Lily Mora Of Sunday Salon On Championing Accessible And Emerging Creators
Images courtesy of Sunday Salon.
Buying your first piece of art can be quite an overwhelming experience.
The art world is intimidating, often expensive and full of language that seems over the top without really saying anything. Couple that with the fact that buying a piece of art is a deeply personal experience and it’s no wonder people simply don’t know where to start when buying their first piece of art, no matter how much they appreciate it. This is where Lily Mora of Sunday Salon comes in. Founded on the idea that art is for everybody, Sunday Salon is an art platform showcasing emerging and established artists in a simple, beautiful way so that you can be empowered to start or build your art collection. Lily has an incredible eye for talent. I say this because I check her site regularly when I want to find new artists to write about and I resonate with every single one of her picks. Sunday Salon releases around six to eight collections on its website every year, with accessible pricing starting from $200 all the way up to $10,000. We chatted with Lily about how she got into the art biz and what art means to her.
Featured artists from left to right: @angusgardner, @lucy___anderson, @charlotte_khalila
I check Sunday Salon regularly to find upcoming artists, but how do you find them yourself?
A lot of the artists I work with have introduced me to other artists within their networks. I also always keep an eye on who is exhibiting in group shows across other galleries both locally and interstate, as well as graduate shows. I have also discovered several artists through Instagram.
This is a question apart of a much larger conversation but given the financial crisis we’re finding ourselves in, a lot of people don’t have that additional disposable income to be spending on art, how has that affected what you do?
Part of the reason I founded Sunday Salon was to create a space where people who didn’t have a large amount of disposable income could still collect great art. The current cost of living crisis has sharpened this focus. It’s important not to undervalue art, but I aim to curate collections of high quality works by emerging artists which are often relatively small scale to ensure we have more affordable options available. We aim to always have a good selection of works available for under $1,000.
Limited edition prints are also a great way to purchase art at the fraction of the price of an original. We offer a selection of limited edition prints by some of our favourite artists which retail for $250 each. Prints are a great way to start collecting on a budget. Our most recent print launch was this one by Tully Moore.
Featured artists: @emcreasey, @lygonben
Where can everyday people learn more about art?
Getting out and seeing as many exhibitions as possible is always beneficial. There are also great resources on many museum websites, particularly if you want to read more about art history. Podcasts are also a great resource. The Great Women Artists podcast by Katy Hessel is fantastic, as is her audio series about Lee Krasner called The Death of an Artist. Some other highlight artist podcast interviews I have loved are Tracey Emin on Louis Theroux’s podcast and Marina Abramovic on Elizabeth Day’s podcast How to Fail.
What draws you to particular art?
It is very instinctual and quite hard to describe what that thing is. Generally I know very quickly if I am drawn to an artist and want to know more about their work. I look for artists who aren’t following trends and whose work evokes a particular feeling of excitement within me.
You’re a third generation art dealer - does your family preferences influence what you gravitate towards at all?
Not necessarily, although I did learn a lot from my father about following your intuition in business.
Featured artists: @giorgiabelartist @juliarstewart @lucy___anderson @luciehowson @chaneltobler
What do you think is the biggest issue facing emerging artists at the moment?
To become a career artist today is difficult. Artists need a lot of time to experiment in the early stages of their career, but this can be difficult to balance alongside paid work. The cost of materials is also really expensive, so making work when you don’t necessarily have the sales to support your practice is a challenge. The artworld can also be somewhat insular, so it can be difficult to find opportunities.
Say I’ve never bought a piece of art before, where do I start?
Sunday Salon was created for people who may not have bought a piece of art before. We love supporting first time buyers and encourage anyone thinking about buying a piece to reach out to us with any questions or just for a general chat. I believe you should buy something you really love and want to look at again and again - it shouldn’t really be more complicated than that.
What are some art books that you recommend?
I recently gave my husband copy of 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art for our paper wedding anniversary but keep stealing it to read myself. It features writing by 25 writers, edited by Marcia Langton and Judith Ryan, and is an important re-examination of the art history that is unique to Australia.
What was the first piece of art that you collected yourself?
I fell madly in love with an artwork by Indigenous artist Lydia Balbal when I was about 22 years old. I couldn't afford it but felt so deeply that I needed to own it that I got a credit card to be able to purchase it (not something I encourage!).
In a recent instagram post you announced there are plans for exhibitions in exciting places - can you let us in on any of them?
We will soon be announcing details for a solo show with Julian Hocking… Stay tuned!
How do you think art changes the world?
Art inspires people to look beyond themselves, out into the world. It allows us to imagine different ways of being. We need more of that.
Keep an eye on Sunday Salon for regular exhibitions in pop-up locations around Australia.
