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October Issue 2002
Mint Museum of Craft + Design Offers Exhibition on Collecting
Visitors to Charlotte, NC's Mint Museum of
Craft + Design will have the opportunity to explore and contrast
collecting philosophies between public and private collections
through the exhibition Point of View I on view through
Feb. 23, 2003. Presented with the exhibition Coming of Age,
an overview of the formation of the craft museum's permanent collection,
Point of View will feature the inspirations behind the
formation of three Charlotte collections assembled by Loyd Dillon,
Bob and Mindy Jones, and Sonia and Isaac Luski. Point of View
II, from March 15 - July 27, 2003, will feature three additional
collectors throughout North Carolina.
Traditionally, museums build collections in an effort to provide
their audience with either a comprehensive art historical overview
or an in-depth examination of a particular subject. For a museum,
the selection of objects is a collective process over time in
which many voices are heard prior to the acquisition of each object.
Private collectors assemble art works based on their own desires,
often as a personal expression of their own interests and curiosity.
Ultimately, both private and public collections are guided by
a unified vision or goal.
"Point of View demonstrates how materials, techniques
and themes, among other subjects, guide collectors in their quest
to shape meaningful collections," stated MMC+D Curator Melissa
Post.
Sonia and Isaac Luski arrived in America from Cuba nearly 40 years
ago, escaping the Castro regime with four suitcases and two paintings
by Cuban artist Rene Portocarrero. Widely known throughout the
Southeast as glass collectors and for their generous support of
regional artists and museums, the Luskis also collect ceramics,
fiber, jewelry, metalwork, wood, paintings, prints and sculpture.
Superb artistry and craftsmanship, a profound understanding of
material and personal relationships with artists link these works.
Eclectic and ethnically diverse, the Luski collection exemplifies
an all-encompassing approach to art collecting. Examples on display
in Point of View include a poncho from Penland weaver Edwina
Bringle, a Fertility God pendant from Latin American metal
artist Wilfredo Lam, a cubist guitar from French-born artist Arman
and a lidded basket by an unnamed Tutsi tribeswoman.
"Our favorite piece is the one we don't have yet," remarked
Sonia Luski.
Bibliophile Loyd Dillon's pleasure comes in appreciating the legacies
and workmanship of the illustrators, printers and authors he collects
among his 4,000 piece book collection.
"I love my books both as objects and as intellectual constructs,"
stated Dillon. "Collecting has influenced my life in several
meaningful ways - the rush of pleasure in finding a long-sought-after
or desired volume, the gentler pleasure of contemplating the collection,
handling the books, admiring them and reading them!"
Dillon's collection reflects his particular interests, including
the British Arts & Crafts Movement, American Modern era, works
on Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson and publications regarded
as masterworks of illustration. For Point of View, Dillon
has selected books that trace the history of the illustrated book
in America and their English precedents from 1838-1931. William
Morris' Amis & Amile had a profound influence on American
Elbert Hubbard and his Roycrofter Press, as well as his colleagues
and successors. From the Art Nouveau to American Modern, the work
of illustrators such as Alphonse Mucha's In Bohemia, Rockwell
Kent's Moby Dick and John Vassos' Ultimo illuminate
how the art of illustration paralleled artistic movements in the
fine and decorative arts and became a powerful expression in the
world of craft and design.
The relationship with the well designed and executed object is
at the heart of Bob and Mindy Jones' glass collection. An art
collector for 30 years, Bob Jones bought his first piece of glass
in 1988. The medium is now the focus of their art collection.
"My collecting goal has always been to acquire pieces that
speak to men" stated Bob Jones. "I find glass to be
very powerful and dynamic."
His love for learning about the artists, their techniques and
the medium shapes his collecting practice. "Collecting is
just an extension of the traveling and discovering in my life,"
said Jones. "Collecting is a journey, not a destination.
It is all about growth and discovery."
On display in Point of View from the Jones Collection will
be provocative and technically spectacular works by Bertil Vallien
and Jones' favorite glass artist, William Morris.
"Great collections are built with patience, love, dedication,
a desire to learn and a guiding vision." stated Melissa Post.
All of those are characteristics the collectors featured in Point
of View possess in abundance."
For more information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings,
call the museum at 704/337-2000, or check the museum's web site
at (www.mintmuseum.org).
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