The Art Collectors

Saturday night was the first of the two annual art auctions at the North Shore Arts Association here in Gloucester. It was somewhat quieter than in years past, about half as many attendees as before, but they were serious bidders and the art went quickly. Big name art went a little higher than in years past but the rest went a little lower. Still, it was a good night, few paintings were passed, and everyone seemed to be pleased.

I’ve been working at these art auctions for five years now and am quite interested in the people who show up year after year, auction after auction, and walk out with a couple precious items each year. I’ve heard the same story so many times, “Our house is packed, we have no more wall space, I don’t know where we are going to put this.” But they will be back at the next auction — I hope.

I think art collectors are interesting people. Over the years I’ve formed some opinions on the ones who show up regularly. There are the dealers, of course. They come to try to get a great deal on a known artist or in hopes of discovering someone new. They will take the work back to their galleries and hope to bring in a good profit. And then there are the serious collectors — usually they know what they want before the auction begins. If they don’t get the ones they want, they don’t stick around. They’re usually pretty well educated as to which artists are the most collectible though they always have an eye for the promising new-comer.

But the third group of bidders are the ones I love. They bid on whatever they see that they just love. I think there is a sweetness and a beauty in that. They appreciate the work these artists do, they are willing to spend their money to support the art association, the artists, and ... art

What is it about these paintings that draw people in? I guess that is the oldest question in the world when it comes to art — who knows what people see when they stand in front of a painting and get lost. But it is a beautiful thing. And I think there is a little bit of magic in there too. One of the reasons I never thought I had much future as an artist was because I never have felt particularly drawn to any subject to paint it. When I painted a lot while taking lessons with Betty Lou I always had a hard time deciding what I wanted to paint and rarely found any joy in beginning a painting. I would listen to Betty Lou talk about “being there in the day” and “capturing the light” and, while I understood those concepts intellectually, they never really meant much to me. Once I started laying down the paint it was better. I loved watching the way the pigments inter-related and worked together. The aesthetics of color was what I loved. When I write, I lose the world but that has rarely happened when I paint.

So I am fascinated by how others paint — what subjects they chose and how they capture and interpret that. That is why I wonder what the people who come to these auctions and leave with one or two precious acquisition experience. Clearly there is a communion that takes place there between the artist who made the work and the person who beholds it. When someone says that their house is full of art I think they must be people with deep souls who have room inside themselves for a wide spectrum of experiences filtered through the paintings they collect, cherish and live with.

We had a good night Saturday. The photos of the event are online at NSAA Auction I 2006. I look forward to the next auction on August 5. I’m sure I’ll see familiar faces and I’ll be very happy about that.

Thanks for reading.