From Pre-Columbian to Contemporary Art. A conversation with Fernando López

Fernando López. Photo Mariano Costa Peuser.

By Paco Barragán

Paco Barragán.- You have been collecting for more than 20 years now. How did it all start? I suppose you also collected when you were a child, no?

Fernando López - Yes. Actually since the time I was a young boy, I have been an incurable collector. The first thing I ever collected were key rings and matchboxes. I had two uncles who were art collectors, and as a boy I was always fascinated by what they had in their homes. They really inspired my passion for art and design. Once I started my first job in advertising, I began to collect contemporary Colombian art.

P.B.- So you worked for some years in marketing and advertising. I see that you also worked for the Women’s World Bank enabling the access to micro-credits for women in regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America. What was that experience like?

F.L.- This was a very powerful experience as it really opened my eyes to the Third World, especially to the condition of and huge potential power for women in these societies. These women against all odds and with very little were able to have a dramatic impact on the lives of their families and communities in terms of nutrition, health, and education. Even more important, I learned that you didn’t have to be George Soros or Bill Gates to have a major impact on the lives of those less fortunate.

P.B.- On occasion I hear from people from cinema, music, and sports that they are surprised about the lack of philanthropy from the (visual) arts world? For example, we see David Beckham, Eva Longoria, and many others working for UNICEF and other foundations, but we hardly see Jeff Koons or Damian Hirst. Is the art world not generous?

F.L.- First, I agree with you. Art in the last years has become almost like another luxury commodity, and millions of dollars are being made by artists, galleries, and auction houses, but it feels like not enough of that is flowing back to the communities in need. In Colombia we have to face a very hard reality of violence brewing in underprivileged communities. Yet we know when children have an opportunity to be exposed through education, and specifically art, to worlds they cannot imagine, the propensity towards violence decreases. For example, Oscar Muñoz has done something really quite wonderful in Cali, Colombia. He created an art center called Lugar A Dudas; this would translate roughly into Place of Doubt. It’s a space open to anyone for free to view contemporary art and how it reflects on its social context.

P.B.-You’re dealer in Pre-Columbian art and Spanish Colonial art from the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th centuries. But your first steps in the art world were related to the European Antiquities that you started to import from England to Colombia (from vases, to chairs, tables, drawers, etc.). How did you get into that quite specialized area?

F.L.- You are correct…. European antiques was where I got my start but I really felt I wanted to do something more connected with my history.

Vargas-Suárez Universal, Space Station: Terra II, 2004, oil on wood, 80” x 108.” Photo courtesy of the artist.

P.B.-Any interesting anecdote you want to share with us from that particular period?

F.L.- I will tell you this: When you meet collectors, you tend to meet the most interesting and eccentric people in the most unexpected places in the world. I remember a very old German engineer, a really amazing character, who had a large and impressive pre-Columbian gold collection, which he had put together while working for multinationals in South America in the 60s and 70s. Unfortunately, it turned out they were pretty much all fakes, which he died without knowing.

P.B.- Can you explain what exactly Spanish Colonial art is?

F.L.- Spanish Colonial art is a broad category that includes all the furniture, paintings, silver, tapestries, and even religious objects that were created in the colonies of Spain from the 16^th century through the 18^th. It is interesting as finally Spain is acknowledging this legacy and its contribution to the world. Recently, the Prado Museum in Madrid held a fascinating major exhibition of Spanish Colonial paintings. It was titled “Identidades Compartidas: Pinturas De Los Reinos.”

P.B.- You started to collect contemporary art at the age of 27, more or less, while you were working as a professional in marketing and advertising. You lived in Colombia, and you collected Colombian art. I see here a piece by Caballero. Can you tell us about that period and the artists you collected?

F.L.- Well, I really became much more serious about collecting contemporary art when I met my partner Marshall some years later. We both shared a strong passion for art. In the beginning we focused on Colombian art of the late 20^th century as I had a great deal of knowledge in that area and we felt more confident. Some the first artists we added included Caballero, Carlos Rojas, and Omar Rayo.

Kristin Baker, Uncomposed Ingemination, 2009, 26” x 40.” Photo Mariano Costa-Peuser.

P.B.- And gradually you moved to collecting Latin American art: Vik Muñiz, Vargas Suárez-Universal, Teresita Fernández…

F.L.- That is correct. We started going to galleries whenever we traveled, and to the major art fairs as well. As we learned more and our taste began to develop, we wanted to branch out, be more adventurous. It was more of a coincidence than a conscious choice, but as we began to look at contemporary art, we always seemed to gravitate naturally towards the work of Latin American artists. I remember a point when we had never collected photography and we were considering photographs of the German school, yet in the end the first photograph we ever purchased was by Vik Muñiz.

P.B.- And finally you collect international art: Kristin Baker, Gary Webb, Ryan McGinness, Gavin Perry… I guess this is a logical move for many collectors, and especially Latin American collectors. Moving to Miami also encouraged that shift in your collection?

F.L.- Hahaha! Marshall was the one who started pushing for that, not to be so much on one channel. It is sort of a natural growth, I think, for many Latin American collectors. At first you collect what you know well, and then as you learn more you want to see what other artists in different social contexts are creating at the same time. Perhaps this is also part of the impact of the globalization of everything, including the art world.

P.B.- There is a clear interest in abstraction in your collection, be it hard-edge or more romantic abstraction. Do you agree with that?

F.L.- Absolutely. We both love abstraction in many forms, whether minimal, op-art, or romantic, as you say.

P.B.- Does this interest in non-representational contemporary art emerge as a balance of your interest in Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial art, which are logically figurative?

F.L.- Well, of course, Pre-Columbian art is figurative, but many cultures really abstracted the human form. One of our favorite cultures is the Valdivia. This is one of the oldest cultures, and a Valdivia stone is probably the most pure abstraction of the human form. If you didn’t know, you might think it could be contemporary. Picasso, for example, was highly influenced by both African and Pre-Columbian art. From the beginning, humans have made art and tried to represent themselves and their lives. We love the continuity and the contrast of art from many centuries ago with contemporary art of today.

Gavin Perry, Untitled, 2003, 50” x 82.” Photo Mariano Costa-Peuser.

P.B.- Let me put it differently: how does your interest in Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial art inform your interest in contemporary art?

F.L.- I would say you cannot separate the past from the present. For me it is chain from my past to my present.

P.B.- Where do you usually buy?

F.L.- Not one particular or usual place. We buy from galleries, art fairs, and auctions around the world.

P.B.- These years have been characterized by the boom of art fairs, and Miami  is known especially for Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) and the many parallel art fairs like Pulse, Nada, Scope, etc. What has done ABMB for a city as Miami?

F.L.- ABMB completely changed the city and continually changes the city. What’s amazing about Art Basel Miami Beach is the press focuses on all the super-rich and how many private planes have landed at the Miami Airport. But go to the fair towards the end of the week or weekend. You will see families and children walking the fair who perhaps would never have a chance to see or be inspired by all this great art.

P.B.- Some people argue, myself among them, that Miami outside ABMB is very low profile. Do you agree? And in this sense do you think there should be other initiatives, like a Miami Biennial?

F.L.- Miami is a developing city of the 21^st century and is getting better and better every year. We have very important collectors and private museums. The MOCA in North Miami Beach is expanding, and we hope the MAM is going to move to an amazing Herzog and De Meuron building. Miami is building its own identity. A biennial would certainly be a welcome addition.

P.B.- Any recommendation you have for young professionals who want to start collecting contemporary art?

F.L.- Read everything you can get your hands on, especially contemporary art magazines like Art Forum or Art Nexus to get a sense of what is going on. Go to fairs, good galleries, museum exhibitions, and retrospectives. Ask questions and seek advice from everyone you meet. It’s a never-ending process, and that’s what makes it interesting and fun.

Paco Barragán is an independent curator and art critic based in Madrid. He is curatorial advisor to the Artist Pension Trust (APT), New York and associate editor of ARTPULSE.