Behind the Scenes with Susan Abell

The Art of a Collection

12/30/2018 7:14:34 PM | By Susan Abell | Comment on this

The Art of a Collection

I think an art collection is a lot like a diary. Your taste evolves with time. Delphine Arnault

Do you collect anything? If so, what do you think makes for a great collection?

I am not really referring to the "stuff" that we tend to gather in our homes over time. :) Think of the items you have purposefully chosen for whatever reason. Maybe they go together well. Maybe they remind you of a favorite vacation spot. Perhaps you have inherited some items that hold special meaning and remind you of a loved one.

Maybe your collection has evolved to the point that when you are out somewhere, you may be on the hunt for another acquisition. Perhaps flea markets, yard sales, antique stores, and the like peak your interest. Sound familiar?

If you are a collector, like me, it probably does. When you think in terms of art as a collection, tastes can vary widely. We often collect what speaks to us. You can approach art collecting in a few ways. Choose a unifying theme for your collection or display varied pieces of a collection in a unified way. The displayed pieces below are similar in color palette and framing, for example. Some of the pieces from my own art collection (shown below) were mementos from trips to various art museums. Many were souvenirs from trips my parents took throughout the United States and Europe. Altogether, they make more of statement.

Speaking of making a statement, I recently installed a collection of coastal art in a wall display. If you look closely, there is the common color blue-green palette. The subject matter illustrates various aspects of Coastal Georgia as well. The familiar scenes are all here: marsh, beach, ocean, maritime forest, and sandy paths. Most likely you have memories of special vacations in one of those settings too.