As the art world evolves, new forums for presenting and preserving collections emerge, id. collector is the first invention of this sort which visually documents, describes and consolidates a collectors vision into a book and electronic archive. The brainchild of Lizanne Merrill, a highly respected art advisor and Helen Chen, whose expertise lies in art management. They have developed a way to reference and identify work in an organized and beautifully presented library which gives an art collection context: time, place and the personal vision of a collector.
"I was stunned when I saw the books," says Richard C. Morais, editor of Barron's Penta. "They were so well edited and curated, you got a real sense of the individual characters behind each collection."
"While most art glitterati are scrambling to buy or sell art, no one is recording and celebrating the collections themselves! A trip to the city of Rome will speak to the power and purpose of collecting art. The Borghese, the Barberini and the Doria Pamphili, all private museums in Rome are an ample example of the collectors role in fostering and preserving the art of their times. Caravaggio was thought to be ignominious and his art was seen as an outrage. He was banned by the Pope. It was only through the private patronage of forward thinking collectors like the Borghese, and Barberini, which allowed him to practice his innovative painting style during the baroque period," said Lizanne Merrill.
There are countless stories from history where sponsorship and nourishment of culture comes from private pockets. We venerate the private collector who ably cherishes art and in turn allows the gift of the artists' skills and spirit to be nurtured so we can have the benefit of their ever flourishing evolution.
Collaborators' Lizanne Merrill & Helen Chen
Collectors not only propel the production of art, they preserve and present the zeitgeist of a time, through their collections. While we are able to appreciate their effort in theory, rarely are we privy to appreciate their effort in real time. Unless collectors' artworks are loaned piece-meal to public venues or through the once a year privilege of art tours in private homes made available during art fair programs, can we see what these private individuals have amassed.
As collector, Richard C. Morias explained, "The books struck me as a smart and cost-effective way to make a significant collection immediately accessible to an entire family, no matter where they resided. It's a fact that compulsive collectors often have warehouses stuffed with sometimes important pieces. The books don't just look great, they are a practical way to remind far-flung kids of their family legacy and what's actually stashed away in some Jersey City or Oakland lock-up."
You don't have to buy a bunker or redesign an abandoned warehouse to display a private art collection to the public. You don't have to Shepard strangers through your home. As their website touts, id.collector.com selectively shares highlights of the private collection through a comprehensive table top book. The books are attractively bound and can also be produced in a digital version. Internet privacy and security is guaranteed and addressed by an individualized login for each collection. There is even a back end archive feature which allows id. collector's to access their own information and images of individual artworks to email, or print out according to their own individual needs.
I asked Helen Chen about the cost, "services and prices vary according to the length of the book and the amount of books printed. Books can be purchased one at a time and updated as collections change. We also offer art historical research, as well as collection management services that include photographing, appraising and restoration when requested." Their basic package includes five bound books with an in house, in depth interview of the collector's story along with fifty images curated by id. collector to cover, the breadth and cadence of the collection. Their basic package comes with individualized log in and dynamic online hosting for under $10,000 dollars.
From what I understand some of their clients have made several copies of their books, since they serve as a living, growing and ever blossoming record of their love of art, not to mention their id.s'!
Photo Credit: Gracie Brahimy