22 november 2021, Oscar van Gelderen
Ask an art collector... Rudy Morren
What do art lovers like? Where do they buy their art and, most importantly, what do they buy? Every Monday an enthusiast tells about his love for art in this section. In this episode it’s author Rudy Morren (58).
What does art mean to you?
Being captivated by art. Unexpectedly, at first sight, flat against the canvas. Or let yourself gradually be overpowered and feel the resistance voluntarily flow away, only to finally surrender to it completely. I don't care how it happens to me. The ultimate experience is the same: it probably sounds crazy, but it feels like coming home to a strange place and feeling good right away.
Were you exposed to art while growing up?
In my parents' living room hung the proverbial 'Gypsy boy with the big tear' and that must have been about it. Art had no place in their world. It is through the mutual pollination of both teachers and actors-to-be that the void was filled. My good friend Michaël Pas took me to the De Zwarte Panter gallery. There I also bought my first screen print: 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' by Fred Bervoets.
Where do you read about the latest developments in the art world?
I don't subscribe to an art magazine, but I do read the newspaper every day and take in what's on offer. Thanks to the corona pandemic, I discovered the online art world. What a wealth! What an offer!
Where do you prefer to look at art?
I have never been struck by lightning while looking at art online. For that you need the one-on-one experience.
How often do you buy art each year?
There is no fixed pattern or lapse of time to buy something. Unique works are of course nice to have, but the advantage of editioned work is that it is in principle more affordable.
Where do you do your buying: in a gallery, at an art fair, at an auction or online?
In a gallery you have certainty about the origin and quality of the work. You can sometimes get a bargain at an auction, but you have to be careful not to get carried away by the bidding game only to return home with an overpriced artwork.
Is it important that you and your partner always agree on a purchase?
Every disadvantage has its advantage: I am single and do not have to consult. But I can imagine that a partner would sometimes look dubious about the umpteenth purchase.
Do you have a special relationship with any one gallery?
Years ago I regularly visited the De Zwarte Panter gallery. After that I visited the Graphic Matter gallery of Peter Ruyffelaere, who is now the publisher of the publishing house Ludion, which he founded, and markets beautiful art books there. He has placed his expertise – especially with regard to the graphic work of Luc Tuymans – in the capable hands of Bart van Acker and Gert Junes, the founders of the Art Partout gallery.
If you had an unlimited budget, whose work would you buy?
It doesn't have to be a huge budget at all. You can find a work by Bram Bogart for a few thousand euros. I am talking about his later work, the monochromatic planes.
Who are your favourite artists?
Luc Tuymans: hypnotically powerful.
Bram Bogart: the colour and composition that explodes in your face.
Ilse D'Hollander's work looks very fragile, but the electricity shimmers from the canvas.
