GEORGIA SPRAY

We are pleased to spotlight our latest Marfa Muse, Georgia Spray.

Georgia is an art consultant and the Founder of Partnership Editions, an expertly curated platform which collaborates with today’s most exciting and emerging contemporary artists, to produce affordable limited-edition artworks.

Georgia wears size S in the Colourblock Quilt in burnt orange, stone and white, with the Shearling Collar in natural.

#marfamuse

Tell us about your background

I grew up in Boston, USA and moved to London when I was 9. I used to have a thick American accent but now there's no trace of that apart from apparently I still say "werk" instead of "work". My mother and sister are artists and my dad collects art, so I've always been immersed in art at home and from an early age. I later went on to study History of Art at Bristol - which was what led me to "werk" in art today.

Talk us through your journey so far

After university I went to work at galleries such as White Cube and auction houses such as Christie's which gave me a real understanding of the commercial art world. I'll never forget in my induction at the auction house I worked at they told me that the auction world was driven by the "3 D's: Divorce, Debt and Death". This concept sort of depressed me and I craved the opportunity to work with living emerging artists and sell art to "real" people like myself who didn't have a fortune to spend on art but wanted to collect art by exciting up and coming artists. Out of the fact that I couldn't find a place that was both affordable and curated, I decided to set up Partnership Editions - with the aim to break down the art-world's elitism and demystify the art collecting process. 

What are you most proud of?

My answer to this question changed recently after I had my daughter Sadie and I suddenly had a newfound respect for working mothers. I'm most proud to support so many artist-mothers in their careers and that Partnership Editions can provide a platform for them to balance their art and a family life. I'm also proud to be a very small part of normalising the fact that women can be mothers and founders. 

What advice do you have for others who are thinking about getting into similar roles?

I think I'd pass on the advice that my dad gave me when I was thinking of setting up Partnership Editions - he told me the best business plan I could write was to try and set it up, and to see if there was a market. I created my own website, brought on a few artists and started selling mainly through Instagram and to friends and family - all with no investment and whilst working a full time job to pay the rent. For anyone with a business idea that they're not sure how to get off the ground, I'd suggest the same approach - you learn so much from doing, and from your mistakes!

How do you style your Marfa Stance piece?

I tend to wear it with my white beret (is that tragically arty of me?) and love that it can make me feel more put together when I am rushing out the house and jumping on my bike to get to the studio in time. I love that the pockets are so big I don't have to carry a handbag, and can fit a notebook for meetings, or a nappy and some wipes for weekends! 

Photography: Zac Frackelton