The London-based gallery Timothy Taylor will close its New York outpost next month at the conclusion of its current show for James Prapaithong, after nearly a decade of operation in Manhattan.
The decision was made “to ensure the long-term stability of the gallery and the community around it,” the gallery told ARTnews. The gallery, however, will maintain an office and viewing room in New York.
“In light of current market conditions, the gallery has made the decision to close its New York space and consolidate its operations while continuing our relationships with artists and maintaining our gallery space in London,” Timothy Taylor, the gallery’s founder, said in an emailed statement to ARTnews. “However, the realities of the present climate, combined with the considerable costs of operating a second permanent space, make this a prudent and responsible step.”
Taylor opened in London’s Mayfair district in 1996, and first expanded to New York in September 2016, opening on the ground floor of a townhouse on 19th Street in Chelsea. In 2023, it moved to Tribeca, taking over a 6,000-square-foot space at 74 Leonard Street.
In New York, the gallery has staged solo exhibitions for Philip Guston, Alex Katz, Eduardo Terrazas, Josephine Meckseper, Leon Kossoff, Kiki Smith, and Honor Titus, as well as group exhibitions like “Dubuffet/Chamberlain,” “Painting the Essential: New York 1980–Present,
and “Architecture of Color: The Legacy of Luis Barragán,” which inaugurated the space.
In his statement, Taylor said that “New York remains the centre of the contemporary art world. Our commitment to it, and to the artists we work with, remains unchanged,” and that the gallery would continue to collaborate internationally but with “London serving as its primary base” once again.
Taylor’s closure of his New York location is the latest in a wave of gallery closures internationally, all made for various reasons. Last November, Stephen Friedman Gallery closed its New York space; last month brought news that the gallery had also closed in London, where it was based, and entered insolvency proceedings.
Several galleries that closed, either entirely or a specific location, also cited the current state of the market. They include Project Native Informant in London, Galerie Francesca Pia in Zurich, Altman Siegel in San Francsico, and LA Louver in Los Angeles.
Dealer Tim Blum, whose closure of his space in LA and New York was the earliest of the recent wave, said that the market hadn’t forced his hand but rather the entire gallery system, adding “It’s not working. And it hasn’t been working. Even when it looked like it was.”
Taylor’s statement added, “I remain wholly committed to the art world that has shaped my life for the past 40 years and has given me extraordinary personal and professional fulfilment. It is a world through which I met my wife, and one in which my eldest son now works closely alongside me. Next month, we will mark our 30th anniversary with an exhibition in London, a moment of reflection, gratitude, and renewed purpose.”
