Female Voices in Art: Alice Strang, Associate Director and Senior Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at Lyon & Turnbull

Alice Strang (b. 1973, Leicester, England, United Kingdom) is an Associate Director and Senior Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at Lyon & Turnbull, Scotland's oldest auction house. She joined L&T after twenty-two years as a Senior Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland. She holds a B.A. Hons and M.A. Cantab in Art History from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge. Her publications include Modern Scottish Women: Painters and Sculptors 1885-1965 and the Scottish Colourist Series of books about F.C.B. Cadell, J.D. Fergusson and S.J. Peploe. She is part of the team who are the market leaders in Scottish Art auctions, including establishing world record prices for artists such as Joan Eardley, Bessie MacNicol and William Strang.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I enjoy working across the public and private sectors, liaising directly with collectors, being 'hands on' with works of art and sharing my research with art lovers, It is a wonderful moment when I bang the gavel on the rostrum and declare a work 'SOLD!' as it passes on to its next guardian.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Carla's generosity of spirit in celebrating the achievements of women in the art world and her inclusive approach to image-making. She gave me the opportunity to reflect on my new professional role and I am thrilled to be part of this project.

Do you have a favourite artist?
Whenever I am in need of solace, I seek out works by Barbara Hepworth, Winifred Nicholson and Anne Redpath, as if they were old friends.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My Godmother leading me around the magical Kettle's Yard in Cambridge, former home of Jim and Helen Ede, in which a spiral of stones has as much aesthetic importance as a sculpture by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska in the role of daily life.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I was lucky that the National Galleries of Scotland were a wonderful employer regarding Maternity Leave and in allowing me various working patterns whilst my children were young. And they have just appointed Anne Lyden as their first ever female Director-General!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it? 

Training to be a BBC Expert Woman taught me the power of bright, non-patterned colour. This works well on the rostrum too, as our auctions are broadcast live for on-line bidding. The necklace was a leaving present from the National Galleries of Scotland and so signals that part of my career. 

What are you currently working on?

I am co-curating a touring display of the work of the Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson, to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, in partnership with the Fleming Collection and to be shown in L&T's London and Glasgow galleries.

Could you mention a project, an institution that, or a person who has been important or inspiring for your career and why?

The late Michael Harrison, Director of Kettle's Yard, who taught me to see rather than just to look, when I was an undergraduate volunteer there.