The Other Side

Responding to ‘The Other Half’, Martin Herbert’s column on women gallerists in the current issue of frieze

I read Martin Herbert’s article on women gallerists last night and felt that I should respond regarding a point that is referred to that could be misleading to your readers. He quotes Alice Rawsthorn from a Guardian article in 2006 as saying, ‘While so much contemporary art is sold by women, it tends to be bought by men’. This in no way reflects my experience and it is important to note that it may not reflect the experience of my colleagues. (Indeed, this Rawsthorn quote was taken out of context; I would like to direct readers to the original article which highlights and addresses a broader view.)

With both Modern and Contemporary Art it has indeed been collected by many prominent women. Beginning with Gertrude Stein who was hugely regarded and lionized both in paint and print. Though collecting at times with her brother, she is remembered for her contribution.

Currently I can name a number of women who figure strongly in the collecting scene.  Art provides an area of interest where women collect on their own or figure strongly in a couple where the collecting is done very much in collaboration and their position is respected and valued. I wish to name a number of these women and couples to illustrate my point.  No one would dispute the value of their commitment. Many have private spaces or museums that allow work to be installed with a benefit to the greater art viewing public and have done so for many years.

Constance Caplan
Eileen Cohen*
Rosa de la Cruz*
Candida Gertler & Yana Peel – founded Outset, an art fund which donates works to museums, and also purchase art on their own
Ingvild Goetz – Goetz Collection*
Agnes Gund – MoMA’s President Emerita
Erika Hoffmann-Koenige*
Pauline Karpidas
Pam Kramlich – Kramlich collection / sponsor of curating post at Tate*
Helen Thorpe
Anita Zabludowicz – 176 Zabludowicz collection*
Joel and Zoe Dictrow
Susan and Michael Hort
Joel and Sherry Mallin
Heather and Tony Podesta
Don and Mera Rubell
John Smith and Vicky Hughes

Please note that these lists are just a tip of the iceberg!

This is not to mention the many curators and art advisors who liaise with galleries on behalf of museums or collections who are indeed women and are the first point of contact for many gallerists to work with. As well, many male collectors (if appropriate) make a point of conferring with wives and girlfriends to make decisions about art unlike other areas of their lives where no opinion may be sought.

I think that casual reference to how things are done can give the wrong impression and perpetuate a misconception that detracts from the equality that is present in art collecting making it very different from other areas of life and work.