Mary Rozell’s «The Art Collector’s Handbook»
Publishing the Russian Edition of «The Art Collector's Handbook: A Guide to Collection Management and Care» by Mary Rozell.
On 8 November 2018, the Multimedia Art Museum hosted a presentation of the Russian edition of Mary Rozell's «The Art Collector's Handbook», which was published by Alpina Publisher and was supported by the .ART domain and Ulvi Kasimov, its founder, businessman and venture capitalist. «Art is the memory of humanity. It is instrumental in connecting the past and the present. Art is empowering in that it encourages you to plan your future. Ownership of art objects gives you the feeling of incredible joy, on the one hand. On the other hand, it implies a certain responsibility. Mary Rozell's book is a practical guide for anyone who is in love with art; it encompasses a great number of important aspects of collecting».
The author of the book has held the position of Global Head of UBS International Holdings' Art Collection since 2017; she also developed education programmes at Sotheby's auction house and contributed to a number of specialised publications, including The Art Newspaper. The book’s subtitle—A Guide to Collection Management and Care—underlines the practical nature of the information provided in the book.
All you have to do to get a quick understanding of the nature of this book is to place it next to Don Thompson's bestseller, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art. The two are as different as chalk and cheese. Thompson's book, with its eye-catching title and colourful cover, is all about causing a sensation; it consists of a multitude of graphic but unrelated facts. Rozell's book, however, has a serious academic tone to it due to its austere monochrome cover. By combining an art historian's and a lawyer's point of view, Rozell draws on her extensive experience of creating and managing art collections, as well as shares some real advice from leading art industry experts.
The book is divided into three main parts. At the very beginning, Rozell focuses on creating a collection and gives recommendations on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay. Afterwards, she describes the process of evaluating the created collection. In the most extensive part of the book, the author considers various aspects of exhibiting and maintaining collections in the proper condition, including insurance, delivery, preserving and exhibiting issues and so on. In the conclusion, Rozell also explains what to do if you decide to part with your collection or with some of its elements.
Rozell's book has an undeniable strength: it helps both beginners and expert collectors systematise their knowledge and experience, mitigate the risks and avoid the most common mistakes.