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The Art of the Rubell Family Collection Miami

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The Art of the Rubell Family Collection Miami http://onforb.es/1ZTpXgL Tom Teicholz Contributor I write about culture and the cult of luxury Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. LIFESTYLE 1/27/2016 @ 3:29PM 365 views The Art of the Rubell Family Collection Miami The Rubell Family Collection (RFC) in Miami, housed in a former DEA warehouse, is remarkable in many respects. First and foremost, as it name advertises, it is the collection of one family, Donald and Mera Rubell and their two adult children Jason and Jennifer collected over the last half century, that continues to grow with the involvement of the next generation (one of whom is an artist herself). The Rubells were also instrumental in Art Basel deciding to hold its American event in Miami — which cemented Miami’s status as an art destination. As a collector driven institution they face many of the potential conflicts of interest inherent in exhibiting work they own and lending it to other art institutions. Yet they have also made accessible their 40,000 volume library accessible as well as being the anchor for the now very hip Wynwood Design District. The Rubells started collecting art shortly after marrying in the 1960s. Donald was a Doctor whose brother Steve Rubell was the co-founder and co-owner of Studio 54. This brought the Rubells into the orbit of many of the young artists who were part of the Studio 54 zeitgeist, including Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Cindy Sherman. As the years went on, they continued to collect those artists that interested them, at one point purchasing one artwork a week for several decades. In 1993 the Rubells relocated to Miami. In 1994, the Rubells along with their son Jason founded the Contemporary Arts Foundation (CAF) to, in the words of their website, “expand the RFC’s public mission.” Each year the RFC organizes a large exhibition from its collection along with an accompanying catalogue. At the same time, past exhibitions are sent on tour to other museums around the world, and the RFC makes frequent loans. The current exhibition at the RFC is “No Man’s Land: Women Artists from the Rubell Collection,” which is on exhibit through May 28 and features more than 100 female artists “of different generations, cultures and disciplines.” It is a ethnically and racially diverse group of women working in every possible medium. Among the artists included are works by Jenny Holzer, Celia Paul, Katharina Fritsch, Sonia Gomes, Rosemarie Trockel, Katherine Bernhardt, and Laura Owens. The show includes paintings, sculptures and video installations filling the entire 45,000 square foot museum. However, not all the artists are shown at the same time, but rather different artists will be exhibited at different times. For the most part, the works, in all their variety do not shout that they are made by women such as Cady Noland’s installation of a room of Budweiser beer cans. Yet, knowing that they are by women one, rightly or wrongly, can infer a female perspective, whether it be in Katherine Bernhardt’s paintings inspired by Nicki Minaj (“Crazy Hair”), or Solange Pessoa’s coil of human hair(“Catedral”), in the number of textile-based works; or in such works as Jennifer Rubell’s Lysa series in which a Barbie dollish life-sized mannequin has been transformed to function as a working nutcracker (with walnuts provided for visitors to crack). I will confess that I wish that what was on exhibit when I visited in late December was better curated and I found more of the work engaging – but that may just be me or may speak to issue of women artists in a hierarchical male society and in the art-auction-museum-gallery complex. Even so, I would have preferred more work from artists in the show such as Catherine Opie, Cindy Sherman, Lisa Yuskavage; as well as work from artists that I wish were included (but that I do not know if the Rubells collect) such as: Jennifer Bartlett, Louisa Chase, Noa Eshkol, Judy Fiskin, Barbara Friedman, April Gornick, Lauren Grenfield, Elizabeth Murray, Orit Raff, Susan Rothenberg, Frances Stark, and Joni Wehrli. Still, given that women are so often underrepresented in Museum and gallery exhibitions, and given that the Rubells are the patrons to so many young artists and women artists, it is worth seeing the show. In this light, being disappointed in the work is a luxury that can only happen once an artist’s work is seen; and we have the Rubell Family Collection to thank for that. RECOMMENDED BY FORBES 25 Great Places To Follow Your Passions In Retirement Relax, Fans: 'Batman V Superman' Won't Flop, Despite Rumors The Richest Person In Every State 10 Questions You Should Ask In A Job Interview This article is available online at: http://onforb.es/1ZTpXgL 2016 Forbes.com LLC™ All Rights Reserved.
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