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| Shared Passions |
Artful Beginnings
Aline Sullivan
08/02/2004
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At a time when stratospheric prices for art are making headlines,
some have chosen to pursue genres that remain relatively undervalued, especially
in the contemporary art scene, which may hide future masters. Indeed,
financially, this is one of the most reasonable sectors in which to collect.
Only two living artists, Jasper Johns and Bruce Nauman, appear on Christie’s
list of the 200 most expensive works sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s since
1985. Buying contemporary works also affords us the opportunity to serve not
only as collector, but also as patron. Johns might not need the money, but many
others do.
Contemporary artists also reflect the pulse of the time, which,
for many of us, makes their work compelling. Sue Hancock began buying
contemporary art five years ago, and has focused full-time on her collection
since 2001, when she and her husband, Ray Otis, sold their marketing firm.
Today, she is on the acquisition boards of both her local museum—the Orlando
Museum of Art—and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. She travels
widely in search of new works for both the museums and for her own collection,
which is leavened with humor. “I admire those collectors of contemporary art who
buy the really challenging, emotionally disturbing works, but I like the ones
that make me smile,” she notes. Several works by American artists Amy Sillman
and Tim Hodges and Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara
highlight her 200-piece collection.
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