Over the last decade, Robert Dimin has quietly become a larger force to reckon with in the contemporary art world of New York City. Dimin, who currently owns DIMIN, has charted his own course. Previously he was a partner at Denny Dimin but following a change in direction at that gallery, in 2023, Dimin left to start his own space. He has been integral in helping various artists reach commercial success including Amir H. Fallah, Justine Hill, and Kennedy Yanko, among others.

 

Dimin looking like the effortlessly cool art daddy that he is. Image courtesy of Dimin.

Dimin, who studied photography for a time at Parson, went on to get his undergrad with a focus on art history and poetry. Eventually he found his way to the prestigious MFA program at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, Dimin who also worked as an art dealer previously, has harnessed this skill set to run a successful space that is setting itself apart from other galleries. The Art Daddy recently caught up with Dimin to discuss his take on the current art scene, what he's obsessed with, and also, most importantly, what an art daddy is to him. 

Art Daddy: In the last 9 years you went from being a partner in a gallery to owning your own. What has that transition been like for you? 

Robert Dimin: So at first it was a lot of adrenaline like I had to fight and fight hard to rebuild. I was lucky I had a building owner contractor friend help me with my space. I had loads of artist friends and collector friends support early. This was all unreal to feel this early love. 

Now a bit over a year in, it's the little things like not having enough inventory or rebuilding relationships with collectors and advisors that got lost in the chaos.  Not being able to work with artists who I  worked so closely with is one of the hardest things. Like people would come to me for x artist and now they don’t know if they can anymore. With this all said it is also so exciting building my own vision working with new artists new ideas there is so much new which is always great!  

 

Installation view of The Fantasticals and include art work by Nick Doyle, Azikiwe Mohammed, Ann Craven, and Ryan Wilde. Image courtesy of DIMIN.

AD: What are some of the biggest challenges that are facing gallery owners today in  NYC and more broadly? 

RD: The market is very hard right now. Money is not flowing as it once did in a recent past so trying to balance expectations is important. NYC is so commerce driven that the freedom of what got me into art needs to be put in check sometimes to keep the lights on. 

 

Installation view of Surface Level and includes art work by Nsenga Knight, Kennedy Yanko, Brennen Steines, Justine Hill and Amie Cunat. Image courtesy of DIMIN.

AD: What is one artwork or artist in your personal collection that people might be shocked to know you own?

I think a shock might be a work by Oscar Murillo from his first show at David Zwirner. The chocolate factory exhibition. I don’t have a professional history with him so that might be a work people are surprised by. I have like 70 works now in the collection I feel much of which would make sense if you kind of know me as they are by artists I have worked with and people I am regularly socal with. 

I have been bidding on antiquities at auction lately but haven't had the winning bid yet so any day now this answer will be a middle kingdom Ushabti or something like that.  

AD: What are some of the biggest trends you are noticing now in the art world? And do you think they will last?

RD: Trends I see now are these crazy ass trade winds we are in. Like it's not a market trend but the systemic shift I see.  There is a massive split happening. Some of the big shops are shifting business models, like drifting very much into the luxury goods and experience market as well as deep diving into assist class investment models. While mid sized galleries are still playing out traditional b to c market models on handmade ip with limited creativity. While the small galleries are living in the dream space some are blissfully unaware of the cray we are in as they also struggle to pay coned. I believe it will shake out okay but we will feel it for a min longer. 

Oh and collectors that supported the emerging and middle market are getting eaten up by a blue chip mindset and are no longer caring about supporting living working artists and a larger art community. I hope this shifts a bit and they see the damage they are causing to the future of the industry. 

 

Dimin and his co-owner/director Ethel. Image courtesy of Dimin.

AD: What’s one thing you are obsessed with right now?

Miss Peaches…  I am obsessed with my dog Ethel. This prompts me to deep dive on social media into dog ig pages. Miss Peaches is a rescue that Dave Portnoy adopted. They are raising awareness and so much money for dog related charities. She has over a million followers. It's really something she is not the best behaved dog and Dave is much more a bro than people in our art world so the way the two interact is priceless. 

And sailing; I love to sail. There are 14 hobie cats out on eastern Long Island that I try to take out every time I am out East. 

AD: What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you were younger? 

RD: Gossip less and you don’t need to watch the sunrise in Miami every day of the fair.

AD: Define what an art daddy is to you. And who is your art daddy? 

RD: I have this one client … I guess my connotation with the notion of a Daddy is there is some financial support to help sustain and maintain one's lifestyle and well being.  I have a few collectors that really support me and my artists. They are Daddy to me,  I will never tell them this.