TAPPAN Collective is one of those companies that we fangirl over. Paving the way for selling emerging artwork online, they’ve reinvented the art buying experience and even opened a brick and mortar space in Los Angeles. One of the things we love the most about TAPPAN is that if you don’t know what type of art you like, they’ll hook you up with one of their experts to help you thoughtfully grow your collection and find exactly what you are looking for.
At Art Zealous one of our main goals is to talk about art in an approachable way and we love to interview companies and people with the same vision. Chelsea Neman Nassib is the #girlboss behind TAPPAN and she managed to find some time to chat about their new collaboration with Gia Coppola, favorite artworks, and advice for aspiring art collectors.
Art Zealous: Hometown?
Chelsea Nassib: Los Angeles
AZ: Zodiac sign?
CN: Gemini
AZ: For those who don’t know, what is TAPPAN?
CN: TAPPAN is a full-service art firm, digital platform, and gallery in Los Angeles for discovering and collecting original work and limited editions prints by today’s best emerging artists.
AZ: We’ve been following TAPPAN for awhile, how has it changed when you first launched?
CN: Its foundation was a simple e-commerce website for fine emerging art. Now, in addition to offering beautiful works of art by talented emerging artists, TAPPAN also offers individual and commercial clients curatorial services and helps to facilitate commissions and recently opened the TAPPAN Atelier physical space in DTLA that doubles as a gallery and artists-in-residency program for TAPPAN talent.
AZ: What is Tappan’s mantra?
CN: TAPPAN’s mission is to connect emerging artists with new and seasoned collectors and offer a diverse yet personal and curated collection of the best works of art being produced today.
AZ: You have an exciting collaboration with Gia Coppola, how did that come to fruition?
CN: Gia partnered with Gucci to shoot the 2016 womenswear collection, designed by Alessandro Michele. The campaign was inspired in part by the saturated cinematography of Robert Altman’s 1977 film, 3 Women using the backdrop of muted California landscape.
AZ: Do you have a favorite work from the collaboration?
CN: Untitled 1
AZ: Describe Coppola’s body of work in three words.
CN: Cinematic, Contemporary, Vintage
AZ: Have your views on art or the art world changed over the last few years?
CN: I’ve noticed the new generation of collectors are not interested in buying without transparency. In every way, TAPPAN is helping collectors and emerging talent connect in an authentic way to make the art buying experience less intimidating, and more transparent overall.
AZ: Advice for new or aspiring art collectors?
CN: Start getting involved. Go to gallery openings and fairs. The more you see, the easier it will become to work out what you like. Remember that art is personal. Don’t buy it because you think you should; every collection should be unique.
AZ: What’s next for TAPPAN?
CN: TAPPAN is dedicated to emerging fine art and bringing it back as the foundation of the common conversation. Our strategic future partnerships, collaborations, and expansion will all work toward realizing that goal.
Follow TAPPAN on instagram + view available works from Gia Coppola.
