Megumi Sasaki’s Herb and Dorothy (2008) is one of those documentaries that reminds you why you love film, and in this case, why you love art. The Arts Club was an appropriate place to have this epiphany, as it has housed the work of some remarkable artists over the years, including that of Will Barnett, an artist featured in the documentary.
The film was so striking because of Herb and Dorothy Vogel themselves; on the salary of a postal worker and a librarian, they have quietly amassed one of the most formidable contemporary art collections in history. Oh, and did I mention that when it came time to share it with a museum, they gave it to the National Gallery…for free?
The images of these two white-haired people--Dorothy smiling serenely, and maybe a little shyly, and Herb smirking in that mischievous way some older men have--milling around their tiny apartment stuffed full of turtles, cats, and art is very touching. They never had kids, and as they proudly show us their treasures, it becomes clear that the art has been their children.
The Vogels purchased pieces based on what really moved them. As the director pointed out during the question and answer session that followed the showing, the Vogels remind us that art is not about acquiring some esoteric vocabulary, but about looking and loving.
One man in the audience patiently waited his turn and then asked how he could start a collection. There was a pause as the Vogels puzzled over someone who had allowed so many thoughts to come between his eye and his heart. "You just start buying stuff you like," Dorothy answered.
Featuring artists from Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Chuck Close, the film is a Valentine to contemporary art and the people who love it.
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