Andrew King and Sandra Powell have transformed their St Kilda mansion into a street art gallery, featuring works by major artists like Banksy and Swoon. Their collection, once focused on Australian modernist art, now includes over 300 pieces of street art.
‘Whenever anyone walks into our private house, they’re amazed’: Sandra Powell and Andrew King , known as Sandrew, own Australia’s biggest Banksy collection. Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian
“Of the artists we used to collect,” King says, which included major figures like Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Brett Whitely and Joy Hester, “most of them were dead, and if they weren’t, well, they looked dead.” “We were very lucky that we quickly met people,” says Powell. “We were asking everybody, ‘Who do you think are the greatest street artists, who should we be looking at, and how can we learn about this as quickly as we can?’” Blek le Rat, considered the godfather of stencil art, gave them an initial list of five essential artists to collect, putting himself, naturally, at No 1.
The emotion that clogs King’s speech as he effortlessly reels off this formidable list speaks to a genuine dedication to these artists’ work. Acquisition is one thing, but Sandrew – who often house artists in the converted stables in their back yard – seem more committed to spreading the word. “We like to say that we’re ambassadors,” Powell says.
Andrew King Sandra Powell Banksy Collection Street Art Melbourne
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