Andy and I (and the kids) took in the Coconut Grove Art Festival a couple of weeks ago. I had never been before, as I don't usually go out of my way to attend these kinds of festivals. But the chair of the event sent me two complimentary passes, so we decided to go.
When it comes to the visual arts, I don't get most of what I see. A lot of it I just don't understand. But then again, I'm a pretty literal person; I need things spelled out in black and white. For that reason, I tend to gravitate toward photography. It's not complicated.
Depending on the level of art fair I attend, I will usually decide in advance if I'm up for an addition to my growing collection of photography. If I go to Art Basel, the granddaddy of art fairs, I know my wallet is safe, 'cause there ain't nothing affordable there.
With the Grove festival, however, I didn't know what to expect. So my mind was open to possibly getting something.
We spent the morning wandering the fair. For the most part, I wasn't impressed with the photographers except for two or three. When we left around noon to take the kids to lunch, I hadn't bought anything. But it was my intention to go back and pick up a reasonably priced print from a black and white photographer who's work I liked.
While at lunch, my friend/colleague Jeanne called to say she was on her way over and let's hang out. So we went back to the fair, and I took her to see a photographer from Chicago I kinda liked. She was captivated by his work and bought three small pieces. I got swept up into it and also picked out three small pieces. They weren't expensive and I thought they would be nice additions to the "kids" portion of my collection.
Then we went back to Chris, the black & white photographer, because I wanted to take another look at the photo that caught my eye earlier. It was of a gently-curved black staircase at SF MOMA, surrounded by very angular white walls -- a stunning contrast in shapes and colors (or neutrals, as the case may be).
The print was very reasonable, but Jeanne being Jeanne, she started negotiating for me to buy a larger, framed version. True, the larger format was preferable, and yes, the white frame and mat surrounding the photograph was stunning. But still...
Meanwhile, Andy is wandering around the booth. I looked over and caught him staring at a VERY large photograph called "Coastal Grove." It's a beautiful image of a canape of trees in a grove. And he was just staring.
I watched him and realized that I had made a fateful statement earlier in the day: "We need a large format piece of art on the wall in the living room."
With that in mind, I thought: "Oh shit, I'm in trouble."
A few minutes later he stood by my side and just said, "Honey."
Oh no, I know that voice.
Of course, Jeanne was no help as she immediately echoed Andy's sentiments on the photo.
When Chris realized what was going on, I think he probably peed in his pants. After all, this was a major piece. So much so that he said, "Well, if you get that ("Coastal Grove"), I will give you this ("SF MOMA1").
Ahhhh, shit.
So that day, I went from being "casual collector" of photography to "serious collector." But both pieces look amazing hanging on my walls.
(Out of respect for Chris's work, I am not including photos of his work here. But check out his website at www.chrishoneysett.com. "SF MOMA 1 is in the portfolio called "architecture" and "Coastal Grove" is under "landscapes.")
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