out to the back of the building and indicated a large concrete yard. ‘This is all going to bebroken up. I had no specific concept in mind, but it seemed to me that there must be some sort of interactive piece, an ongoing thing …’ He gestured vaguely.
‘Absolutely perfect,’ said Melissa. ‘I know a women’s collective who create fantastic organic pieces, dealing in rootedness and estrangement. This kind of open space will be absolutely marvellous for them to work in.’
‘Ask them to submit some ideas,’ said Chay. ‘We need it up and running in a matter of months.’
They went back inside and arranged themselves around the table once more.
‘I was thinking about what Chay said earlier about the core collection,’ said Leo. He hadn’t spoken until now and Melissa glanced up. She had noticed on being introduced to him that he was a good-looking man, exceptionally so, but his City suit and apparently reserved demeanour set him, in her mind, among a certain unexciting type, rather like Graham Amery. She had assumed he might be Chay’s accountant. ‘A friend of mine in Paris tells me there may be a couple of good pieces by Anthony Caro corning on the market soon. We may be able to snap something up, if we move quickly enough.’
‘Anthony Caro is just the kind of thing we’re after,’ said Chay enthusiastically. ‘Is it an auction?’
‘No,’ said Leo, ‘this would be private. I told him that I could discuss prices with him next week, if the museum is interested.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Chay. Derek Harvey murmured in agreement, nodding.
‘Speaking of sculpture, I noticed that there’s going to bean auction of some pieces by that brick fellow, Carl Andre,’ said Tony Gear. ‘Maybe that’s something we should go for.’
Chay nodded. ‘I’m thinking of employing a couple of junior staff in the next few weeks, people to whom we can delegate the business of actually purchasing works on the trust’s behalf. What we need right now are suggestions for acquisitions, then we can make collective decisions as we go along.’
‘Well, unless Derek is going to slap me down straight away—’ Melissa shot Derek Harvey a cold glance ‘—we might like to consider obtaining a work by Damien Hirst. I know his agent very well.’
The meeting carried on for another half-hour or so and, apart from one more briefly abrasive exchange between Melissa and Derek, broke up amicably.
‘Do you want a lift back?’ Leo asked Anthony.
‘No, that’s all right. I’m going on for dinner with Chay. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Everyone made their way back through the gallery areas towards the main entrance. In the last and largest room, Leo stood for a few moments looking around him, studying the space and light.
Melissa Angelicos sauntered over in his direction, glancing around. ‘Fantastic space, isn’t it?’ she remarked.
‘I was just wondering,’ replied Leo thoughtfully, ‘whether it’s big enough to take one of Thomas Schutte’s installations. Something like that would make a very impressive centrepiece.’
Melissa looked at him appraisingly. ‘You’ve seen his work?’
‘I went to his exhibition in Düsseldorf last year. It was remarkable.’ He turned to smile at her. Melissa, like most women on whom Leo smiled, felt instant pleasure and faint excitement. ‘I have to confine my own collection of sculpture to rather more conveniently sized pieces, of course,’ Leo added.
‘You collect, do you?’
‘On a modest scale. Mainly abstract works.’ They sauntered together to the door, talking about Leo’s collection. Melissa glanced at him frequently as he talked, rearranging her initial impression. She was a woman whose interest in people, especially men, was easily quickened, particularly if they were attractive. And she found Leo attractive, decidedly so. Already her mind was leaping ahead to the possibilities. Age made her less subtle these days, more ready to engage. She had lived
‘Absolutely perfect,’ said Melissa. ‘I know a women’s collective who create fantastic organic pieces, dealing in rootedness and estrangement. This kind of open space will be absolutely marvellous for them to work in.’
‘Ask them to submit some ideas,’ said Chay. ‘We need it up and running in a matter of months.’
They went back inside and arranged themselves around the table once more.
‘I was thinking about what Chay said earlier about the core collection,’ said Leo. He hadn’t spoken until now and Melissa glanced up. She had noticed on being introduced to him that he was a good-looking man, exceptionally so, but his City suit and apparently reserved demeanour set him, in her mind, among a certain unexciting type, rather like Graham Amery. She had assumed he might be Chay’s accountant. ‘A friend of mine in Paris tells me there may be a couple of good pieces by Anthony Caro corning on the market soon. We may be able to snap something up, if we move quickly enough.’
‘Anthony Caro is just the kind of thing we’re after,’ said Chay enthusiastically. ‘Is it an auction?’
‘No,’ said Leo, ‘this would be private. I told him that I could discuss prices with him next week, if the museum is interested.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Chay. Derek Harvey murmured in agreement, nodding.
‘Speaking of sculpture, I noticed that there’s going to bean auction of some pieces by that brick fellow, Carl Andre,’ said Tony Gear. ‘Maybe that’s something we should go for.’
Chay nodded. ‘I’m thinking of employing a couple of junior staff in the next few weeks, people to whom we can delegate the business of actually purchasing works on the trust’s behalf. What we need right now are suggestions for acquisitions, then we can make collective decisions as we go along.’
‘Well, unless Derek is going to slap me down straight away—’ Melissa shot Derek Harvey a cold glance ‘—we might like to consider obtaining a work by Damien Hirst. I know his agent very well.’
The meeting carried on for another half-hour or so and, apart from one more briefly abrasive exchange between Melissa and Derek, broke up amicably.
‘Do you want a lift back?’ Leo asked Anthony.
‘No, that’s all right. I’m going on for dinner with Chay. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Everyone made their way back through the gallery areas towards the main entrance. In the last and largest room, Leo stood for a few moments looking around him, studying the space and light.
Melissa Angelicos sauntered over in his direction, glancing around. ‘Fantastic space, isn’t it?’ she remarked.
‘I was just wondering,’ replied Leo thoughtfully, ‘whether it’s big enough to take one of Thomas Schutte’s installations. Something like that would make a very impressive centrepiece.’
Melissa looked at him appraisingly. ‘You’ve seen his work?’
‘I went to his exhibition in Düsseldorf last year. It was remarkable.’ He turned to smile at her. Melissa, like most women on whom Leo smiled, felt instant pleasure and faint excitement. ‘I have to confine my own collection of sculpture to rather more conveniently sized pieces, of course,’ Leo added.
‘You collect, do you?’
‘On a modest scale. Mainly abstract works.’ They sauntered together to the door, talking about Leo’s collection. Melissa glanced at him frequently as he talked, rearranging her initial impression. She was a woman whose interest in people, especially men, was easily quickened, particularly if they were attractive. And she found Leo attractive, decidedly so. Already her mind was leaping ahead to the possibilities. Age made her less subtle these days, more ready to engage. She had lived
Similar Books
