Death of Patricia Faure is loss for L.A. art scene

Patricia Faure -- a beloved art dealer and eternally glamorous personality whose teenage dreams of movie stardom gave way to careers in modeling, fashion photography and, finally, the art business -- has died at 80. She died in her sleep of natural causes early Tuesday morning at Kingsley Manor, a retirement community in Hollywood, said her daughter, Zazu Faure.

Relative newcomers to Los Angeles' art scene know the late dealer through exhibitions at the Patricia Faure Gallery in the Bergamot Station complex in Santa Monica. But she established her presence as director of the highly regarded Nicholas Wilder Gallery in 1972 and formed a partnership with the late Betty Asher in Asher/Faure Gallery before opening her space at Bergamot in 1994.

Through the years, she championed the work of dozens of artists, including sculptors Joel Shapiro, Richard Artschwager and Gwynn Murrill and painters John M. Miller, Joe Goode and Margaret Nielsen. She also helped to launch the careers of Salomon Huerta, the Rev. Ethan Acres and Mark Bradford.

"She was a terrible businesswoman, but that made her interesting as a dealer," Zazu Faure said. "She loved the work she showed, but she could never really sell it."

Just before Faure's 75th birthday party, which drew a huge crowd of admirers to Bergamot, she repeated her stock declaration about the art business: "You can't sell art. It sells itself." All you can do at a gallery, she said, is "keep the place kind of tidy and get the information out. People come in. If they like it, they buy it."

Longtime friends, and I count myself among them, will not forget another Faure-ism. "Isn't that good?" she would always ask, while escorting you around her latest exhibition and pointing out the wonders of artworks that she wanted you to admire as much as she did.

A full obituary will be published later this week.

-- Suzanne Muchnic

Caption: Patricia Faure at her Bergamot Station gallery in 2003 with her favorite Salomon Huerta painting.

Photo credit: Ken Hively / Los Angeles TImes

Comments

[Brady Westwater]

How appropriate the photos has that big smile of hers.

[Barry]

Delightful woman, and a major presence and participant in the early history of the LA art scene. Strange that Ms. Muchnic chose to use that quote from Faure's daughter. Didn't seem an appropriate comment under the circumstances, whether true or not. I would have gotten a more flattering one. I also love that Salomon Huerta painting in the photo - as radiating as she was. She was very important to him and Mark Bradford, both of whom have gone onto international art stardom.

[Mat Gleason]

I would like to add that Ms Faure cultivated the career of artist Llyn Foulkes for many years and as the artist enjoys a current renaissance of interest in his work, her effort on his behalf over the years can be added to the long list of her contributions to contemporary art and culture.

[John Dingler, artist in Riverside, CA]

While I had never met Patricia Faure, and never showed in any of her venues, I knew that she was devoted to artists and just loved to expose their work, as well as present it to prospective clients and to walk-ins.

We were lucky to have this kind of spirited devotion to art and artists in LA.

In an interview done in 1972, she remarked, "My impression that the rise and fall of the stock market or depression or recession, or incredibly good times, I’ve noticed since 1972, that they’ve had no bearing whatsoever of the business of selling art. The business of selling art really is totally geared to what you’re showing, and if people in their many guises care for it, I don’t think you can talk anybody into anything."

And then later in the same interview, "But it’s a strange, even queer business. I don’t think there is any other one like it. Other creative businesses, even the ballerinas with their sore feet have nothing on us. It’s been an amazing journey and I’ve profited in many, many ways, not necessarily financially, but in other ways, with terrific friendships, and extraordinary insights into the world of art. All of it has been lovely, and that’s why I’m still in business even though I should probably get out now while the going’s good."

Brady, her daughter correctly, but also appropriately remarked on Patricia's artsy method to approach the art sale/exhibition business, while Suzanne Muchnic's choice of this reveals a valuable insight -- one that should be followed by "fine art" galleries -- into Faure's laudable modus operandi.

She will go down in the annals of the S. Calif. art scene as an important promoter of visual art.

My condolences to her daughter Brady and to the rest of the family. I am sure that she will tighten up the ship a bit, put her own stamp on the business (should she choose to maintain it), and will otherwise move forward in appropriate fashion.

John Dingler, johndinglerart@yahoo.com

[Lisa Adams]

Patty Faure was a lovely human being and I will miss her very much. I met her for the first time in 1980 when she and Betty Asher had their gallery in a little house on Almont. I'll never forget them. Being a young artist right out of graduate school, they were very kind to me and generous in terms of educating me about the art world. Patty remained truly gracious and in love with art all of her life.

[Lorraine Molina]

She was always one to admire. Being a successful business woman and being in the business of art for so long. I looked up to her in awe. I met her early in her illness. I was introduced to her on numerous occasions but she would never remember my name. When I would mention my gallery she would all of a sudden perk up look straight into my eyes and say ' Oh, I know your gallery it's very good. and Christopher Knight likes you very much.' It was sweet and always made me laugh.