Crediting his artist friends as the ones who introduced him to the world of collecting, Gregory Vinitsky also found himself being inspired by other collectors along the way.

“I started collecting art in the 1970s. Some of my friends were artists and they gave me pieces of their work that I liked. I was always a passionate collector, and adore people with artistic talent. When I was a young man, I could only afford graphic prints and sometimes small paintings. Now that I’m not so young, I understand that I was lucky to have my artist friends, who gave me the initial spell to be a collector.

At the end of 1980s. I met the legendary American collector, professor Norton T. Dodge, who started collecting Russian nonconformist art in 1950s. His influence our mutual interest and friendship helped me to concentrate my collection on Russian nonconformists – art of unofficial artists in a totalitarian autocratic state, where only the official socialist realism was allowed. This was part of the ruling communist ideology at that time. Many of the unofficial artists became famous after the fall of communism.

I started collecting American and German Abstract Expressionism in 1994 when I moved from Washington DC to New York City.

Many of my favorite paintings are hanging on the walls of our home. Sometimes I change them around so I can see the other works. I hope that one day I will be able to exhibit them in a large public place.”