Art world romance
An interview with Sarah Anne Johnson about her paintings in The Idea of You
Two recent romantic comedies have art as a main plot point: Upgraded and The Idea of You. I’ll gloss over each of their premises since they’re not as important as how they make you feel. In Upgraded, after being upgraded to first-class, a young auction house intern pretends to be her boss to her handsome seatmate. In The Idea of You, a Silverlake gallery owner (Anne Hathaway) starts a romance with a young pop star. As they stand together looking at a photograph, Hathaway asks: “And what do you feel when you look at it?”
I highly recommend either film if you’re looking for a carefree summer movie—or to think about the art world’s place in the public imagination.
Upgraded is marketed as a modern-day retelling of Cinderella. I would argue it’s a very loose retelling of the story. Instead, it follows the trope that almost every romantic comedy does: the main character with a heart of gold overcomes a hurdle and gains the attention of the love interest. Professional success follows. In Upgraded the hurdle is lack of funds. In The Idea of You, the hurdle is divorce. In both, the characters’ passion for art is resolute and unflinching. Art is a steady foundation that anchors them through hard times and connects them with others.
Romantic comedies tread a careful line: they sell a star-crossed romance while maintaining the illusion of attainability. This makes the art world the perfect setting for these storylines. The art world (in these examples, commercial galleries, artist studios, and auction houses) is glamorous and sexy. They also sell a dream of social mobility. Like the promise of the American Dream, the art market exists on the premise that anyone can make it if they’re talented and work hard enough. Larry Gagosian began by selling prints on the sidewalk and is now owns one of the biggest mega-galleries. The artists who exhibit at these galleries often have their own Cinderella stories.
In other words, the storylines aren’t dissimilar from real life. You can also be the young art worker who falls in love with a famous client or a loaded trust-fund stud! Besides selling a dream of romantic vitality, the art world and these movies sell the dream of financial success and stability.
While these success stories do exist, they are rare. A recent Guardian article title neatly sums up the issue: Fewer than one in 10 arts workers in UK have working-class roots. I was talking with a friend this week about how the low salaries at art institutions ensure that art workers come from money—who else can live on 45k a year in a main city hub? Art workers with family money also come with a rolodex of contacts and donors. It’s in the best interest of museums and galleries to hire this type of worker.
Just as in Upgraded, it’s possible to enter the art world without a middle-upper class background if you’re willing to have some grit. It’s one of the things I love about art. Like meeting a beautiful celebrity and falling in love, it’s an exciting fantasy because it sometimes happens. There are just a lot more hurdles in reality. It would probably be a little less fun (and sexy) to watch.
I immediately recognized the photographs of Sarah Anne Johnson while watching The Idea of You. I’m a huge fan of her work. I also love looking at the background of movies and TV shows to see the curatorial choices they make. (If you missed it, I chatted with Kris Knight a few months ago about his artwork being used in another art-adjacent movie, Good Grief). Johnson’s photographs are central to the movie’s plot—directly referred to, talked about, and collected.
I emailed Johnson to ask her a few questions about her art appearing in The Idea of You. Here’s what she had to say:
How did your artwork come about being featured in The Idea of You?
They approached Yossi Milo Gallery, who represents my work in NYC.
What was your reaction to seeing your work in the movie?
I thought my piece would be in the background of a scene, it was quite a surprise to see it had such a presence in the film.
I noticed they kept your first name when referring to the artist in the movie—was that on purpose?
That was a surprise also!
Has your art been featured in any other movies? Any plans for future features?
I once signed a release for a picture to be in the background of a ‘Broad City’ episode, I watched the series, but didn’t see it. I figure the scene got cut.
You mentioned [over email that] you're in the jungle in Peru; what are you doing there?
I go to Peru twice a year to a healing centre called Mayantuyacu. I go to relax and heal and learn about plants and trees. I also take lots of photos to make new pictures with.
A movie is only as good as the art in it! It’s nice to see such a compelling artist chosen as a stand-in for a talented artist on screen. It makes the whole movie more believable.
Thank you for reading today’s newsletter! I have a lot of thoughts about class in the art world and dating. Let me know if you’d like to read more like this! On the subject of romance, I’m off on my honeymoon. I have a great studio visit planned for next week, and then I’ll be reporting on the art scene in the South of France.
loved this! i work in an admin role in sales in a mega gallery and come from a middle class background, and the mobility to sales positions without a little black book is a frequent topic among my peers who want to move up in sales. a former colleague of mine has started a club for working class people in the arts called Working Arts Club that's based in London and is aimed at providing networking opportunities, and it's an amazing initiative!
Great piece, Tatum. I have also noticed how gallery workers and artists are being featured more and more in fiction, film, and television shows. They seem to represent the new glamorous job as they are surrounded by art, money, and famous people. Thanks!