Charles Saatchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Saatchi
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Charles Saatchi by Paul Harvey
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| Born | 9 June 1943 Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | London College of Communication |
| Occupation | Advertising executive, art collector and creative director |
| Known for | Saatchi Gallery Saatchi & Saatchi M&C Saatchi |
| Spouse(s) |
Doris Lockhart
(m. 1973; div. 1990)Kay Hartenstein
(m. 1990; div. 2001) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Nathan Saatchi Daisy Ezer |
| Relatives | Maurice Saatchi (brother) |
Charles Saatchi is a famous British businessman and art collector. He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 9, 1943. With his brother Maurice, he started a very successful advertising company called Saatchi & Saatchi. This company became the biggest advertising agency in the world during the 1980s.
After leaving Saatchi & Saatchi in 1995, the brothers started a new company called M&C Saatchi. Charles Saatchi is also well-known for his amazing art collection and for owning the Saatchi Gallery. He helped many new artists, especially a group known as the Young British Artists (YBAs), including famous names like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Saatchi grew up in a wealthy family. His father was a textile merchant. In 1947, his family moved from Iraq to London, England, to avoid difficulties faced by Jewish families at that time. They settled in north London.
Charles went to Christ's College, a secondary school in Finchley. He loved American pop culture, especially music from artists like Elvis Presley. He once saw a painting by Jackson Pollock in New York, which he said changed his life. Later, he studied at the London College of Communication.
A Career in Advertising
Starting in Advertising
Charles Saatchi began his career in advertising in 1965 as a copywriter. He worked in London and met Doris Lockhart, who later became his first wife. He teamed up with an art director named Ross Cramer. Together, they opened their own creative company called Cramer Saatchi in 1967.
Saatchi & Saatchi: A Global Success
In 1970, Charles and his brother Maurice started their own advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi. This company grew very quickly. By 1986, it had become the largest advertising agency in the world. It had over 600 offices around the globe.
Saatchi & Saatchi created many memorable campaigns in the UK. One famous campaign helped the Conservative Party win the 1979 general election with the slogan "Labour Isn't Working."
M&C Saatchi: A New Beginning
In 1995, Charles and Maurice Saatchi left their first company. They then founded a new advertising agency called M&C Saatchi. Many of their old team members and clients, like British Airways, joined them at the new company.
Charles Saatchi and Art
Charles Saatchi started collecting art when he was 26 years old in 1969. His first art purchase was a piece by Sol LeWitt, a minimalist artist from New York. He initially focused on American minimalist art.
The Saatchi Gallery
In the early 1980s, Saatchi bought a large warehouse in London. He turned it into the Saatchi Gallery, which opened to the public in February 1985. This gallery was created to show the amazing art he had collected.
At one point, his collection included many works by famous artists like Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Anselm Kiefer, Andy Warhol, and Julian Schnabel.
Supporting Young British Artists
Over time, Saatchi's taste in art changed. He became very interested in the Young British Artists (YBAs). He first saw their work at Goldsmith's Art School. He bought Damien Hirst's famous 'animal' artwork, A Thousand Years, in 1990. He also bought major pieces by Hirst and Marc Quinn in 1991, which helped launch their careers.
His support for these artists became very well known in 1997. Part of his collection was shown at the Royal Academy in an exhibition called Sensation. This show traveled to Berlin and New York and helped make artists like Hirst and Tracey Emin famous.
In 2009, Charles Saatchi released a book called My Name Is Charles Saatchi And I Am An Artoholic. It shared his thoughts on art, advertising, and life. He also had a TV show on the BBC in 2009 called School of Saatchi. On the show, he gave young artists a chance to show their work.
In July 2010, Charles Saatchi announced that he would donate the Saatchi Gallery and over 200 artworks to the British public. The Saatchi Gallery is one of the most visited art museums in the world. In 2014, it had over 1.5 million visitors.
Television Appearances
- The Real Saatchis: Masters of Illusion (1999, Channel 4)
- School of Saatchi (2009, BBC Two)
Giving Back: Philanthropy
Charles Saatchi and his brother Maurice have also given back to the community. In 1998, they founded a Jewish synagogue called Saatchi Shul in London, in honor of their parents.
In December 1998, Saatchi donated 130 artworks to an auction. This auction raised £1.7 million, which was used to create scholarships for students at four art schools in London. In February 1999, he gave another 100 artworks from his collection to the Arts Council of Great Britain.
His biggest donation was in July 2010, when he gave the Saatchi Gallery and more than 200 artworks to the British public. This donation was valued at about £30 million.
Personal Life
Charles Saatchi is known for being a private person. He rarely gives interviews and does not attend his own art exhibition openings. He once said, "I don't go to other people's openings, so I extend the same courtesy to my own."
He has been married three times. His first wife was Doris Lockhart, whom he married in 1973. They divorced in 1990. His second wife was Kay Hartenstein, whom he married in 1990. They had a daughter named Phoebe and divorced in 2001.
In 2003, he married British journalist and cook Nigella Lawson. They lived in London with their children. In June 2013, an incident occurred while they were dining out, and Charles Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault. They divorced in July 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Charles Saatchi para niños
