Masterpiece seeker
From installations in Islington to video art in Argentina, Phillips de Pury & Company’s Brooke de Ocampo is at the fore in finding and promoting the best in contemporary and modern art.
As head of business development at the Phillips de Pury & Company auction house, Brooke de Ocampo tends to get around a lot. “Either I go to Turkey for a day, or I’m with my kids, or in London, or in New York for the auctions; there’s no such thing as an average day. Period,” she says.
For de Ocampo, “The best place to say I’m based is on the airplane.” Endlessly energetic and obsessed with art since childhood, her dreams of being an artist were never fulfilled; instead, she’s become one of the most important power brokers in the contemporary and modern art field, scouting the market, finding works, and arranging private sales. Reluctant to name any favourite artists, she cites Richard Prince, Christopher Wool and Piotr Uklanski as part of a long list. Having worked at Sotheby’s for eight years as a private advisor to top clients, three children in rapid succession led her to give up working, which gave her time to write ‘Bright Young Things New York’ and ‘Bright Young Things London’ (Assouline), detailing the lives of a range of stylish young socialites, artists and business people in New York and London. As prices in the contemporary and modern art markets hit record highs, de Ocampo has her work cut out for her and is constantly on the lookout for new talent. A “music fanatic,” she notes that “if there was one thing I could wish for in my next life, I would love to be lead vocalist or guitar in a band.”
My London City Guide
What makes London such an important art centre?
It’s a meeting place, such a place of crossing cultures, of young people who find London an attractive place to be, young people who are more and more coming to the contemporary art market. And I think it’s on a par with New York.
What are your top five favourite art locations in London?
Tate Modern, I love the Turbine Hall; Serpentine Gallery is great; White Cube; Hauser & Wirth; I think what Gagosian is doing is insane, in a good way!
Where are your favourite places in London to shop?
I love Alexander McQueen, and Dover Street Market is one of my favourite places. I think that’s actually my all-time favourite.
What do you like to do best in London?
I like to go to Medium Rare, which is a burlesque, kitschy, off-beat London show at Shepherd’s Bush in the Bush Hall. They have sporadic shows with ten or twelve different performances by performance artists or short films, and it’s the most random collection of talent, or lack thereof, you’ve ever seen.
What do you like most about going to The Dorchester?
It’s the epitome of civilized tea, everything that you can imagine having English tea in the afternoon should be about.
Original artwork image provided by Grillo Demo, photograph printed on canvas with hand-painted flower.
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