Reading a wonderful memoir, “A Complicated Marriage” by
Janice Van Horne (she was married to Clement Greenberg) I came across so many
people I have met and places I have been.
It is a reward for getting one’s hands dirty in the REAL life of the art
world.
Going inside the New York community of artists is watching
history in the making. As this era
becomes the subject of books and films, people you meet, places you go and
things you do will become characters, locations, episodes. Experiencing this
while reading brings a unique sense of belonging – I saw that show, had dinner
with her, visited his studio… Having a piece of that history in your collection
has concrete value as well as being a conduit for the story in the future.
Watch the films about Pollock and Basquiat, how would it feel to recognize a piece
of those lives because you touched them?
Best of all, whoever you are, whatever you do, you only have
to reach out for artists to pull you in, all of us want our work to be seen,
appreciated, discussed. Just say “Yes.”
