The Montague Collection Strategy:

Our Personal Collection Strategy is a running list of artists we want to collect, or whose work looks interesting to us. We follow the artists on our list as their careers progress. We purchase what we can afford, when we can afford to. Over time we gradually work our way up financially to purchasing more expensive work. Our list is dynamic, as new artists are added, also taken off as our taste, and the collection changes over time. An artist’s work often moves away from our interests, or we purchase another work that has a similar look or feel. Our taste is maturing, the strategy documents the movement and development of interest over time. The list gives us an opportunity, to pause, to spend time considering, thinking about the artist, considering their career, portfolio before we attempt to buy. The pause allows us look deeply at the pieces we like and at the whole production by artist on our list.

It may seem impractical but it’s important to keep unattainable artists in the Strategy, because that establishes a set of styles that are a visual preference for us. Setting art exemplars, artist whose work embodies our values and taste, reminding us of the visual elements we might be seeking when looking at the work of more attainable artists. A collector value of ours is to not collect artwork that is excessively derivative of another artist’s work. Reminding yourself of a work that is unattainable, can help weed out things you might only be interested in because you wanting a low cost replacement for something that you cannot afford. There are subtle but very clear differences in artwork that is influenced or inspired by another artist style but is still an original work for example compare: Henri Matisse’s Red Studio, and Andy Dixon’s Vancouver mural. Then there is work that is actively re-appropriating another artist style entirely and has nothing original about it, see: Andy Dixon vs. John Holcomb. We try whenever possible to go beyond unconscious preference or automatic visual interest and to make sure that an artwork inspires something deeper in us.

Sometimes, when we figure out why we like an artwork it makes us want it more, other times it makes us lose interest then we move the artist to the Off the list section so we can still keep a record of where our interest was. We also keep images artist’s work we like best on our phones, using them as a desktop or screen saver. When we need something to look at, we go through them. Often, we look at pictures of a work, then get sick of them quickly. However, for some artwork no matter how long and how many times we see it, we love it more we know then that we would love to live with it. We also occasionally purchase artwork by artists not on the list (probably once every two years). We just see things and immediately know we want it. When the work really is desirable, it fits the collection, we all agree it’s great, and the price happens to be right, we buy it. We have found that it takes time and a few mistakes to build enough trust in yourself to have the freedom to do this. There are things we will own forever and other things that we will probably sell when we are tired of looking at them. Collections that are relevant are not static…

The list below is the most dynamic page on this website, as we actively purchase work from the artists listed on it. Dear Artists if you see your name at the top of our list and you have not heard from us. Feel free to reach out, we are looking at you!

Please note: There are some artists listed below that we would need to millionaires to purchase, but we can dream right?

The list

Still just staring at: Margaret Lau, Kristy Moreno, April Kamunde, Jocelyn Hobbie, Alexis Ralaivao, Emma Steinkraus, Stephanie Rew, Bond Truluv, Marta Penter, Jillian Evelyn, Paola Ciarska, Sali Muller Projects, Alex Kiessling, Megan Ellen Macdonald, Kamohelo Blessing Rooi, Phillip Singer, Shannon Taylor , Nick Thomm, Yoichi Nishikawa, Dirk Staschke, Laurie Lee Brom, Hanako O'Leary, Shannon Taylor, Anna Park, Ema Shin, & Penny Byrne

Who is off the list: Marion Peck, Linnea Strid, Ben Frost, Brandi Milne, Soasig Chamaillard, Camilla d’Errico, Audrey Kawasaki, Juan Francisco Casas, Tara McPherson,Hilary Pecis, & Casey Gray, Shyama Golden, Roxy Peroxyde-Roxanne Sauriol Hauenherm, Amber Cowan, Messy Desks a.k.a. Jane Lee, Daria Aksenova, Felipe Pantone, Gabriel Sanchez, & Marina Dieul