Saturday marked the end of the great weather and fine art of Art Basel Miami. And what a fine experience it was.
I spent much of my time with co-chair MFA Designer as Author, Lita Talarico, and Buck House
proprietor, artist, and art dealer, Deborah Buck. Apart from the
highlights previously posted, watching an art collector select art was
enlightening. Buck's taste, knowledge, and passion came to the fore in
making choices of artworks by relatively unknown and emerging artists.
This turned out to be a wonderful lesson for me in the restorative
power of
art (just listening to her describe her acquisitions was a high).
When asked, however, if she was buying these works for re-sale (she is a dealer
after all) the answer was never entirely definitive. Unlike many dealers who
view art solely as investment, Buck acquired pieces for an ever
expanding patchwork of her life. Although some of these works may
emerge in her gallery or salon, the prime motivation was not profit
(the core principle behind art fairs of this kind) but joy in the act
of creation.
Not a bad motivation - or lesson - along with soaking up the sun, surf, and warmth of Miami.
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