A visitor to Birmingham in the late 19th century would have encountered a city buzzing with the latest ideas in art and design. The Birmingham School of Art, the first municipal art school in the country, was promoting the avant-garde Arts & Crafts movement, and encouraging women to break new ground. The brand-new Art Gallery, bankrolled by philanthropic industrialists, was busy collecting examples of good design from around the world, to inspire Birmingham artisans. Jump forward a few decades, and we find Birmingham at the forefront of British Surrealism. This is a city with an outstanding artistic heritage, and art is still at the centre of Birmingham’s cultural life.
Since 2010, Colley Ison Gallery has played a leading role in promoting the careers of Birmingham artists. Reuben Colley (who founded the gallery, later joined by fellow Director Timothy Ison) has devoted the past quarter of a century to capturing on canvas the evolving cityscape of his native Birmingham. Colley’s paintings don’t portray royalty or prime ministers. Instead, they chronicle graffiti-covered urban concrete, overgrown pathways, tower blocks and car parks; forgotten and unloved corners that so many of us overlook.
Since first opening its doors in Moseley, the Colley Ison Gallery has not only promoted the work of its founder, it has also brought some of today’s best contemporary painters and sculptors to Birmingham, several of whom have connections to the city and the surrounding areas.
Colley Ison currently represents an impressive range of artists whose careers have been linked to Birmingham and the region, including Danny Howes, James Byrne, Mark Godwin, Annette Pugh, Stephen Earl Rogers, Goldie, Horace Panter and Jacob Chandler. It’s also proud to represent successful London-based artists Roxana Halls and Rick Garland, who both have close associations with Birmingham.
Since moving to Colmore Row, just around the corner from the EFG Harris Allday offices in the heart of the financial district, Colley Ison Gallery has also become known as one of the Midlands’ most significant dealers in blue-chip artists such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, David Hockney and L. S. Lowry. Prices on works by iconic artists such as Warhol can rise by as much as 20% per annum. The team offers a free advisory service for clients seeking to build collections for pleasure or as future assets
From its central Birmingham location, Colley Ison Gallery sells artwork to collectors all over the world, but it will always be at heart a Birmingham Gallery, for Birmingham people.
This October, EFG Harris Allday will be hosting their Professional Network event at the Colley Ison Gallery, featuring an introduction to Birmingham based artist Annette Pugh and her latest collection ‘Bittersweet’ – paintings of solace and solitude. Pugh uses a diverse range of media – investigating how a photograph becomes more than just a copy, sourcing imagery from a range of archives. We look forward to bringing together Birmingham based professionals seeking to work in partnership with West-Midlands based firms.
If you would like to find out more information about our event at the Colley Ison Gallery, please email events@efgha.com. A member of the team will be in touch.