Jill Bokor is the executive director of The Salon: Art + Design and co-owner of Sanford Smith Fine Art, based in New York. Jill has had a varied career within the arts and has become renowned for working on some of the most prestigious art magazines in the world. Her art gallery, The Salon in New York currently has over 50 exhibitors, exhibiting some of the finest and contemporary pieces of art from the 20th century. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Jill Bokor.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My style can best be described as minimal perfectionism. I like to let the architecture of the room speak in combination with a few perfect pieces mixing contemporary and antique.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
In curating The Salon Art + Design, it’s all about the mix of periods and genres. We like to pair a contemporary design dealer with a modern art gallery, 18th century French furniture with mid-century Scandinavian.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
It’s all about “the eye.” I work with 54 of the most talented gallerists on the planet. Galerie Vallois and Christian Boutennet of L’arc en Seine (Paris) and Adriana Friedman of DeLorenzo Gallery (New York) have over years put together amazing collections of art deco material. On the contemporary side, R + Company (New York), David Gill Galleries (London) and Carpenter’s Workshop (London, Paris) showcase new works by international designers that are always fresh and exciting.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
I love to look at the blank canvas of a room and the architecture of the building and to think counter-intuitively about the space. Objects are just objects when the context doesn’t work. In the right context, the viewer gets to appreciate each discrete piece. For example I did an early 18th century house in the Berkshires mixing contemporary pieces with mid-century works by Paul Evans and Nouguchi—it worked fantastically well.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
After publishing almost every art and design magazine on the planet, I wanted to work with the material itself. My best advice is to look at everything—in showrooms, galleries, art and design fairs. Get a feeling for what’s out there, ignore fashion and buy what you love!
