Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/271585
artists. Today I am purely a gallerist. I was an artist when I was younger, but now I am drawn more strongly towards interacting with and supporting young artists and their work. Biggest break. I would not consider myself a dealer but a gallerist, the difference being I support the artists with studios and materials and assistants, whatever they need, instead of just selling their work. The gallery is still very young and my biggest break is still to come. The gallery's aim has always been to discover and nurture new, young artists and because they are so young they are still to see their full success and ability. The gallery has shown many of these artists' first shows, so we have been growing with them. As they begin to mature and gain recognition, as with Korakrit Arunanondchai at PS1 and Harold Ancart at Art Unlimited for example, the gallery will advance simultaneously. The success of these excellent artists is what the gallery was created for. On coming to Dallas. We haven't been down to the South very much and it sounds like good things are happening. It will be nice to get more involved with the Southern states and more of America in general. Who you're packing. Aaron Aujla and Ryan Foerster. Texas connections. It is my first time to Texas. I know the West Coast a little bit but I haven't been that south. Very excited to do so. On the horizon. Dallas and Fort Worth museums, amazing private collections and the sweet Texan sun and barbecue. On balancing Brooklyn and Brussels. It was very serendipitous that the second gallery in Brussels opened. CLEARING is not aiming towards empire status, but having two galleries is actually good logistically, because it creates usable space for fairs and storage. It is a nice to be in Brussels, there are other great galleries there like Barbara Gladstone. Also, it's not so much Brooklyn and Brussels, but instead, it is being present in the U.S. and the EU that is valuable. Having spaces in both is great for connecting with people; a lot of artists are often only represented in only one of the two continents also. The two locations allow us to help artists we work with broaden their audience. We let them decide in which space they would like to show, for the two spaces are very different and they can choose which environment would be most effective. SONIA DUTTON Founder, owner and director, DUTTON, New York (and Austin) Established. I launched my gallery soon after moving from New York to Austin, in 2010. It was open for two years and since I've been participating in art fairs as DUTTON, such as Untitled. Miami; and NADA NYC; as well as putting on a number of temporary exhibitions in Austin and New York. I have my sights set on opening in the Lower East Side in New York. Trajectory. [Originally titled] Champion Contemporary made a foray into a kind of painting-centric program which wasn't seen much in Austin — but also exhibited sculpture, site-specific installation and obsessive drawing. Solo shows, group shows and guest curators presented projects by local and New York artists, side-by-side. The debut show included locals Adam Schreiber and Barry Stone; New Yorkers Richard Mosse and Xaviera Simmons; the Netherlands' Jan Wattjes; Kazakhstan artist Alexander Ugay's We Are From Texas; and a video installation by Londoner Ben Rivers. A backspace was also devoted to monthly curated video projects as well as a tighter selection of works by younger artists. Personal path. I think you arrive at a point where it is an undeniable, permanent condition. It's partly a kind of singular aesthetic conviction that you continually want to build, hone and get better at doing, but also to make harder for yourself. As difficult as the current climate has been for smaller dealers, you forge on, as there's no way of doing anything else, ever. Previously, I did an MA in Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne and worked for dealers in late '90s, and held positions at art museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Biggest break. Placing work in spectacular collections, getting critical reviews for work I believe in so much, being entrusted to do a project for a particular site-specific space or forward- thinking concept. Perks of the job. Rigorous, winding, exhilarating conversations about work with artists, collectors, and fellow dealers that exemplify why we are all in this. MAT GLEASON Founder, owner and director, COAGULA CURATORIAL, Los Angeles Established. After 15 years of independent curating, I opened the gallery in 2012. On the name Coagula for your magazine, then gallery. In 1992 it seemed that every art publication had ART as part of its name — Artnews, Artforum, Flash Art, Art Week, New Art Examiner. I wanted something that was different because the publication was really going to be different. We intended to spill blood in the art world so that was the sentiment that inspired the name. The name followed me to the gallery. To call the gallery anything else would have confused the issue. If I ever produce a movie it will inevitably start with "Coagula Films presents …" Trajectory. There is no shame in admitting I am a failed artist. If you watch the film Amadeus, I believe that every curator and art dealer has a little Salieri in them. On the balancing act between editor/critic and gallerist/curator. I don't cover artists in which I am invested. In this day and age everyone wears a few hats if they are involved in the business side of art so it seems more controversial to people outside of the art world than to anyone inside it. The notion of purity isn't as connected to the reality of integrity as it once was. The pull of Chung King Road. Biggest break? Finding a new space when our original space on Chung King Road sold. Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine bought it; he is building a recording studio there now, but I didn't want to move from Chinatown, the energy there is so great and it is well- known, so there was a market across the street and I approached the owner about moving the gallery there. He gave me the lease under one condition — that I manage his wine store. So we have a wine shop in the back room of the gallery. Collectors love it; talk about the most natural pairing. And taking an artist to the next level — we were able to put an artist, Tim Youd together with the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego for a solo show this summer. As happy as Tim and I were, the other artists in the gallery were thrilled, it's like they all know now that they are playing on a winning team. On exhibiting in the 2014 Dallas Art Fair. I was making plans to come to the fair and do a little glad-handing when I got the invitation. It was like being two years ahead of schedule. I had to jump at the opportunity. If you win the golden ticket, you don't give Willy Wonka a rain check. Booth surprises. Carol Sears and Leigh Salgado are coming. I've already locked up the work in a storage space, not showing it to anybody. We have Ian Pines and Alyson Souza, two great painters. I haven't selected the specific works yet; if the booth at the fair smells like wet oil paint you will know my studio visits went into overtime. Your stable. Fearlessness with a healthy absence of calculation. For more musings from Mat Gleason and our other four featured gallerists, head to papercitymag.com. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND COAGULA CURATORIAL, L.A. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND THE JOURNAL GALLERY, BROOKLYN Leigh Salgado's Lavender Haired Ladies, 2013, at Coagula Curatorial, L.A. Graham Collins' Gummy Vitamins, 2013, at The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn "THERE ARE A LOT OF ARTISTS THAT CAN PRODUCE GOOD-LOOKING WORK, BUT YOU OFTEN HAVE T O B R E A K T H R O U G H T H E P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T OF THE WORK TO SEE HOW IT WILL HOLD UP OVER TIME." — JULIA DIPPELHOFER AND MICHAEL NEVIN, THE JOURNAL GALLERY, BROOKLYN "THERE IS NO SHAME IN ADMITTING I AM A FAILED ARTIST. IF YOU WATCH THE FILM AMADEUS, I BELIEVE THAT EVERY CURATOR AND ART DEALER HAS A LITTLE SALIERI IN THEM" — MAT GLEASON, COAGULA CURATORIAL, LOS ANGELES Sonia Dutton, DUTTON Mat Gleason, Coagula Curatorial Olivier Babin, C L E A R I N G , with Sebastian Black's Edible Manhattan, 2013 ERIC MINH SWENSO Dan Rushton's Vincent, 2013, at DUTTON, New York (and Austin) COURTESY THE ARTIST AND DUTTON, NEW YORK (AND AUSTIN)