The Montague Collection Strategy:

Our Collection Strategy is a dynamic running list of artists we want to collect, and we are attracted to, Tracks artist that interest us, and artist whose careers we follow, we purchase what we can afford from it. Over time, we gradually work our way up financially to purchasing more expensive work. New artists are added, others taken off as our taste and collection evolves, when an artist’s work moves away from our taste, or we purchase another work with a similar look, style, or subject. Taste matures and the collection changes with it. The strategy documents movement in collection purchasing priority, the development of taste and interest over time. Our list is an opportunity, to pause, to evaluate, to spend time looking, dreaming, and considering the artist’s we have added at various stages of interest, to follow their production before we think of buying. Our pause allows us look more deeply at artwork we like, and the whole production of artist on our list. 

Unattainable artists are in it because they visually exemplify and establish the set of styles we love, forming the foundation of our taste. Our Art exemplars are artist whose artwork embodies our values and lasting preference. Next to the attainable artist they remind us of the visual elements we might  unconsciously seek in more attainable artists. A Montague collector value is to avoid collecting artwork that’s excessively derivative of another artist’s work. The reminder of unattainable art helps us remove cheap attraction, and lower cost replacements for artwork we can’t afford. Art is subjective, but the Montague uses the fair use definition for “transformative use” in copyright law: Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music to evaluate similar work, asking does it add "new expression, meaning, or message"? We look beyond unconscious preference and automatic visual interest, to ensure artwork inspires and connects to something deeper, before we buy. Differences in artwork that is influenced or inspired by another artist’s signature style but are still an original work is subtle but clear: Henri Matisse’s Red Studio vs. Andy Dixon’s Vancouver mural, or an artists work that re-appropriate’s another artist style enough to lack originality: Andy Dixon vs. John Holcomb. 

When we figure out why we like an artwork, we either desire it more or lose interest and the artist is moved Off the list. This keeps a record of where our interest was, documenting the evolution of our taste. Beyond the list we use images of prospective artist’s work as a desktop or screen saver, keep them on our phones to review them regularly. After sustained viewing an artwork, grows stale or love grows as we stare. When we’re sure we’d love to live with it everyday then we buy or commission. Occasionally, we purchase artwork by artists not on the list because we’ve learned to trust our eye, we know immediately some work is right. If the artwork is really desirable, fits the collection, we have concurrence, and the price is right, then we buy. It took time and a few mistakes to build enough trust to do this. Most of our collection we will keep forever but a few will sell when we get tired of looking at them. Relevant collections are not static.

The list below is the most dynamic page on this website, we actively purchase work from the artists listed on it. Dear Artists, if your name is at the top of our list. 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 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, Aryo Toh Djojo, Laura Ortiz Vega, Penny Byrne, KSRA,

Who is off the list:‍ ‍Mary Jane Ansell, 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