PeggyGuggenheim佩姬

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LisaVreeland:

Inyouropinion,whatwasPeggy’ssinglegreatestcontributiontomodernart?

KaroleVail:

Ithinkshemadeseveralgreatcontributions.Oneofhergreatest,undeniably,washelpingJacksonPollockwhenhefirststartedout:asweknow,shegavehimhisfirstsoloexhibitions.Sherelied,admittedlyheavily,onheradvisors,amongthemLaurenceVail—herfirsthusband,andmygrandfather—aswellasHerbertRead,[writerandartdealer]HowardPutzel,andMondrian.MondrianthoughtthatPollockwasthemostexcitingpainterhehadseenforalongtime.WhatwasremarkableaboutPeggyisthatshedidlistentoadvice,andthenshewasquicktoactonthatadvice....Pollockseemed[toher]tobeagreatcandidate,becauseofthenewkindofpaintingthathewasadvocating.

SoPollockcouldbehergreatestachievement.Andofcourse,hercollection,overall,isagreatcontribution.Thoughthecollectionisrelativelysmall,thequalityissuperlative.Shereallydidgetincredibleexamplesofsomanymajorartistsofthe20thcentury.Hercollectionisoneofthemostimportantcollectionsofthattype.Andwhat’ssointerestingishowshewentaboutformingit.

LisaVreeland:Canyoudescribethatprocess?Howdidshegoaboutbuildinghercollection?KaroleVail:

Sheactuallystartedcollectingrelativelylate.It’ssomethingthatshecametowhenshewasaround40.Whenshestarted,shereallydedicatedherselfheartandsoultocollecting,andshemanagedtogatheraroundherartists,advisors,andhistorians.

Shehadbeenexposedtoartbefore,obviously.Herfatherlovedart,anditwascustomaryforwell-to-dofamiliestohaveart,tocollectit.HerUncleSolomonwas,ofcourse,acollector,thoughweknowshereallywasn’tintouchwithhim.AndthenLaurenceVailwasanartistandawriter,andheintroducedhertoVenice,andtotheworldofart.Ithinkhewasprobablymoreinstrumentalthanwetendtothink.He’snotgivenenoughcredit,Ithink,forintroducinghertotheartworldandtowriters.

Peggywasreallycleverinsurroundingherselfwithgreatadvisors.WhenshehadhergalleryinNewYork,sheoftenhadasmallboardoracouncilofartistsandmuseumcuratorsandsoon.Shereallyknewhowtosurroundherselfwiththerightpeople.Itdoesseemthatherrelationshipwithartwas,inpart,aboutherrelationshipwithpeople.Absolutely.Herlifeandherartcollectingwere