Friday, April 11, 2014

Case Study No. 1362: Dorothy Vogel

Independent Lens | HERB & DOROTHY | Trailer | PBS
2:43
http://www.pbs.org/ independentlens/ herb-and-dorothy/

He was a postal clerk. She was a librarian. With modest means, this couple managed to build one of the most important modern art collections in history. Meet Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, whose shared passion and commitment defied stereotypes and redefined what it means to be an art collector.

HERB & DOROTHY premieres Tuesday, October 13 on Independent Lens, a weekly series airing on PBS. Hosted by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the acclaimed series showcases powerful and innovative independent films. Presented by ITVS, Independent Lens is broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.

Visit the Web site for more:
http://www.pbs.org/ independentlens/ herb-and-dorothy/
Tags: PBS Independent Lens documentaries TV Herb Dorothy Vogel minimalist conceptual art collecting New York
Added: 4 years ago
From: PBS
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From pbs.org:

He was a postal worker. She was a librarian. Together they amassed one of the most important contemporary art collections in the world.

HERB & DOROTHY tells the extraordinary tale of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a seemingly ordinary couple who filled their humble one-bedroom New York apartment with more than 4,000 works of art over a 45-year period. Filmmaker Megumi Sasaki turns her lens on the Vogels during a critical period of transition for the couple and their cherished collection.

From the earliest days of their marriage, the Vogels delighted in art. While working the midnight shift at the post office, Herb studied by day at the Institute of Fine Arts. Dorothy soon followed suit and began taking classes in painting and drawing. But ultimately, Dorothy confesses, they were “wannabe artists” and quickly gave up their own ambitions when they realized the joys of collecting.

Despite their modest income, the two began acquiring work that was undiscovered or unappreciated in the early 1960s, primarily Minimalist and Conceptual art by such visionaries as Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Donald Judd, Richard Tuttle, Sol LeWitt, Christo, Lynda Benglis and many other artists who are featured in the film.

The work was mostly non-decorative, evoking descriptors like “daring” and “rigorous.” In their collecting, Herb and Dorothy adhered to strict guidelines—they would live on Dorothy’s salary and devote Herb’s income to purchasing art. While reflecting their adventurous taste, the collection would need to conform to practical limitations of affordability and space. One artist recalls that the Vogels would only buy pieces they could carry home on the subway or in a taxi.

Diminutive and unassuming, the two became a fixture on the New York art scene, attending nightly gallery events and befriending many of the artists whose work they collected. Artist Chuck Close affectionately refers to the couple as the “mascots of the art world.” Collaborators Christo and Jeanne-Claude recall how Herb and Dorothy acquired a work of theirs in exchange for cat-sitting.

By the early 1990s, the Vogels’ collection filled every corner of their living space, from the bathroom to the kitchen, floor to ceiling. “Not even a toothpick could be squeezed into the apartment,” recalls Dorothy. The place was bursting at the seams, and something had to be done.

Courted by every major museum, the couple astounded the art world by transferring their entire collection—worth several million dollars—to the National Gallery of Art. As government workers themselves, they liked the idea of sharing their prized pieces with the American people. After weeks of packing, shippers carted away an astounding five full-sized moving trucks of paintings, drawings and sculptures from the tiny apartment.

Today, still in love with each other and with art, Herb and Dorothy live in the same apartment, with their pet turtles, fish and cat. The once completely emptied space is again filled with art.
Update

In August 2009, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki reported that Herb and Dorothy had finally stopped adding to their collection. In 2008, they began distributing work through their national gift project, The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: 50 Works for 50 States. Although they don’t attend gallery or museum openings as much due to Herb’s health, the couple traveled with the film to many film festivals and screenings, meeting and interacting with the audience.

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From nga.gov:

The Vogel Collection has been characterized as unique among collections of contemporary art, both for the character and breadth of the objects and for the individuals who created it. Herbert Vogel (b. 1922), spent most of his working life as an employee of the United States Postal Service, and Dorothy Vogel (b. 1935), was a reference librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. Setting their collecting priorities above those of personal comfort, the couple used Dorothy's salary to cover the expenses of daily life and devoted Herbert's salary to the acquisition of contemporary art. With the exception of the collection formed by their friend, artist Sol LeWitt, no other known private collection of similar work in Europe or America rivals the range, complexity, and quality of the art the Vogels acquired.

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