‘Polite’ and ‘charming’ are the top characteristics for a successful vetter, according to veteran committee member Richard Falkiner, writes Laura Chesters.
Falkiner, 85, has been vetting art and antiques fairs for 50 continuous years and marks the anniversary with another stint on the Frieze Masters vetting committee for the event running from October 13-17.
“I tell people that to be a vetter you have to be 90% diplomatic and 10% knowledgeable”, he jests. “You certainly have to be polite and charming. You are looking at an object for a very short time while the exhibitor has been looking at it for months. You have to practise polite humility.”