The Rake’s progress: Frieze special

Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.

At the the Gagosian stand on Frieze preview day, Rakewell spotted former chancellor George Osborne staring deeply into the eyes of an Andy Warhol Mao. While the two men can’t be said to have much in common politically, Osborne’s Evening Standard leaders certainly seem to be tapping Mao’s knack for guerrilla warfare…

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Rant of the fair (so far) comes courtesy of collector and dealer Stefan Simchowitz, who took to Facebook to pen a charming diatribe entitled ‘Gallery Idiots’. In the post, written immediately after his visit to Frieze, Simchowitz vented spleen at museums, their boards and the gallerists who sell (or indeed don’t sell) new work to them. Sample: ’You have built a venus fly trap that catches bull shit and really nothing else’.

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Apparently, Peter Blake was in early at Frieze Masters, helping to set up the facsimile of his studio at Waddington Custot’s stand. According to one eyewitness, the eminence grise of British Pop Art decided to rev up for the show with a blast of the Spice Girls’ Spiceworld…

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Who was the best dressed on preview day? As far as the Rake is concerned, it’s a toss-up between what one colleague described as the ‘1980s pirate costume’ sported by Mark Leckey and the besuited individual seen criss-crossing the fair with his head almost entirely covered in diamonds. Eat that, London Fashion Week…

Got a story for Rakewell? Get in touch at rakewell@apollomag.com or via @Rakewelltweets.