PREVIEWS OF WORKS FOR SALE AT UPCOMING SHOWS COAST TO COAST MARCH 2014 ISSUE 101 AMERICAN

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "PREVIEWS OF WORKS FOR SALE AT UPCOMING SHOWS COAST TO COAST MARCH 2014 ISSUE 101 AMERICAN"

Augustus Singleton
6 years ago
Views:

1 PREVIEWS OF WORKS FOR SALE AT UPCOMING SHOWS COAST TO COAST MARCH 2014 ISSUE 101 AMERICAN C O L L E C T O R

2 COLLECTOR HOME A SHARED PASSION BY JOHN O'HERN PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCIS SMITH INSIDE THIS VIRGINIA HOME IS AN EXTENSIVE ART COLLECTION THOUGHTFULLY CURATED WITH THE HUSBAND AND WIFE S TASTES IN MIND. 1 Greg Gandy s American Graffiti (2011), oil on panel, hangs in the living room. In 1769 George Washington built a small townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Today, Old Town Alexandria is rich with 18 th -, 19 th - and early-20 th -century buildings and the Alexandria Historic District is a National Historic Landmark. The exteriors of the homes complement the historical ambiance and, more often than not, the interiors thoughtfully recreate Federal and 19 th -century taste. One exception is the home of a couple who collects contemporary art and deliberately pared down furniture and colors to create an unobtrusive setting for their collection. I think both of us had nice homes, the wife explains. But our homes and those of our friends were all about the furniture. When we put our lives together, the furniture started going out and the art came in. We began buying things we liked for the bare walls. Soon we realized we wanted a bigger house with more wall space and purchased our current home with the art in mind. JOHN O HERN: How did you begin collecting? COLLECTOR: We began collecting together and we both have to agree on a piece. We wandered around Old Town and gravitated toward Principle Gallery where we got to know Michele Ward, the owner, and to trust her knowledge. The Geoffrey Johnson was our first purchase. We bought it, liked it, and treasured it, and we hung it in a prominent spot. JO: What led you to focus on cityscapes? C: We liked the blurred lines and colors of Geoffrey s City in Gray & Brown and the grittiness of the scene. We then found the Francis Livingston and liked it a lot and felt it complemented Geoffrey s painting. The earlier pieces are more somber than later paintings we ve purchased. We started the graffiti collection because we liked the color and they were fun. Also, their grittiness complemented the earlier cityscapes. JO: It seems that every piece in your collection complements the other pieces. Was that a deliberate decision? C: At first, the commonality was an accident. It was unconscious. The Martin Poole is more peaceful than the others but a complete fit. No one piece stands out or looks out of place or makes you 040

3 COLLECTOR HOME 1 041

5 2 Martin Poole s oil on panel Blue Skies (2009) hangs above the fireplace in the living room. Over the bureau is Graffiti Truck (2011), an oil on panel by Gregory Prestegord.

3 Geoffrey Johnson s oil on canvas City in Gray & Brown (2010) hangs above Lewis Tardy s metal sculpture Thermogenesis (2011). The couple s dog Sophie sits guard.

5 5 2 Martin Poole s oil on panel Blue Skies (2009) hangs above the fireplace in the living room. Over the bureau is Graffiti Truck (2011), an oil on panel by Gregory Prestegord. Geoffrey Johnson s oil on canvas City in Gray & Brown (2010) is on the adjacent wall. 3 Geoffrey Johnson s oil on canvas City in Gray & Brown (2010) hangs above Lewis Tardy s metal sculpture Thermogenesis (2011). The couple s dog Sophie sits guard. 4 On the opposite wall of the living room is Adam Normandin s KOG (2012), an acrylic on panel. It hangs above his So Many Miles Ago (2011), an acrylic on panel. The large painting is Jeremy Mann s oil on panel Chicago (2009). Next to it is his David Gista s 3 Up (2011), acrylic on canvas. 5 Pedro Rodríguez Garrido s Street from the Room (2012), an oil on panel, hangs in the study. The sailfish sculpture is a fishing tournament trophy won by the husband, a recreational fisherman. feel uncomfortable. They do complement one another. JO: Lewis Tardy s sculpture Thermogenesis is a little startling, but it fits, too. C: Yes. It s in a prominent place when you walk in and our guests focus on that first. Lewis makes his sculpture from reclaimed industrial parts he collects rummaging around a factory near his home. He makes his sculptures from what he has on hand. The gritty industrial look works with the rest of the art. I love the reaction people have, especially the trades people who point out all the parts and how they work. JO: Where did you find it? C: Lewis is from Michigan but he was exhibiting at the King Street Art Festival, so we found it right here. JO: So you don t limit yourself to art galleries when you re looking for art? C: No. In fact one of our most unusual finds came from the Georgetown Flea Market. They re advertising images of ice cream in tulip sundae dishes from a diner. They re from the 50s and fit perfectly in our condominium in Miami, which is more modern. We also bought three Cuban movie posters there. We go to art festivals and purchased a photograph at Art Basel Miami Beach, and purchased David Gista s 3 Up at ArtPalmBeach. We also go to galleries when we travel. It s a process of connecting the dots. We started out with Principle Gallery and then went up and down King Street. When we meet artists whose work we re attracted to, that leads to other artists. Michele Ward at Principle has been key to our collecting. I think we always felt that she was not just someone selling artwork. She s been willing to help educate us, to listen and to understand what it was we were interested in. Since she s familiar with the collection she suggests things to us or COLLECTOR HOME 043

Vander Veer s oil on panel Date with Daddy (2009) hangs above one of the husband s guitars, a Guild F25CE.

6 Francis Livingston s oil on panel City Layers (2010) hangs over the dining room mantel. 7 Faye F. Vander Veer s oil on panel Date with Daddy (2009) hangs above one of the husband s guitars, a Guild F25CE. 8 Sophie has moved to a sunny chair. Jeremy Mann s oil on panel Morning Down Hyde (2010) and Afternoon on Post Street (2010). On the adjacent wall is Nobuhito Tanaka s oil on canvas Wet Night in Taipei (2011).

7 8 gives an opinion when we ask. She gave us the confidence to branch out and to do things on our own. We keep our own counsel and we collect what we like.

We enjoy hearing about how they do their work and what attracts them to a subject. We collect from artists we enjoy and there are certain other artists we follow.

C: My husband has guitars all over the house and when he goes by he ll pick one up and start playing. I collected glass when I was single and then began buying older glass.

7 7 8 gives an opinion when we ask. She gave us the confidence to branch out and to do things on our own. We keep our own counsel and we collect what we like. Michele introduced us to artists and we met others on our own. Getting to know the artists helps you understand the work more and be more invested in it. We enjoy hearing about how they do their work and what attracts them to a subject. We collect from artists we enjoy and there are certain other artists we follow. I think we re very open to artists who are new to us as well. It s not about what a piece is going to be worth. It s a labor of love. JO: I notice other small collections like glass and guitars. C: My husband has guitars all over the house and when he goes by he ll pick one up and start playing. I collected glass when I was single and then began buying older glass. There s a piece from my husband s family on the table beneath Jeremy Mann s painting in the living room. JO: Do you have advice for other collectors? C: I think it is important to allow yourself to be surprised. Art is beautiful and very fluid. Try to be open and unrestricted in your thought process. Let the art speak to you. We were at the Beaux Arts Festival of Art in Miami and saw some wood and metal sculpture by a Puerto Rican artist. We were both surprised that we were attracted to the work and had a great time talking to the artist. Art is an integral part of our home. It makes the house feel warm and personal. If we were transferred somewhere else, the art would make a new place home to us. John O Hern, who has retired after 30 years in the museum business, specifically as the Executive Director and Curator of the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, N.Y., is the originator of the internationally acclaimed Re-presenting Representation exhibitions which promote realism in its many guises. John was chair of the Artists Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts. He writes for gallery publications around the world, including regular monthly features on Art Market Insights and on Sculpture in Western Art Collector magazine. COLLECTOR HOME 045

CITY LIFE. The collection in this Boston home reflects the feel of the city through urban landscapes and painterly compositions.

CITY LIFE. The collection in this Boston home reflects the feel of the city through urban landscapes and painterly compositions. 1 CITY LIFE The collection in this Boston home reflects the feel of the city through urban landscapes and painterly compositions. BY JOHN O HERN PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCIS SMITH 040 www.americanartcollector.com