Art Lies, Volume 23, Summer 1999 Page: 19
60 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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FINDING THE COMMON
by Apama Mackey"This needs to go," I thought to myself, evaluating a lithograph in the
collection that my husband and I started about eight years ago. I never
thought that our taste in art would change so much. On the other hand,
I never thought we would start a collection in the first place. But here we
are, trying to be responsible collectors. We should choose a direction and
be conscious that our tastes may evolve.
I've gone through so many stages as a collector. The first purchase
was the hardest one, paying for art and not knowing how the rent would
get paid. It was downhill from there. Now I cannot even recall what I
paid for that first piece, a beautiful, oversized lithograph, Florencia by
New Mexico painter Miguel Martinez. I thought about it for two years
before I called to purchase the piece.
There was a good chance that it was not available, but there she was,
waiting for me! I learned the hard way that if I see something, I must buy
it right then because too often I have heard those terrible words: It's just
been sold.
I have been dealt with very kindly as a collector. In fact, I have been
able to purchase anything that I desired because galleries and artists have
given me "on hold" privileges as well as payment plans that could put
any child through an Ivy League school. This is the reality of collecting;
payment plans, on-hold privileges and lots of patience.
Once, a dealer stopped me when I went for a second acquisition
from his gallery. He was concerned about where my collection was going.
He knew that I was attracted to figurative and representational art and
particularly works on canvas. Wasn't I collecting a particular type of
contemporary art? Why am I reaching for pieces that do not "go"?
This sounded crazy to me because I felt that all I needed to do was
buy what I wanted. At that particular moment my interest was moving
towards conceptual art. It was different from the representational work
that I'd been collecting, which needs no explanation, only a connection.
I realized the dealer was right, that he gave me good advice. I had
been avidly collecting Mexican contemporary art and I could never
tear myself away from
Mexican surrealism.
It's been a few years
now and I understand
those concerns. As a
dealer of contemporary
Latin American art, they
are now the same
concerns that I have for
my clients. :
This idea about
finding a common thread
in the collection is some-
thing you cannot put
your finger on, but it's
definitely there. When
you feel that you or your
client are building a
collection, and not just
filling a space over a couch for a party, it is time to take control of the
situation.
One piece can shape your whole collection and change forever the
way you look at art. The piece that had that effect on me is La Silla byTHREAD
Roberto Marquez. It is a painting with a figure sitting in a chair, covered
with a large piece of black lace so the figure and the chair are obscured.
As a gallerist, I have had the rare opportunity to help other people
build their collections. It is a great privilege to be the researcher and
guide. I travel to find fresh faces, I am privy to in-progress work and
glances into artist's studios. I deal in the type of art that I would choose
in my own home. If I wouldn't collect it myself, it wouldn't be in
my gallery. I follow the artists' careers and know their past and
their potential.
I consider myself an avid collector and my clients become my
friends. Together we have taken on a responsibility. We have tracked
through galleries, studios, and museums, and studied books and cata-
logues to keep harmony in the collections and feed the obsession in
our hearts.
Not a single moment of regret have I experienced since that first
piece was purchased. As I contemplate if the lithograph stays or goes, if
it meets the criteria for collecting, I realize that its influence had turned
my home into a peaceful refuge and enriched my life in a way that only
a collector would know. That's the connection, the common thread I've
been looking for. O
-Apama Mackey is a collector and
owner of Gallery 527 in Houston.Roberto Marquez
La Silla (The Chair), 1995
Oil on canvas, 48" x 48"
Gustavo Monroy
Nos Otros, 1999
Oil on canvas, 27" x 27"ARTLIES SUMMER 1999 19
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Lightman, Victoria H. Art Lies, Volume 23, Summer 1999, periodical, 1999; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth228053/m1/21/?q=%22Bryant%2C+John%22: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .