The Christopher Hill Gallery finally, each artist must have a certain edginess in cELEBRATIng moving forward in the art... to try and replicatetheir art. There has to be something current or 10 YEARS contemporary society but rather that of a bygonethe masters of the past is not only difficultbut redundant, even if accomplished, andcertainly does not represent the zeitgeist of our of FInE ART you to your own unique approach and creation,era. That doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by a19th century or 17th century artist. . . but rather that this inspiration should lead in St. Helena reflecting your contemporaneous existence. q: What is the most unique piece you’ve sold? A: A piece by the Austrian artist Hans-Joerg Fuerpass. The piece was created on a musical score book of the “Magic Flute” opera by fellow Austrian W.A. Mozart. On each of the pages Q&a With ChristOPher hill the pages and visual of the art as he chooses. AFuerpass created a painting. We framed thebooklet within a shadowbox shelf within a glasscase with a door, which allowed the owner to turn truly fantastic piece, which was acquired by one q: This is your tenth year in business. a soft entrance into the gallery, without being of our best clients. business? opportunity to view a sampling of what awaits in q: What do you want the people of the NapaHow did you get in the gallery“viewed” by the gallery staff, allowing a private Congratulations. A: Thank you very much. After being We have an amazingly loyal and large clientele, the gallery?greater representation above in the large loft space.to know about you (Christopher Hill) andValley introduced to the art business world via a A: This is a tough one. . . about me? Well, Iranging from TV stars to stage and film actors, to sales management position with the largest art sports stars, to models, to the who’s who of the am most proud of my eight-year-old daughter publishing company in the U.S., I observed the business and wine worlds. They all appreciate the Alexandra and her prowess in speaking German, negative commercialization effects of mass print privacy an “off the street” environment can offer. English and learning Spanish in school, and her programs, and decided then to pursue a more personal and curating approach to collectors with You lived in Austria for many years. How good values and awareness of less-than-perfect:q their collections and artists with their careers. did you end up in St. Helena? role models. When she was an infant in the night That led to consulting for various galleries on A: Well, after returning from Austria for a job I would take her on walks throughout the house to view the art, and it served then for her as a their collections, and finally to becoming involved with a division of GE Capital, I sorely missed calming experience. This is something I have with a gallery in the Napa Valley. In the year what had become my home. It was a goal to try 2002 I was encouraged to open my own gallery and return to or at least replicate the lifestyle stressed to her in raising her as a single Dad. She and utilize the connections I had made in the which Austria offers, and with the above-stated is indeed an inspiration. Thankfully the gallery art world, but more importantly use what I had career evolution, I found myself more and more in hopefully provides a wonderful service in truly observed from the commercial side all the way the Napa Valley and observing how from the small adding a cultural appreciation within the homes down to the individual retail gallery perspective— town feel to the topography to the strong presence of many, and thereby positively influences a to create a gallery which was mindful of the long of Europeans that this was a close likeness to what younger generation within the home to appreciate term careers and value of its artists and purveyed I was so missing. So after a few years in Yountville, art, understand the nuances behind its inspiration artwork. I moved to St. Helena and am still here. and eventual creation, and a little bit less emphasis q: Have you always been tucked up here on q: You have over forty world-renowned artists permeates the world around us to lesser or greateris placed thereby on the instant gratification which the second floor? representing various schools and styles of art from degree. The goal of the gallery is to inform the A: Ha. . . tucked up here, is funny. I never the 20th century in your gallery. What are your visitor and with that information allow the visitor criteria for selecting who is presented in your really viewed it as being “tucked” as the staircase to become an informed purchaser of art. Yet not gallery? is broad and welcoming, and the entrance as well. because it matches a couch or color palette, but Back in 2002 when I was perusing prospective A: Ah, well not all forty are world-renowned. hopefully because the art piece evokes within the locations, there were four spaces available on Main However, a good portion are, and we are quite viewer an emotional connection, and the viewer St., and of the four only one had been a gallery blessed as a gallery to be able to feature so many is then further intrigued by the evident skill and prior. The space had hosted the Napa Valley’s first who are sought-after by other galleries and, qualities which I described earlier. contemporary gallery back then, and I loved the thankfully, our client base. That said, the key for loftlike feel and lighting of the space. Naturally me is to make sure that each artist is a master of The christopher hill gallery–A world of Fine Art the stairs presented a question as to foot traffic, his or her technique, that the subject matter is not 1235 main Street, Saint helena, cA 94574 and I believe for any other type of business, the redundant, that the artist understands the cause 10ish to 5:30ish 6 days a week, closed Tuesdays stairs would indeed be a big negative, but as we and effect of the art business world, and abstains 707.963.0272 • www.chgallery.com have created here. . . the stairs allow the viewer from over-commercialization of their career. And S E P T E m B E R / o c T o B E R 2 0 1 2 65
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