Quotes from Alexander Gilkes

If you're trying to learn how to collect art, the key is getting access to insider opinions, and we pride ourselves on working with the most relevant artists and the collectors with the most authoritative voices.

I am never without my gavel, which I bought from an antique shop in Burford, in the Cotswolds.

I'm a bit of a dynamite fisherman when it comes to cooking as I don't have the patience, but I am a huge foodie.

I'm a big believer in manners and respect: that one should never do to another what you wouldn't wish for yourself.

We want to ensure works are placed with people who collect responsibly.

What you collect is the ultimate impartation of who you are. It's the archive of your identity - it's what you leave behind.

We're big believers that people can learn to collect through the eyes of great collectors.

I feel a strong connection to water, so, no matter the time of year, I always go for a swim.

In terms of wedding gifts, I like to buy people experiences.

We want as best as possible to encourage emerging talent and galleries by their inclusion on Paddle8. Our exhibitions help bring interesting new works on the platform. We have to be agnostic in that respect and the galleries themselves have complete carte blanche as far as what they include on the site.

Artists will always depend on the brick-and-mortar ecosystem to establish authority and context.

In Europe, there is a lower instance of startups because there's a permanent fear of failure. Everyone fears failure because it is this permanent black mark against your name, whereas in the U.S., failure seems to be par for the course.

I respect people's privacy.

I'm the son of a doctor, and the key to working in the art world is to have boundaries of discretion.

There is a heavy leaning to try and extract information from me, and I always have to clamp down.

Celebrity is not something I consciously pursue.

My dream, dream acquisition would probably be a Twombly chalkboard. I've been fortunate to see one or two in a private context, and I think it's just sort of quintessentially brilliant, timeless, modern.

My father is someone I've always looked up to as the ultimate example of chivalry and humility, and someone who's just deeply kind and empathetic and selfless.

I remember being led to a shed by my father for the unveiling of a beautiful bicycle, equipped with stabilizers, on Christmas Day. I must have been four or five and realized that this was my first ride into independence.

I just love the idea of being able to have a place where friends and family can meet, where you can raise everything from chickens to llamas, and, you know, have an artist residency.

I started my career at LVMH and then I joined Phillips de Pury under the tutelage of Simon de Pury as second auctioneer and head of marketing.

A great friend and mentor, Simon de Pury, invited me to be auctioneer at Phillips de Pury, which was a great honor.

If I find an item of clothing I like, I tend to buy it in multiples.

I was given an eight-foot painting on a luminous yellow background as a parting gift when leaving Paris in 2008. I did not dare take it with me to N.Y.C. and understood that the cost of shipping would have far outweighed the cost of the work.