Shop spotlight on Rise Art. This business sells original art from a blend of emerging and celebrated talents like Damien Hirst and Gavin Turk. They work with promising graduates, galleries and museums to provide their customers with a superb selection of paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures. The collection is carefully curated by members through online voting, plus their expert team. It’s mostly an affordable online art gallery that you can try before buying through their rental scheme. Whether you’re new to the world of art buying or a seasoned pro, this is the perfect place to search for that must-have piece. I caught up with the Rise Art owners to find out more.
Rise Art – Chicken by Rupert Newman £250
Meet The Rise Art Owners
Scott Phillips and Marcos Steverlynck founded Rise Art. Scott runs the commercial side of the business, while Marcos is the brains behind the technology that powers the platform. They met at the London Business School while doing an MBA. After graduating, they worked in the tech sector – Marcos at Google and Scott at an online video start-up. Once they had paid back their student loans, the duo decided to launch Rise Art.
Rise Art Owners – Scott Phillips and Marcos Steverlynck
This venture was a natural progression for the pair because they have been involved in the technology and digital media industries for years. Scott became interested in the art world a few years earlier and tells me, “my wife works at Burberry and has always been an artist. She would take me to degree shows and art openings. The idea for the business came from these experiences.”
Rise Art – Pool by Patrick Higgs £1000
Scott explains further, “I saw many artists producing amazing art but need help generating awareness and endorsement. It also dawned on me that first-time collectors lacked the confidence to buy artwork. They needed a trusted guide to help them discover great new artists in a risk-free environment. So with this in mind, we created the company as a way to connect a highly curated selection of talented artists with these new collectors.” You may have guessed by now that the business name of Rise Art refers to the talented new artists they promote, whose careers are on the rise!
Rise Art – Speed of Life by Courgette £500
The online format of the business helps reach people who wouldn’t necessarily visit galleries. Collectors often purchase pieces from offline environments like art fairs or even direct from the artist. Because some new buyers may be worried about buying art online, they have a solution. Scott explains, “seeing the artwork in the flesh is always important. That’s why we allow people to rent artwork. They can see how it looks displayed in their home before buying. We’ll even credit the rental towards the price of the purchase. Those who want to see artwork close up can visit our central London showroom.”
Rise Art – Rainbow Jet Neon Light by Emma Harman £2000
Scott and Marcos have a team of eight at the moment and are hiring! They certainly enjoy what they do, “it’s exhilarating to see your dreams take off and become a reality. We’re building something that supports artists, and it is great to see them and our collectors happy. We are now in a position to support projects we believe in. We started Art For Care to give something back. With every sale on the platform, our company donates an art kit to children’s hospital wards in our ‘buy one, give one’ model.”
Rise Art Collection
Available artwork ranges from collage, mixed media, painting, photography, drawing and sculpture. The subject matter varies, including everything from architecture, cityscapes, nature, abstract, pop art, surrealism, urban and typography. They sell works from several galleries like the Serpentine and Tate. Their established art stars include Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, Hush, Ben Eine, Gavin Turk, Bruce Mclean and Sir Peter Blake.
Rise Art – Yes by Gavin Turk
The new talent sits alongside the veterans, “our new artists include Victoria Horkan from Leeds, Slovenian artist Slavomir Zombek and Berlin-based artist Super Future Kid. To give you an idea of what’s on offer, Scott and Marcos have selected five pictures for you to admire. Let’s start with Le Petit Echo De La Mode No: 48 by Hormazd Narielwalla – this London-based artist produces brilliant collages using tailoring patterns as raw source materials. His practice began in the workrooms of Saville Road, and his art is now held in public and corporate collections in the USA and UK.
Rise Art – Le Petit Echo De La Mode No: 48 by Hormazd Narielwalla
Slobber Song by Super Future Kid – the East Berlin-born artist produces work filled with colour and wit.
Rise Art – Slobber Song by Super Future Kid
Pink Pagoda by Kristin Gaudio Endsley – Kirstin produces abstract paintings using acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Her works explode from the canvas and fill a room with energy. You’ll find Kirstin’s art displayed across the UK and in private and corporate collections.
Rise Art – Pink Pagoda by Kristin Gaudio Endsley
Dark Garden by Bruce Mclean – Bruce is one of contemporary British art’s significant figures. His work is in museum collections worldwide and was the subject of a solo show at the Tate. Bruce graduated from the Glasgow School of Art and was recently head of Graduate Painting at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Rise Art – Dark Garden by Bruce Mclean £950
Heath Ledger by Kelvin Okafor is an intricate drawing that might be mistaken for a photograph. In 2013, Kelvin’s work was featured across the country, and he is now in the collections of over 50 major international bodies, including the Queen of Jordan. To give you an idea of how this venture is such an excellent launchpad for emerging artists, they tell me, “Kelvin Okafor is an artist who started on our website with works selling for £300. He has been featured on the BBC and in the Guardian and has gained an international collector base. His works now sell for over £20000!”
Rise Art – Heath Ledger by Kelvin Okafor £1250
Buy Artford From Rise Art
To buy these works of art and many more, go to the Rise Art Website. Make sure you take the online style quiz to prioritise important pieces for your viewing pleasure. If you want to see a selection of works, you can visit the gallery located at 83 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 6RH. Prices range from £50 up to £35000. Art rentals start as low as £25 per month. They ship to over 30 countries and accept sterling, US dollars and euros. A new US website has just launched, which is excellent for my American readers.
If you own a company, you might be interested to know that the business-to-business service can help you curate artwork and organise ongoing rentals. Individual customers can also seek expert advice by contacting Rise Art via email or phone – see the website for details.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Rise Art. Thanks: Scott Phillips, Marcos Steverlynck and Isabel Larner.
