Collecting with a vision

One of the most inspirational art collections of the 21th century was that of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, an unpretentious working couple from New York who filled their humble one-bedroom apartment with more than 4,000 works of art over a 45-year period. Their extraordinary and adventurous collection included seminal works from then undiscovered artists of the 1960s. Built primarily around minimalist and conceptual artists such as Robert and Sylvia Mangold, Donald Judd, Richard Tuttle, Sol LeWitt, Christo and Lynda Benglis, the collection also included pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and photographer Cindy Sherman's works.

In 1992, the Vogels decided to transfer the entire collection to the National Gallery of Art. In late 2008, they launched The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States along with the National Gallery of Art, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services The programme donated 2,500 works to 50 institutions across 50 states.

Closer home, Jehangir KS Nicholson was a trained chartered accountant and the heir of a cotton gin and press fortune. Nicholson bought his first painting in 1968 and over the years acquired 800 artworks. An early patron of modern Indian art, Nicholson also built an impressive contemporary collection till he passed away in 2001. The Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation, within the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, has enabled Nicholson's art collection to be shared with the public.

Although separated by half the globe, both collectors were driven by their passion, curiosity and sustained continuity. A genuine interest in the art works, independent tastes and gut feeling were the key components that led to building these great collections. Outstanding collections need investment in time and risk taking ability. Owning art is a deep responsibility towards the artist and the artworks themselves. Collecting nearly always derives from an ardent interest, rather than a desire to make money. Most collectors would abhor the idea of parting with their collection, although they are amenable to lending it to museums and other institutions. Collections that were seen only by few and discreetly are now being opened to wider audiences.

The rise of private museums worldwide by major collectors is beginning to have a real impact on the cities and communities in which they are located. Programmes of education and outreach are also part of these ventures, thus enhancing and enriching viewing experience. Some notable collectors in recent times who have entered the realm of private museums include François Pinault, whose collection is housed at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice and presents major contemporary exhibitions, some of which are based in whole or in part on the Pinault Collection. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's St Petersburg is investing $400m to build a complex of museums on the city's 18-acre New Holland Island, a former shipbuilding site. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art ( KNMA) and Devi Art Foundation are far-sighted, outstanding examples of this genre in India.

Collecting over years discerningly and with imagination can lead to unexpected gains .The private collection amassed by one of the most influential and enduring designers of the 20th century, Yves Saint Laurent and his lifelong partner Pierre Berge, was sold in 2009 at a glamorous larger than life auction in Paris. The biggest-grossing auction of a private collection, which fetched $477 million, was billed as 'the sale of the century'. The auction included hundreds of famous artworks by artists such as Henri Matisse, Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp and James Ensor as well as artifacts and sculptures. Saint Laurent and Berge started collecting art in the 1950s.The collection included sculptures from ancient Egypt and Rome and 17th century Italy, medieval ivory crucifixes and silver German beer steins as well as Art Deco furniture.

Patience, creative thinking, sensibility and discipline can guide an amateur collector into building a collection of substance.