The impulse to collect is not a decision; it is a powerful dynamic pull, an appetite. When an object of desire enters the collector's field of perception, there is a soul-tweaking tug of recognition and captivation. The object's voice is audible, the collector is tuned in and the response is primal. No matter what is sought -- gems, do-not-disturb signs, antique gold coins, beer cans, paintings, comic books, vintage cars or bottle caps -- each collection grants fulfillment to each collector.
A collection is a revelation about our world. It is the collector who compels us to see the world in fresh and challenging new ways. The instinctive visual scope of each collector is a singular lens. Collectors are seekers with an impulse that is unteachable. The insights of original thinkers can shock us. They can cause one's world to shift slightly. Then, if we're susceptible, comprehension and enlightenment follow. We may be intoxicated by the improbable, unnerved by the prodigious richness of the world, and inebriated by the potency of the spectrum.
Marilynn Gelfman Karp
New York City
10 April 2011
Marilynn Gelfman Karp Is a collector, sculptor, Professor Emeritus of Art, New York University and author of In Flagrante Collecto.
www.inflagrantecollecto.info
