*CGNSeptDec2011_23232 CGN AprAug2010 8/22/11 2:58 PM Page 20
Collector Conversations: Jane + Don Hunt Jane and Don Hunt have been passionate about collecting work by living Chicago artists since 1991. I wanted to see their collection for myself, and also experience their 15th floor apartment in the classic Mies van der Rohe building at 860 N. Lake Shore Drive, overlooking Lake Michigan. - GV One spring afternoon Don and Jane cheerfully welcomed me at their front door, and we began my tour at the crossroads between Don’s office and the second bedroom with two long, thin abstract paintings by Betty Cleeland, featuring uniform rounds of white, blues, and grays. Her work explores patterns in spatial precepts with geometrical and colorful shapes playing a major role. Don explained, “This is Betty’s corner. The moment we saw her exhibition, we were drawn to this vibrant work illustrating the different look of a city during the day and then during the night.” Just the day before I had enjoyed brunch with Betty, and here I was delighted to find her art visualizations thoughtfully installed in someone’s home.
One artist in particular, William Conger, whom the Hunts commissioned, took the spirit of the apartment, its architect, and a great Chicago writer to heart. Conger painted To the East were Moving Waters . . . for the living room wall, which faces Lake Michigan. While visiting the Hunts’ apartment, the artist sat on the sofa and quoted the first line of John Fraser’s shirt collar series in the Hunts’ North Lake Shore Drive entryway Nelson Algren’s 1951 book, Chicago: City on the Make: “To the east were the moving waters the field of grass that has recaptured the foundation of a structure just visible behind the as far as eye could follow.” Later Conger riot of color. interpreted that famous line as, “There’s the marvelous clutter of the city with its wild Don and Jane enjoy meeting and learning aspirations and energy, and the lake with its order and timelessness. People go to the lake about their artists personally. They invite the artist, and his or her spouse or partner, to to see what forever is like, while the city is their home for dinner and have a “hanging right now.” The painting is a window and party” with the new work. The artist then symbol of the city and the lake. Don added, sees that the art has a good home and they “When you commission a work, you don’t have an opportunity to talk more about the control the artist and tell them what to do. piece. The Hunts want to support artists in You trust them.” their careers, and their focus on collecting Don and Jane invite contemporary Chicago artists gives them a boundary – one they try not to stray from. the artist, and their spouse
In addition to “Betty’s Corner” the Hunts have several clever, personal groupings of artists throughout their apartment. They jointly remarked that they used to be more “Miesian” in their lifestyle, but over time they have happily added more and more art. They moved to 860 N. Lake Shore Drive from suburban Hinsdale and, with the help of architect Jim DeStephano (who studied under Mies), combined two units, preserving the inherent or partner, to their home symmetry of this classic steel and glass tower. for dinner and have a Jane commented, “Mies designed his spaces “hanging party” with the idea that walls are for art, not for furniture, so we have followed that idea as well.” In the family room, another large scale painting, New Grass, Number 3, this one by Vera Klement, graces the west wall. Born in Danzig, Poland, Klement and her family immigrated to the United States, barely escaping the Holocaust. Her stunning work of vibrantly layered greens and yellows, applied stroke by stroke with a palette knife, draws you into William Conger’s commission for the Hunts faces east, reflecting the cool afternoon light off of Lake Michigan
18
The Hunts have built many relationships since they began collecting, but the most notable dealer relationship is with Ann and Roy Boyd of Roy Boyd Gallery. Neither Don or Jane came from art collecting families, and neither one has an art background. Don elaborates, “Ann Boyd was our son’s first grade teacher, and one of our first purchases was from the Boyds. When they invited us to their home after we moved into the city, we saw that everything was art – from the coffee table, to the sculpture, to the artwork on the walls. We envisioned our new Chicago home would be one where we too would have a living space where everywhere you looked was art. We also learned from the Boyds to move art around because it becomes ‘new’ with every move. We want to make art the star.” Through the Boyds, the Hunts found artist John Fraser, perhaps the signature artist of their collection. Fraser’s work is unmistakably important to Don and Jane; his work is found in many variations throughout the
*CGNSeptDec2011_23232 CGN AprAug2010 8/22/11 2:58 PM Page 21
apartment – from collars, to wood and steel, to works on paper. And, of course has his own corner. Fraser is considered a Minimalist, but also a romantic who wants the viewer to feel and reflect on his creations. His own father was a shirt maker, and he took some of the lessons and old world craft he learned as an observant child into the context for his collar works. Fraser’s collars are found in multiple installations in the apartment - filling a large section of wall, as well as installed in a series of angular metal boxes. Don joked, “We like to think of these collars as bankers’ collars. The sharper the point on the collar, the higher up the ladder, and the less likelihood of the banker nodding ‘yes.’”
Jane and Don buy art as a couple. “The shared experience and decision together is part of the fun.” Jane and Don buy art as a couple. Regarding the few pieces they have bought independently, “those pieces have been passed on to our children or eliminated,” adds Jane. It’s not because one person dislikes a piece selected by the other, but independent purchases don’t encompass the shared experi-
ence and mutual decision, which is part of the fun. The Hunts explain that they don’t collect for investment. “If a piece goes up in value, that’s great, but we’re not keeping track, and we don’t buy for that reason,” says Don while showing me a pair of wooden sphere sculptures on the floor created by John Fraser. Don admits there have been several instances when they started out insisting, “We Jane and Don in ‘Fraser’s Corner’ are not buying anything,” only exception to the Hunts’ joint purchasing to end up with a wonderful selection. plan, as Don commissioned Fraser to make “We don’t labor over a purchase. If we are not instantly taken, then we move on.” Jane the piece as a 35th wedding anniversary finishes Don’s thought: “We don’t really have gift for Jane. to think about it, unless it’s a size issue, and after a while, you just figure out how to make it fit.” Don and Jane show me a final small piece by Fraser in a prominent spot in their family room. Characteristically meticulous, Fraser crafted a long, slim holder with two wooden heart insets, placed tip to tip. The hearts are a symmetrical bowtie shape when placed together, and each piece fits exactly on both sides of the holder. Here is one notable
artful networks
The Hunts’ north living room. View of works by Sarah Krepp, John Fraser, Betty Cleeland, and Vera Klement.
connect with artists in your neighborhood and all over the city
City of Chicago Rahm Emanuel, Mayor Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
19