On this year’s international women’s day, AWITA collaborated with a-n: The Artists Information Company, hosting three different professional female duos. The conversation aimed to demystify connections between women in the art world, as Moderator Gilane Tawadros (Director of the Whitechapel Gallery), prompted the pairs to discuss their working relationships. Speaking first were artist Lindsey Mendick and curator Marcelle Joseph, whose conversation proved how unwavering support can boost one another’s careers. This was followed by artist Anna Freeman Bentley, who discussed her evolving occupation and entering a new stage of her relationship with Creative Director Karon Hepburn as they announced Simon Lee Gallery’s new representation of her. The conversation closed with artist Sonia E Barrett and ZELDA Co-Founder Mary Cork, who spoke about creating their own networks, and the challenges that this responsibility can hold.
The importance of an organic and genuine relationship in cultivating success was highlighted in all three conversations. Since working with Lindsey Mendick, curator Marcelle Joseph has observed “a rising star” who has both a platform and the “space to create” as an artist. Lindsey discussed how important having an untransactional connection is for her. Creating her work comes with an emotional load, as it bears her “soul and everything [she’s] feeling.” Marcelle can recognise this as a “real friendship” by how they check in on one another and adapt to various challenges. This, alongside other practices, are ways Marcelle has managed to cultivate sustainable relationships with her chosen artists. During projects finding a perfect balance between encouraging the artist and giving them room to develop their own ideas is something that Marcelle has finessed. For example, when navigating one of their most challenging projects, an install of over 50 works at The Hannah Barry Gallery, Marcelle had “to modify the way [she] works,” by being hands-on and helping Lindsey with some of the finishing touches to her artwork.
Lindsey’s artistic practice spans further than just her remarkable work. Recognising the importance of having a support system for artists, she has created one herself. Powered by her generosity, she “made and carved out the time to encourage other artists” and founded Quench Gallery in Margate alongside her partner Guy Oliver. Established during the Pandemic with the intention of giving artists and curators an opportunity to develop new work, Quench Gallery has since displayed some “absolutely stellar” exhibitions.