Selections from the Michael D. Robinson and Donald J. Boutte Collection/LASM
Featuring Ann Connelly Fine Art Artists
Collect what makes one happy, LASM exhibitor says
By Robin Miller
Arts Writer
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Ed Pramuk is teaching Michael D. Robinson to appreciate orange. It’s not Robinson’s favorite color. That’s an understatement. Robinson despises orange.
Robinson may or may not mention this in his 2:00 p.m. discussion on Sunday, March 6, at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, but the chances are strong. Orange does not make him happy, and he’s the first to say the most important element in collecting art is to choose pieces that make you happy. “That and price,” Robinson said. “You also need to consider the price, because you have to be able to afford them. You don’t want to go into debt over a piece of art that you can’t afford.”
Robinson is the LSU College of Art and Design’s senior director of development. His gallery talk falls on the final day for the exhibit Selections from the Michael D. Robinson and Donald J. Boutte Collection at the museum. The exhibit is a sampling of the collection of more than 400 pieces of contemporary art that Robinson and his partner Boutte have collected for four decades. And included in that collection is Ed Pramuk’s 1974 painting “Orange Bridge.” It hangs next to another Pramuk piece “Attic Sun,” in the LASM’s Colonnade Gallery. The dominant color in “Attic Sun,” by the way, is red. Somehow, the red in one had a way of toning down the orange in the other. “We love these paintings,” Robinson said. “And we always hang them together.” But the orange issue persists. “I’m learning,” Robinson said.
Pramuk is one of the 32 represented in this show, many of which are also featured in the museum’s Soupcon Gallery. Museum curator Elizabeth Weinstein chose the pieces for the exhibit.
Other artists are Jenny Authement, Emerson Bell (1932 - 2006), David Carpenter, Michael Crespo, Clark Derbes, Lisa di Stefano, Michael Daugherty, Steven Durow, Lin Emery, John Geldersma, Rolland Golden, Rosemary Goodell, Franike Gould, Nancy Harris, Robert Hausey, Frank Hayden, Randell Henry, David Horton, Aaron P. Hussey, Ross Jahnke, Christopher Johns, Ida Kohlmeyer, William Lewis, George Marks, Jonathan Pellitreri, Hunter Roth, Steve Rucker, Hunt Slonem, Van Wade-Day and Michaelene “Mikey” Walsh.
Though the collection isn’t exclusively limited to Louisiana artists, artists either in or with connections to the state have created the bulk of the work. Weinstein specifically sought to feature Louisiana-connected artists in this exhibit.
Now Robinson walks through the galleries, looking at his pieces in the museum’s setting, thinking of the stories behind each. And missing their presence in his home. “I really do miss them” he said. There are spaces where they’re supposed to be, and I can wait to put them back.”
He pauses to glance at one wall from ceiling to floor. The wall has plenty of space for other artwork, which also makes him think of his house. Robinson is running out of wall space. “And I like to hang artwork from the ceiling to the floor,” he said. It makes him happy, which is the whole point. Robinson and Boutte even hang artwork in the garage so it can be seen when driving in after work.
They also get to know the artists behind the work, befriending many of them. “We had dinner with the Durows last week in New Orleans,” Robinson said. “We love them. And we’ve visited with Hunt Slonem in his New York studio.”
Which brings up another component of art collection. “It’s important that you keep the receipt for your piece and information about the artist,” Robinson said. “Keep it all on file. A lot of people don’t do this, and they regret it later.”
Robinson began the collection in 1969 with a painting by David Horton. “The first sculpture in the collection is by Frank Hayden,” he said. “I knew him too. He was a great person. And all of these pieces has its own story.” Like the Durow sculpture, for instance. It’s untitled, a suspended sculpture made of glass and wood. “We saw this in the office of the Brunner Gallery, when the gallery was in the Shaw Center,” Robinson said. “It was later on exhibit in the gallery and we bought it.” Then there’s Ross Jahnke’s woodcut print of the big tennis shoe. It usually hangs over the computer in Robinson’s home. “Ross used to be our neighbor,” Robinson said. “We rarely buy prints, but we loved this. And we loved Ross’ painting of the Adirondack chair, which is also in this exhibit.”
Michael Crespo sold Robinson his piece, “The Mooncalf’s Lesson,” only a week before the artist’s death. Robinson had always admired the piece and kept inquiring about it.
Robert Hausey, meantime, refused to sell his painting, “Lady and the Pelican,” to Robinson. The piece features a lady in a blue bathing suit in a diving stance. It hung in the office of a co-worker who is retiring. “I said, ‘I’m going to miss looking at my blue lady’” Robinson said. Robinson asked if he could buy the pieces from the co-worker only to learn that the co-worker didn’t own the painting. It still belonged to Hausey.
“I asked Bob about buying it, and he said, ‘No,’” Robinson said. “I said, ‘You won’t sell it to me?’ He said, ‘No, I won’t sell it to you. But I will give it to you.’” And that was that.
Speaking of retirement, Robinson is planning to retire from the College of Art and Design in May. His office is filled with collected pieces, some created by students in the LSU School of Art.
“And we’re going to have to find a place for those pieces,” Robinson said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about wall space.”
Now, collectors don’t have to be artists, themselves. Robinson doesn’t draw or paint. “I never have,” he said. But, he loves art, and his love led him to this collection. It’s a part of him.
He isn’t always on the lookout for pieces, but they always have a way of catching his eye.
That is, all but the orange pieces. And Ed Pramuk is working on that.
