Superyachts are a piece of artwork themselves, but sometimes the art collection onboard, is often worth more than the boat itself!

There is a high correlation on yacht owners and art lovers, you can tell just by looking at the at the number of yachts lined up alongside the Giardini gardens during the Venice Biennale art festival or that throng Biscayne Bay during Art Basel Miami Beach to know that superyacht owners are often art collectors too, and that the yachts themselves can be the work of many artists, sculptures, craftmen and artisans.

Recently a a Pablo Picasso painting worth £21 million has been recovered after nearly 20 years. It was stolen from a Yacht berthed in Antibes! This is why safety and security is of outmost importance when storing art onboard yachts.

In this blogpost I will share with you some tips for storing art onboard yachts, and finalize with an artist spotlight that gets her inspiration from the oceans.

TIPS FOR STORING FINE ART ONBOARD SUPERYACHTS

Security

Install a (working) alarm system. If you declare the value of the art onboard, your insurance will certainly demand you to have an alarm system as a condition to insure it.

Full circuit CCTV and Wireless Protection Systems, to a fully bespoke Close Protection agreement are needed to secure the worlds finest artefacts.

Physical Protection can provide far more than peace of mind, with the number of Superyachts travelling globally, the threat from Piracy has become a genuine concern for many of the worlds largest Yachts.

Insurance

The art collection onboard must be included into the insurance, specially if the art outweights the value of the boat! In some cases yachts need additional specialist art insurance

Lighting

Lighting is super important, an art curator will certainly analyse both directional and ambient to see how the light affects the artwork.

Fine Art and Historical Artefacts are particularly vulnerable to exposure from UV Rays, it is crucial to understand how to protect each and every piece of Artwork. The light causes chemical changes in many of the materials used in paintings, this can create ‘yellowing’ or ‘darkening’ of certain pigments. Regular exposure to  UV rays can be incredibly detrimental to the quality and appearance of the artwork.

There are special glass to be used on the frames that are highly protective anti-glare, anti-reflective glass and hang works away from direct light sources.

LED light systems are also good to create the perfect illuminaion of the colours in the artwork. Cold or warm LED lights can highlight certain pigments.

Installation 

Hanging artwork onboard can be sometimes quite challenging. You cannot simply hang a painting on board; it needs to be screwed to the wall. Likewise for sculptures and objects (remember that a yacht is constantly moving) so you need to forecase the pitch and roll movement of the yachts.

Using special “museum glue” for example is great because is a clear product that prevents them from moving even through waves.

Climate control

Artworks are very sensitive to the air quality and the temperature of the rooms.Most superyachts have a powerful Air Conditioning system designed for humans and not for artwork.

Paintings are very delicate, the canvas has different materials with varying qualities which they all react differently to temperature and humidity.

The museum standard temperature for keeping paintings safe is 20ºC ± 1ºC.  Fluctuations in temperature and humidity essentially create ‘cycles’ of expansion and contraction in the canva, thus leading to the steady deterioration in quality of the artwork.

Specially onboard yachts humidity is an issue because it is very bad for art, as is salt air and direct sunlight. Even during transportation of art to a musuem they have to be transported in special climate boxes.

There are even specific climate alarm systems that alert you on any atmospheric changes.”

Make sure that there are no fresh air blowers directing cold air onto your artwork, neither there is warm air flood in whilst the Sundeck Doors are open, for example.

The finest art in the world requires a constantly stable, tailored to suit environment.

Location

it is important to analyze where the artwork will be displayed. As it clearly should not be placed near any technical exhaust pipes, near a vent. Onboard yachts space is an issue, and everything onboard needs to comply to classification regulations and flag state rules. It is best adviced to seek for qualified advisor before bying so that you can plan where to put them.

Installing art and sculptures can be a technical challenge, but art consultants Like Artelier, have experience on installating and are able to develop custom fastening solutions for fixing heavy objects.

Further things to consider when deciding the location on board should include exposure to water (Spa’s, Bathrooms and Heads), exposure to Tobacco Smoke, or proximity to the galley, pantry or any food Preparation Areas.

A tip from an interior designer is to display them on panelled walls.

Vibration

Vibration is an important subject onboard a yacht.

The engines, generators and other machinery onboard cause the vibrations that in the long term have negative consequences to the pigments in the canvas.

During the construction of a yacht, designers, shipyards, naval architecs and engineers all work hard in minimizing the vibrations onboard. Deciding on the location where to display the yachts need to take into consideration the optimal location onboard. That is why someone with knowledge in art is not enough, it must also have knowledge in yachting to consider everything from the pitch and roll, to vibration levels from auxiliary equipment.

The Frame

Choosing the frame is very delicate, the best tip is to let the artist find the best suitable one in collaboration with the curator. The best advice is to take the advice the artist, your dealer or the curator!

Extend and protect the life of your artwork by hiring specialists who have both art and yachting knowledge!

– Marcela de Kern Royer

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: CAROL BRUTON

Based in the South of France, Canadian-born Carol Bruton captures timeless subject matter, the ocean, in its simplest form in order to achieve the elimination of all obstacles between the painter and the most precious of elements, water.

Launched in time for the Mediterranean yachting season, Raindrops is anew series of superyacht artworks crafted by Artist and Sculptor Carol Bruton. Based in the South of France, her work highlights her fascination with our most precious of elements, water.

Specially handcrafted to enhance superyacht interiors, the surface effects of Bruton’s artworks allow the flow of both natural and artificial light, complimenting the interior ambience. Her technique uses cold glass and raw pigments which results in an interplay of colour and an ethereal interpretation that exudes energy and fluidity, mirroring the reflections and ripples that water creates.

L’art de vivre onboard

A keen ocean swimmer, Bruton started painting in a tiny fishing village in Costa del Sol in Spain, drawing on inspiration from her surroundings.  She says her dream clients are “those yacht owners who get goosebumps when they see my work.”  Elements of the earth, sky and ocean interplay into her artwork, an artistic evolution that effortlessly induces organic patterns reminiscent of blue holes in the Caribbean or the reflective qualities of Mediterranean coastlines.

Her appeal in the superyacht sector is profound, owing to the aesthetic beauty of her artwork that makes visual statements that draw admiration.  She crafted The Superyacht Show’s Richard Earp Award named Ocean’s 9, a fluid sculpture made from steel and finished with a transparent coloured coating with a gleaming surface that resembles the morning light shining on the ocean.

Perfectly in line with refinement, superyacht interiors highlight artisanship, beauty and escapism; furniture inlaid with exotic wood, hand-blown glassware, porcelain tableware, soft furnishings and opulent antiques.  Regardless of the size of the superyacht, it is no longer enough to have artwork that’s solely aesthetically pleasing.  Aside from period styles and decorative trends, superyachts can house expansive collections that raise more eyebrows than famous art museums. A bespoke art collection is more than an asset; it showcases the owner’s personality, strengthens the corporate image and piques the attention of guests.

She was chosen as Saatchi’s revered ‘Artist of the Day’, profiled in the UK editions of Vogue and Tatler, and has exhibited at Art Basel Miami, Beijing Biennale and Accademia Fine Art in Monaco. Her work is found in private collections worldwide, including pieces housed in the Princely Collection of H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco, former racing driver David Coulthard, Chairman Susan Feaster from St Moritz U.S. Celebrity Golf Cup and Banque Havilland in Monaco.

Examples of her collection:

If you are looking for an artwork that goes far beyond the usual, Carol Bruton’s sculptures that are evocative of water are a fine addition to a collection for yachting aficionados who expect uncompromised quality.