Does the saying "shared joy is a double joy" also applies to collecting art? The author, who worked as an advisor for corporate and personal collections for more than 20 years, said that among many collectors, husband and wife collectors definitely stood out. It’s because as they collect as a team, when they choose art pieces their life and philosophy are permeated into their choices, which often brings about not only the beauty of pieces but also some lingering feelings. The book introduces eleven married couple collectors to share the joy of collecting.
Interestingly, not all of them are very rich. The Vogel collection is the best example. Herbert Vogel, a postman, and Dorothy Vogel, a librarian, were ordinary people. Herbert, who taught himself art, shared his interests with Dorothy. Two months into their marriage, the couple made their very first purchase. Eventually, they collected 4,782 pieces over the past 50 years.
How was this possible? Herbert just earned 25,000 dollars a year at that time. They focused on young artists and drawings as they were relatively affordable. They visited the artists' studios and enjoyed conversations with them, which enabled early communication with the artists before they became famous.
There was an important principle that made the Vogel collection special. Their only rule was if they couldn’t carry a piece home or get it on public transportation, they didn’t buy it. It was a very simple principle, making their collection special. The Vogels donated everything they had at that time to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C and fifty museums in all the states across America.
Another couple built a sculpture park in nature. Sherry and Joel Mallin have put more than seventy outdoor sculptures and installations at the Buckhorn Sculpture Park in New York, U.S.A. They say, "we collect based on our intuition without any standard." However, thanks to Sherry, who studied dance and focused on the beauty of lines, sculptures take up a large share of the Mallin collection. Couples' philosophy and motivation for collection are useful information for prospective collectors, but at the same time, they open their eyes to the importance of a "life partner" who can share happiness.
beborn@donga.com