|
|
 |
|
| Shared Passions |
Aesthetic Aspirations
Josh Baer
08/02/2004
|
They have had their most
profound effect as members of the Stieglitz Society at New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art. The Ganeks engineered a complex transaction with the estate of
the late Diane Arbus, one of the finest photographers of the last century, to
purchase 23 rare, signed vintage prints. They worked together with the museum to
choose from the available prints, and, with a purchase of more than $2 million,
the Ganeks will give 13 of the photographs to the Met and retain 10 for
themselves. As New Yorkers, they felt it was important to place such important
New York art in a local institution. The Ganeks will live with all the works for
a period of time before handing over 13 to the museum. (Six of the photos are
currently traveling around the country with the Arbus museum
retrospective.)
The Ganeks will add the Arbus photos to what is already one
of the leading collections of the 1990s, with important works by Damien Hirst,
Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman and Maurizio Cattelan. Danielle
describes their collecting in none-too-uncertain terms as a “52-week-a-year
activity focused on the art of our time. Once it becomes part of your life, it
seems to take over.”
Museums around the world have approached the Ganeks to
lend parts of their collection, but they remain highly selective about where
they exhibit. Their knowledge of this art milieu has begun to rival that of many
curators, and they insist on knowing the context of each exhibition and the
works that will be on display.
The Ganeks insist that increasing the value of
their collection is not the motive behind their desire to lend their art. It
does bring other benefits, however. David notes, “Being good lenders encourages
dealers to sell us other works in which we are interested.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
