Nellee Hooper – The eye of a child collector
Excerpt from “A Kid Could Do That!”, an extensive publication prepared by Galerie Gmurzynska on the occasion of the large-scale eponymous exhibition project at Art Basel Miami Beach 2014, conceived with Hollywood luminaries Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Excerpt from “A Kid Could Do That!”, an extensive publication prepared by Galerie Gmurzynska on the occasion of the large-scale eponymous exhibition project at Art Basel Miami Beach 2014, conceived with Hollywood luminaries Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.
<strong>Nellee</strong> <strong>Hooper</strong><br />
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<strong>Nellee</strong> <strong>Hooper</strong><br />
The <strong>eye</strong> <strong>of</strong> a <strong>child</strong> <strong>collector</strong>.<br />
The collection <strong>of</strong> historic works on display here are to open the<br />
question: Are you born with an <strong>eye</strong> for a certain style? If so, does<br />
that leave you when you are influenced to “Learn” about art and<br />
what is “Important”?<br />
I regularly go to galleries, museums and art fairs with my 8 year old<br />
daughter and find we are quite <strong>of</strong>ten drawn to the same works.<br />
Is it possible that books on collecting and the opinion <strong>of</strong> art advisors<br />
sterilise the brain <strong>of</strong> a potential <strong>collector</strong> or young artist? Thus<br />
creating a sheep mentality keeping the pure love and natural enjoyment<br />
hidden away.<br />
Almost all artists, however sophisticated or technical, have a period<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>child</strong>ish, irreverent, sexual or fun in their work outside <strong>of</strong> their<br />
usual style. I wonder if it’s a form <strong>of</strong> regression back to <strong>child</strong>hood<br />
and the innocent <strong>eye</strong> coming through? An example <strong>of</strong> this could be<br />
Henri Matisse, and his Cut Outs, who when restricted by illness and<br />
old age, began creating for pure enjoyment again.<br />
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EDITORS<br />
Krystyna Gmurzynska<br />
Mathias Rastorfer<br />
Isabelle Bscher<br />
Mitchell Anderson<br />
COORDINATION<br />
Alessandra Consonni<br />
SPECIAL THANKS TO<br />
National Library <strong>of</strong> Australia<br />
Estate <strong>of</strong> Léonide Massine<br />
Thomas Ambrose<br />
Silvana Azzi Heras<br />
Paul Watters<br />
Galerie Downtown Paris<br />
SUPPORT<br />
Jeannette Weiss, Daniel Horn<br />
PRINTED BY<br />
Grafiche Step, Parma, Italy<br />
ISBN<br />
3-905792-23-0<br />
978-3-905792-23-2<br />
© Galerie Gmurzynska, December 2014<br />
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