modern Women section curated by Camille Morineau, as well as a talks programs with names like Tilda Swinton, and Gilbert & George.

Whitewall spoke with Clements-Gillespie about all the must-see work on view at the fair and what he’s looking forward to this week in London, including ending at least one night at Annabel’s.

Frieze Masters Celebrates Alongside Frieze London’s 20th Year

WHITEWALL: How is Frieze Masters marking the momentous occasion of Frieze London’s 20th anniversary?

NATHAN CLEMENTS-GILLESPIE: As we celebrate our sister fair, I believe it’s worth highlighting the symbiosis of the two. Frieze Masters provides the opportunity to survey millennia of art—from prehistory through the 20th century—with a contemporary eye, and in this way informs the talent of today found at Frieze London. 

WW: A number of works on view are by artists also being exhibited in London at this time. Can you share some of those highlights?

NCG: We’re delighted to see institutional crossover at Frieze Masters this year. Highlights include a signed and dated portrait by Frans Hals, coinciding with his major exhibition at the National Gallery; a solo presentation of El Anatsui by Jack Shainman Gallery, with Frieze Masters commencing just a day after his Tate Turbine Hall commission opens; and works by Philip Guston on display with Hauser & Wirth concurrently with his retrospective at Tate Modern.

In addition to those, Simon C. Dickinson will bring one of Lucian Freud’s greatest late-career portraits, straight from its inclusion in the National Gallery show, and Galleria Continua will present a solo booth by Ai Weiwei, whose retrospective at the Design Museum closed at the end of July.

Rare Works at Frieze Masters

WW: Frieze Masters offers a chance to see rare works, like the painting by Frans Hals with Salomon Lilian that hasn’t been shown in 112 to the public. Can you tell us more about this piece and any other gems we should keep an eye out for?

NCG: It’s a brilliant opportunity to see a work that hasn’t been exhibited publicly in Europe in over a century, and the painting presented by Salomon Lilian is the first signed Frans Hals on the market since 2008 as well. Portrait of a 50 Year Old Man positions the sitter within a feigned stone cartouche, with details of his goatee, brimmed black hat and yellow gloves rendered in Hals’s vivid, loose touch. 

I would also keep an eye out for the curated selection of Old Masters paintings at Rafael Valls, including A View of the Thames at Westminster on Lord Mayor’s Day by Thomas Wyck, and the display of palaeolithic hand axes at ArtAncient, which offer insight into the origins of human creativity.

WW: Work by Emily Kam Kngwarray D’Lan Contemporary marks a first time showing Australian First Nations Artist at Frieze. Are there other underrepresented artists on view of note at Frieze Masters this year?

NCG: Underrepresentation of women artists remains an issue, particularly as one looks further into the past. We’re looking forward to a large contingent of women artists this year at Frieze, in the Modern Women section particularly. Outside of our specialist sections, I recommend Johnny Van Haeften’s group presentation as well, which includes female Old Masters.

Frieze Master First-Timers

WW: Who are some of the Frieze Masters first-timers we should keep an eye out for?

NCG: Charles Beddington and Gomide&Co are both participating in a Frieze fair for the first time this year, with the former partnering with Artur Ramon Art to present works by renowned names including Picasso and Canaletto. The latter will bring a solo exhibition of oil paintings by Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato, a Brazilian modernist whose life spanned nearly the full 20th century.

In addition to that pair, I would also suggest visiting Sadie Coles HQ and White Cube, two galleries that have exhibited at all 20 years of Frieze London and are making their Frieze Masters debut in 2023. Both will be featured in Studio, a new special section—more on that below.

Frieze Masters Special Sections

WW: Can you tell us about the Studio section which is new for 2023?

NCG: Studio is a special section by Sheena Wagstaff, who most recently served as Chair of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Met. Her initiative sees five solo presentations that revolve around the idea of the artist’s studio as a dynamic space, one that is indelibly linked to the creative process. The featured artists are Maggi Hambling, Mona Hatoum, Lucia Laguna, Arlene Shechet, and Hyung-sook Song.

WW: Also new this year is the Modern Women section. What can we expect to find there?

NCG: Modern Women is curated by Camille Morineau and her team at AWARE (Archive of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions), who curated Spotlight last year. We’re excited to see their return to the fair with a new section focusing on solo presentations of women artists working in the 20th century. You’ll find works by Anna-Eva Bergman, with Perrotin, and Vera Molnár, with Vintage Galeria—among others. I recommend a visit to ACA Galleries’ presentation of Faith Ringgold, which will show her works from the 1950s through ‘70s, in media ranging from oil paintings to soft sculpture to tankas.

WW: What is the theme this year for Spotlight, curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver?

NCG: This year’s Spotlight—Valerie Cassel Oliver’s first—focuses on works made between 1950s and 1970s. I’m particularly looking forward to the presentation by Susan Inglett Gallery, which will recreate elements of Maren Hassinger’s exhibition “On Dangerous Ground,” which marked the first solo show by a Black artist at LACMA.

WW: Outside of the fair, what are you looking forward to seeing/doing in London this week?

NCG: I’m looking forward to visiting the National Portrait Gallery to attend the Frieze Masters talks in collaboration with dunhill. We have great speakers, including Tim Walker, Tilda Swinton, and Gilbert & George—and the café there is lovely. I’ll also stop by the Frieze x ICA Artists’ Film Programme, converse with our Old Masters dealers over lunch and, of course, end my night at least once at Annabel’s.