The home of Cindy Sherman: An installation in Sherman's living room consists of, from top left, a work by John Hiltunen next to a small painting by Esther Pearl Watson, with James Welling's 2010 photograph below. To the right, a large black-and-white drawing of a buried man by Dana Schutz, "(Untitled) Dead Guy," from 2003; Michele Abeles's print of an outstretched hand; and an exploding thread piece by Megan Whitmarsh. Another small Watson lives beside Martin Kippenberger's 1944 "O'Preis" painting. On the far right, the 1990 fabric piece "Double Flaccid Cat" by Mike Kelley sits above a second Welling photograph. On the top shelf are Chris Garofalo's ceramics, and on the left a piece by Ken Tisa.
Have you ever wondered what the inside of your favorite artist's bedroom looks like? Have you fantasized about the sculptures and paintings that might adorn her living room, turning an apartment or house into a habitable museum? Have you questioned whether he showcases his own work or a mish-moshed collection of his friends? Does she relish throw pillows? Does his kitchen table look like a masterpiece itself?
The people who collect art are unique -- and the artists who collect are an even more specific bunch. Unlike the philatelists (those who study and commonly collect stamps) and the coin enthusiasts of the world (sometimes referred to as numismatists), art collecting is frequently done at a slower pace. Instead of frenetically acquiring valuable artifacts, paintings and photographs are often painstakingly chosen according to intensely personal and subjective standards. Sure, the prickly art market can help some predict the monetary potential of a new ceramic centerpiece, but it can't help an artist who collects judge the aesthetic reaction they're going to have living and often working with that centerpiece.
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"Artists who collect ... generally fall into two categories," Robert Storr, dean of the School of Art at Yale University, writes in the forward to the new book, Artists Living With Art (Abrams)."First come those who can't resist owning things that catch their eye and in some way remind them of roads not taken or possibilities that they have not exploited." And then, he adds, there are "those who immerse themselves sequentially in specific types of work or periods in art history." The two paths to art collecting result in different yet wildly beautiful sets of interior scenes, as obsessively curated rooms possess canvases, carpets, chairs and candles that mirror a person's overarching relationship to color and form.
While we can theorize about the intentions of living artists like Chuck Close, Marilyn Minter, Mickalene Thomas or Rashid Johnson, sometimes the best method of understanding an artist's collecting persona is to take a peek into their homes, the places where they stash their troves. Thanks to editors Stacey Goergen and Amanda Benchley, we have that opportunity.
The home of Ugo Rondinone: A view of the living room. The chairs are by Gerrit Rietveld. "The space turned out better than I envisioned it," says Rondinone. "It is almost a square space; it is very easy to install in a square space."
The home of Helen and Brice Marden: A look through the Marden's double-height library into the serene chamber where Brice Marden keeps many of his best scholars' rocks. Helen Marden travels to Morocco several times a year, often bringing back Berber carpets like the ones in these rooms. Two of Brice Marden's early works hang in the library: "Untitled" (1966) on the left, and "Arizona" (1963) on the right.
Home of John Currin and Rachel Feinstein: Family portraits by Currin of Feinstein and their three children overlook the dining room table. On the bottom right, Currin's painting of a bald woman immortalizes their beloved dog Chewy, depicted in the background. The 2001 paintings is called "Portrait of Chewy."
The home of Ugo Rondinone: A 2006 Valentin Carron cross, which Rondinone calls "a bit of a mock," hangs above his bed, while a montage of nudes, including work by John Currin, Karen Kilimnik and Andy Warhol, fills the adjacent wall. "You see the masculine and the feminine here," explains Rondinone about his considered arrangement.
The home of Francesco Clemente: A drawing by Cy Twombly over the fireplace is flanked by a Jean-Michel Basquiat drawing and a painting by Clemente in the dining area. The furniture includes tables by Isamu Noguchi and wooden chairs by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The home of Will Cotton: Cotton's 2010 painting of his partner, Rose Dergan, coexists with works by Andy Warhol and Ryan McGinness. Ceramics by artist Linda Lighton, who happens to be Dergan's mother, are on the table.
The home of Cindy Sherman: Sherman has arranged an assemblage in her bedroom including, from left, a drawing of houses by her studio manager, Margaret Lee, and works by Alexander Ross, Paulina Olowska, Charles Long and Wayne White. On the bottom row, from left, she's included artists Bruce Lieberman, Martha Rich, M. Henry Jones, and John Lurie. The sculpture of the vase with flowers is by Matthew Solomon.
The home of Cindy Sherman: Besty Berne's 1996 painting "Dong Song" next to Otto Piene's 2011 glazed clay piece "The Golden Idaho." Berne, a longtime friend of Sherman's, is now primarily a writer. Sherman bought the Piene at a benefit auction.
The home of Rashid Johnson: In the kitchen, from left, a 2012 work by Anthony Pearson, a 2010 drawing by William Pope.L, and Djordje Ozbolt's 2012 painting "Gentlemen of Ngongo." The framed piece on the far right was a gift to Johnson from Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist.
