Malcolm Liepke - Art Market Insights - American Art Collector

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Joan and Bernie Spain

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$oan and Bernie Spain are passionare

$ collecrors oIAmerican arr. They have $ built a seminal collection over rhe pasr * " lew decadesi one rhat would be rhe enry of any museum. They recently moved into New York's Plaza Hotel, which has been resryled as grand apartments with soaring spaces and mesmerizing views of Central Park and Grand Army Plaza.

j:ll'ic l--c:.!ri.,:!': \(/here are you from originally and hoi,v did you decide on

i:-!: Joan takes credit for most of the rvork in creating the apartment, and lve almost always make all purchasing decisions together. ..r*!; Thank you, dear, but we did have help

on the interiors, the built environment, if you rvill, from Renee and Don Freeman, of Freeman Interiors in Philadelphia. iii-i: And Steven Diamant of Arcadia

Gallery in New York was, and is, instrumental in helping us form the nexus ofthe collection.

The Plaza?

ils:rnir $grai;r; Joan and I live much of the year in Philadelphia and have also

had a home in Florida, but we sold

that-New York has become our 'new Florida.' It's our escape... -]*,;;a S5:;l!r:: The galleries here were part

i,l-: I firmly believe in team efforts and in getting the best advice possible; especially if its for the long haul. Speaking of which, when did you begin collecting? ,!1: Soon after we were married; in small ways, very simply.

of the appeal, that and the museums.

l{-l: Your collection is magnificent. Have you worked with any art consultants or art dealers in its formation?

ir{,: That's the way to make it happen and for a collection to grow. One needs to begin slowly and to buy what you love. )


The large canvas over the bed in the master suite, reflected in the side mirror, is Symphony in White by )eremy Lipking.

"It's not just about the money or cost,

itt about the love and passion behind

the collection."

-

Bernie Spain

The center hall of the apartment displays The Realization by Robert Bender.

76


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ln the master bathroom, in the foregrou nd,is Reflections by Malcolm T. Liepke, and in the backgrou ndis Female Nude by Michael Grimaldi.

i ,,

Agreed. It's not just about the money or cost, itt about the lor.e and

passion behind the collection. We've been fbrtur-rate in that rvhen rve begar-r our collection, some of the best art u.as still

affordable and this gave us a tremendous

platfbrm or.r which to build. \7e',.ierv collecting as art itself; rvhe tl.rer bu,ving frorn art students or top g:rlleries. Itt the chase, tl.re hunt that gives us so r-nuch pleasure.

collector.

different vieu.poit.tts. That's refreshing.

not for any other reason. Joan and I both

Ar-rd',vhat is your orvn personal sryle? ;:::. Joan is a fashionista. She has amazir.rg personal style, elegance and taste. I just go alor.rg for the ride.

agrce on most everything, it's true.

constantly fifove ouf art around to gafnef

going strong.

a fresh perspective.

1',, That it isl

, , Speaking of perspective, we chose The Plaza as rve love the neighborhood. The

expose yourselves to, the greater level

well as pieces by Andre Arbus and other masters of French Art Moderne.

are irrvolved in the collection as well.

, laste runs along tl-re sarne line... ' \7e buy American figurative works as rvell as those from Cr-rbism to Pop Art. tMe

ti',. We collect Ruhlrnann furniture as

collection and the collecring process. . 'r Our trvo childlen and grandchildren also have the collecting'bug' and they

:. : \tre bought with our heart ar.rd soul,

.,, : gsLlnd5 like the honeyrnoon is still

'r

,. , The more that you see and that yor-i

of sophistication and enjoyment of the

. , , Yes, but that's tl-re mark of the true

i I ., Family collcctions are the bestcollecting becomes a group process that involves different generations and thus

:i The first piece of art that we purchased ' years ago was a pen and ink study of onions. It now hangs in our laundry room, but originally was in the living room.

location is key. ;::, Art is everl'where. We stroll in and out of galleries on weekends. And we are snap buyers. Our philosophy is if we love something ther.r it's probably better to buy now. For antique furnishings,


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Picasso's Portrait of Jacqueline proudly displayed in the living room,

A Central Park view from the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City.

beside it is a statue by Boris Lovet-Lorski.

it's Karl Kemp-we purchase a lot of things from him. Wall sconces, for

i'.i-: \ffitness the Plaza. tVhat's better, the art or the physical space?

Eric Cohler, presidenr of Eric Cohler Inc,,

jli: Sometimes both are equal and balance

holds a masteri degree

out.

in Historic Preseruation

decorative borders.

115: Directly outside our windows is living

fom the Columbia

i:{.,: So you buy from dealers with a history of quality. .{5; Exactly. It rnakes a tremendous difference.

sculpture. Itt the panoply of architecture thar's so classic Neiv York. j-rr And Central Park is an oasis. Itt our own brilliant stroke of green.

Regarding art-we both love the more extfeme. Large scale is better for us.

i:{l: Sounds like art to me. o

example, and our bedroom suite of black lacquer furniture and metal chairs rvith

-ir{": Does this present a problem? il$: Sometimes, but then we move.

Sch o o I of Architecture,

He won a Designer of the Year Au,ard in 1998, and in 2000 the D6D Building

in Neru York recognized him as one of the 26 leading daigners in the U.S. Eric has appeared on CBS Morning and Euening News and CNN Style and he is a featured designer on the Home & Garden

Netruork.

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