A Place For Art In Business

An article by Ian Kilbride, published on 20 June 2024.

On the 75^th anniversary of the publication of Eric Blair’s (AKA George Orwell) most famous novel, 1984, I was led to consider whether business has a responsibility to support the arts, even when the art being produced is disruptive, critical, perhaps even counter-cultural, not to mention anti-capitalist?

‘Responsibility’ may be taking it too far, as once this term is used and adopted all sorts of external strictures, obligations, comparative measurements and even sanctions come into play that simply take away the enjoyment. But I do think that support of the arts by business is vital, irrespective of how uncomfortable the ‘product’ may be.

There are three persuasive reasons for arguing this. The first is personal. I simply love art, yet it is only through my relative business success that I have been able to build a collection of local art in particular. To date, the most famous artist in my collection is of course a local talent by the name of Nelson Mandela. Madiba’s simple, minimalist, yet powerful depictions portray an unbreakable human spirit and creativity despite being conceived from the most appalling circumstances.

Would I like to own a Turner? You bet! But I derive enormous personal satisfaction not only from the vibrant vitality of the local art I have collected, but also from the knowledge that I am supporting the volcanic talent that is bursting across townships, market squares and local galleries.

I have introduced some of my collection into our group head office and this simple act has added a vibrancy and sense of creativity in what could otherwise be a rather corporate financial services working environment. A small anecdote illustrates the aesthetic importance of art to the work environment. A number of years ago I arranged for a rather imposing and historic tapestry to be hung in our main boardroom. The result was corporate rebellion. From the Exco down, I was implored (nay told) to take it down. Not even annual budget and salary adjustments evoke such a collective response from the staff. But what was interesting is that everyone had an opinion about and response to the tapestry. Clearly art matters, even in the workplace.

The second reason for business supporting art relates to the first and that is art enhances, stimulates and enriches the corporate working environment. Though situated on one of South Africa’s most beautiful and historic estates, our offices are nonetheless hi-tech and corporate. So rather than bedecking our office walls with light pastels and calming water colours, all our pieces are bright, vibrant, challenging and evocative. Our office art is not hung to cover up an empty patch, but rather for our staff, clients and professionals to be drawn to and comment on, or at least not to ignore. The office pieces are unmistakably locally crafted, including those painted by a particularly talented alumnus of the Spirit Education Foundation. Simply put, our office art stands deliberately and proudly in direct contrast to the digital computer screens that govern our lives in financial services.

But the third reason for business to support the arts is that it is vital to the quality of our individual and collective lives. A society without art is bereft of its identity, its culture, its creativity, its history and its national identity.

The great benefactors and philanthropists throughout history have recognised this and bequeathed us with the Florentine Medici collections, the Carnegie and Rockefeller collections, the Guggenheim Museums and Getty Images. Locally, the Brenthurst and Pierneef collections are national treasures collected by wealthy philanthropists that depict not only highly stylised works, but also capture and reflect some of the dominant cultural forms and themes of the previous century.

But today, a new and exciting cohort of fabulous local talent is producing art of indisputable quality, vibrancy and dynamism, yet they are just not making it into the public domain, let alone galleries. This is where business can open doors to local talent, by not only supporting artists financially, but also funding exhibitions and yes, collecting the work of emerging artists.

Are these artists all going to be the new Van Goughs? Of course not. But among them you will find rare and undiscovered talent the collection of whose work will bring enormous satisfaction, stimulation, vitality and pleasure to dull corporate boardrooms across the country.

It can be a decent financial investment sometimes too!