Joining Dennis Morris, British curator and all-around art legend/hero/god, Sir Norman Rosenthal will be speaking at i-D’s Inspirational Men dinner this weekend.
Norman Rosenthal found out he was to become a Sir on the night of Tracey Emin’s Venice Biennale party in 2007. He met David Hockney on the night Stravinsky died, entered The Alternative Miss World contest dressed in a newt costume designed by Sam Taylor-Wood to celebrate his 60th birthday, and has been known to blare Wagner out of his car stereo. As Exhibitions Secretary for the Royal Academy from 1977 to 2008, Rosenthal curated legendary exhibitions such as the Brit Art show ‘Sensation’ in 1997, ‘Monet in the 20th’ in 1999 and ‘Aztecs’ in 2003. Charles Saatchi said of him: “Museum directors will do anything for Norman – because of the respect and affection he inspires. I worship the water he walks on.” That should give you a picture of the man, probably different to the one on your right. Honoured to have a real knight in shining art at the table, i-D online presents ten things you probably don’t know about S.N.R. ahead of his talk on Saturday.
1. Sir Norman’s parents were Jewish refugees from Germany and Slovakia and fled Hitler.
2. Sir Norman was Exhibitions Secretary at the Royal Academy for 31 years.
3. Sir Norman never studied art. He did a History degree at Leicester.
4. Sir Norman is a great lover of opera, and is always offering to take his friend Tracey Emin to a performance.
5. Sir Norman curated his first art show when he was just 19.
6. Sir Norman is nicknamed “Lucky Norman” by his two daughters.
7. Sir Norman hates pop music and sport and hates being asked who his favourite artists are.
8. Sir Norman never takes no for an answer.
9. Sir Norman somewhere finds time to write a magazine column for AnOther Man.
10. Sir Norman is great friends with i-D contributor Matthew Stone.
Text: Sarah Raphael
Image: Sir Norman Rosenthal at Andrew Logan‘s Alternative Miss World Contest.
Sir Norman Rosenthal will be speaking at the i-D Inspirational Men’s Dinner, sponsored by Victorinox, during London Collections: Men.
