The Art World Works From Home: Gallerist Jack Shainman Rides Horses, Plans Exhibition Schedules, and Makes Omelettes in Isolation

The art world may be on
lockdown, but it certainly does not stop. During this unprecedented
time, we’re checking in with art-world professionals, collectors,
and artists to get a glimpse into how they are working from
home.

Jack Shainman—the gallerist
known for fostering the careers of artists including Kerry James
Marshall, Nina Chanel Abney, and Nick Cave—is learning how to do
business remotely. A month after he, like other New York dealers,
closed his gallery’s three locations for the foreseeable future, he
and his team have remained busy and in close touch with artists and
clients. They’ve also been supplying a steady stream of inspiration
by sharing brand-new
artworks over
Instagram—as well as missives from their “intern,” Bay the
cat. 

Read on to hear how Jack is
managing his news intake, finding ways to stay positive, and
reimagining a more sustainable art world post-lockdown.

Where is your new “office”?

My farm in upstate New York is
my new office. It is right down the street from our exhibition
outpost, The School. 

What are you working on right now (and were any projects of
yours interrupted by the lockdown)?

Everything has been
interrupted! 

How has your work changed now that you are doing it from
home?

What needs to be done on a
day-to-day basis has not changed, but the way it is happening most
definitely is a new experience. I am even more dependent on my
phone than I previously thought possible, and of course virtual
meetings are our new reality. 

My main focus these past few
weeks has been programming for when we are able to reopen. We want
to make sure we have an exciting and engaging lineup to welcome
everyone back to the gallery. In the meantime, it is really just
staying connected with your artists and collectors. It is more
important than ever that everyone feels supported.

What are you reading, both online and off?

I finally had the opportunity to
spend time with Vince Aletti’s Issues: A
History of Photography in Fashion
Magazines. It is a
beautiful publication that is very well done. The next one off the
shelf is The
Underground by
Colson Whitehead. 

Have you visited any good virtual exhibitions
recently?

I have been impressed by
Crystal
Bridges’s use of virtual
reality. My particular favorite was the deconstruction of Kerry
James Marshall’s seminal painting, Our Town. The investigation into the individual
elements of the painting are concise, yet
insightful. 

Have you taken up any new hobbies?

No new hobbies, but I am most
definitely leaning into an old one: Three of my horses are on the
farm and I have been able to ride every day.

What is the first place you want to travel to once this is
over?

My first trips will be to see
the shows that either had openings we were unable to travel for, or
were postponed. El Anatsui’s traveling exhibition “Triumphant
Scale” opened at the Kunstmuseum in Bern Switzerland in
mid-March. I was disappointed not to be able to be there for the
celebration, but I am looking forward to seeing this iteration of
the presentation in the near future. Additionally, Toyin Ojih
Odutola was set to have an opening at the Barbican on March 26, but
the show has since been postponed. The new works are so strong and
mark a new chapter in her practice. It will be exciting to see the
response once they are debuted to the public. 

After that, I will want to visit
my friends and family in Granada, Spain.

If you are feeling stuck while self-isolating, what’s your
best method for getting un-stuck?

I have found that limiting my
intake of the news is a practice I’ve been refining and taking very
seriously in order to remain “un-stuck.” I absolutely want to be
connected and stay compassionate, but there still does come a time
when absorbing too much information can lead to unhealthily
dwelling on the negative. 

However, I’ve found that a
positive way to combat that is to support causes devoted to
confronting this public health emergency. We’ve donated supplies
from the gallery to hospitals in New York and have been seeking
other methods of giving back so that we stay optimistically
engaged.

What was the last TV show, movie, or YouTube video you
watched?

Being
There,
based on Jerzy Kosiński’s novel,
seems apt for the moment.

If you could have one famous work of art with you, what would
it be?

I am very fortunate to have a
lot of art in my home. Currently installed are works by Kerry James
Marshall, Barkley L. Hendricks, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Lynette
Yiadom-Boakye, Carlos Vega, Claudette Schreuders, Hank Willis
Thomas, Barry McGee, Fred Sandback, Judith Scott, Christian
Boltanski, Luc Tuymans, Purvis Young, and many more. I am not sure
I could choose just one!

What are you most looking forward to doing once social
distancing has been lifted?

Truthfully, I am excited to get
back to the gallery, see friends, and have an opening. I am also
quite energized by the idea that the reality of COVID-19 will
galvanize more people to acknowledge the serious issues, such as
climate change, facing society. My hope is that this will be a call
to action to acknowledge the urgency with which we need to make
strides to address these impending public health crises.

Favorite recipe to cook at home?

I do not have a particular
recipe, but my specialty is omelettes. I worked in an all-night
club when I was in college as the omelette chef. It was not
glamorous, but it most definitely gave me skills that came in
handy. 

For inspiration, we’re
sharing French chef Ludo Lefebvre’s expert omelette approach,
adapted from Bon
Appétit:

Ingredients:

• 2
  large eggs
• 1
  tbsp. unsalted butter
• Coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1
  ounce Boursin or other soft, spreadable cheese
• 1
  tbsp. chopped chives

1. Whisk
   eggs until very well combined.
2. Melt
   1 tbsp. butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the
   butter begins to foam, add eggs and season with salt and pepper.
   Using a rubber spatula, stir eggs quickly and
   constantly.
   
3. After
   about 2 minutes, shake the skillet to settle any uncooked egg. Keep
   stirring until eggs are nearly cooked through on the bottom but
   still runny on top. Remove pan from heat and let sit 1
   minute.
   
4. Spoon
   dollops of cheese across the center of the omelet and quickly roll
   up the omelet using spatula, then turn out onto a plate seam side
   down.
   
5. Sprinkle with salt and chives.

The post The Art World Works From Home: Gallerist Jack
Shainman Rides Horses, Plans Exhibition Schedules, and Makes
Omelettes in Isolation appeared first on artnet
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