Independent Collectors

Steve Shane

Manhattan-based collector Steve Shane is completely in love with art.

JEFF BURTON, Untitled (Swim Trunks), 2000
JEFF BURTON, Untitled (Swim Trunks), 2000

Manhattan-based collector Steve Shane is completely in love with art. Fuelled by a passion for collecting what he admires, Shane has gone on to collect over 1 000 pieces of contemporary art including sculpture, painting, drawings, photography, and prints. Covering almost every wall and surface in his home, the collection mirrors his unpretentious attitude to buying and living with art.

IC

You have often said that a collector should “have fun with art” – why do you find this so important to ones relationship with art?

STEVE SHANE

Art keeps one young. Art also heals. Looking at art, talking about art, reading about art, watching artist documentaries, going to art fairs and museums, discovering art, showing my art collection are my reasons for being alive. It is my passion. It makes me smile. I am very serious about art, but at the same time I like to learn from art and have fun with it. The last excellent documentaries I saw and loved were on Eva Hesse, Elizabeth Murray, Carmen Herrera, and David Hockney. So uplifting.

IC

The walls in your home are completely covered with art from many decades and many different mediums. Is there a process behind hanging the works?

STEVE SHANE

I am completely out of room to hang any more art! I donate art yearly to make room for more. I like to live with art and not put art in storage. I studied art history at the University of Michigan – I consider myself an art historian, more so than a collector – and when I first came to NYC, after studying art history when I was eighteen years old, I found myself buying reproduction posters and hanging them “Paris salon style” in my apartments of my college years. I intuitively needed to live with art, starting when I was still a teenager.

IC

How does living with art influence your life on a day-to-day basis?

STEVE SHANE

Artists teach me how to “see”, and they teach me how to really see the world. An example of this is the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher – I feel I can transfer the artists’ vision into my own mind. The art I live with inspires me to really live life. I have become friends with many of the artists in my collection and gazing upon their work in my home makes me smile!

IC

What type of art really catches your attention?

STEVE SHANE

Artists that I have never heard of before, from a gallery that I never visited before. I am very progressive and I am constantly looking for the new. I like meeting new art dealers and like art that repulses me whilst at the same time seduces me, and especially excites me. Art that refers to or comments on art history. Also art that makes me laugh. Strong color attracts me. One of the best works of art I have seen lately is the multi-screen film installation written, produced and directed by the genius Julian Rosefeldt, called “Manifesto” and features Cate Blanchett. This really moved me – I will never forget it! A true masterpiece.

Looking at art, talking about art, reading about art, watching artist documentaries, going to art fairs and museums, discovering art, showing my art collection are my reasons for being alive.

STEVE SHANE

BERND AND HILLA BECHER, Anonymous Sculptures (Gas Tanks), 1973
BERND AND HILLA BECHER, Anonymous Sculptures (Gas Tanks), 1973
THOMAS RUFF, Portrait (Johan Roing), 1988
THOMAS RUFF, Portrait (Johan Roing), 1988
ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, SKULL, 1988
ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, SKULL, 1988
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, Bette Midler, (NYC) 1979
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, Bette Midler, (NYC) 1979
DANA SCHUTZ, Untitled (portrait), 2003
DANA SCHUTZ, Untitled (portrait), 2003
BRIAN BELOTT, G-mo, 2015
BRIAN BELOTT, G-mo, 2015
CINDY SHERMAN, Untitled #129, 1983
CINDY SHERMAN, Untitled #129, 1983
SARAH CHARLESWORTH, White T-Shirt (Objects of Desire series), 1983-1984
SARAH CHARLESWORTH, White T-Shirt (Objects of Desire series), 1983-1984
JOHN WATERS, Manson Copies Divine''s Hairdo, 1993
JOHN WATERS, Manson Copies Divine''s Hairdo, 1993
CHRIS OFILI, Untitled, 1999
CHRIS OFILI, Untitled, 1999

IC

How long have you been collecting?

STEVE SHANE

I started out when I was nineteen years old by advising my parents to purchase fine prints by artists that I learned about in art history class at the University of Michigan. Artists like Karel Appel, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarely, and Alexander Calder. My first piece I bought was a “cut-out” by Alex Katz that I bought from my friend Susanne Hilberry in Birmingham, Michigan when I was twenty-five years old. She sadly passed away in 2015. I cherish my friendships with art dealers.

IC

Do you have a favorite piece from the collection?

STEVE SHANE

My favorite piece is always changing, because it’s always the latest work I acquired. I am so excited by every acquisition and I cannot wait to receive them and hang them. Installing the work fast is very important to me. The latest acquisitions are Michael Berryhill and Christian Tedeschi. That being said, I especially treasure my Andy Warhol of Diana Ross (a gift to me from my parents), my Jean Dubuffet, and my Roy Lichtenstein.

ANDY WARHOL, Diana Ross, 1981
ANDY WARHOL, Diana Ross, 1981
MICHAEL BERRYHILL, Pipe, Organ, Player, 2016
MICHAEL BERRYHILL, Pipe, Organ, Player, 2016
CHRISTIAN TEDESCHI, Mirror, 2008
CHRISTIAN TEDESCHI, Mirror, 2008
JEAN DUBUFFET, Les Defricheurs, 1953
JEAN DUBUFFET, Les Defricheurs, 1953
ROY LICHTENSTEIN, Modern Art Poster, 1967
ROY LICHTENSTEIN, Modern Art Poster, 1967

IC

Do you have any recurring themes running through your collection?

STEVE SHANE

Yes “Seduction Meets Repulsion”, “Sense of Humor”, ”Art About Art (art history), “Photography of Invention”, “Down and dirty painting” (the paint brush in all its glory), “Painting without Paint”, “Dysfunctional family”, “Bad Boy Bad Girl”, “Here’s looking at you” (eyes staring at the audience),”Process”, “Celebrity”, “Sense of Place” to name a few.

IC

How do you stay up-to-date with artists?

STEVE SHANE

I am continuously being invited to artists’ studios and I go to art galleries, art fairs, museums, lectures all the time. Facebook is also a great way to keep up with artists. Facebook for me is all about art – you won’t see a photo of the last hamburger I ate on my timeline! Also, I keep up to date via the emails I receive from galleries and artists. Another great way is by reading art magazines.

IC

I read that you prefer to be called an “Art Lover” rather than an art collector. What is the difference for you?

STEVE SHANE

Nowadays, anyone with a wallet can be a “collector.” There are all sorts of collectors out there. I truly love art and art history and I do not use an art advisor – my collection is a side effect of my passion. My collection is also about my art adventures and I find myself through my collection.

I also love to have art salons in my home, where I invite small groups of people to come see and talk about my collection. I feel I am channeling Gertrude Stein! I also enjoy having classes from art schools come over as field trips to see my collection. This is very fulfilling for me. Tip: wear comfortable shoes!

What’s important about Steve’s collecting practice is that he is one of the collectors who really takes risks on the unknowns. The “blue-chip” artists in his collection were all purchased long before they became household names and, for a fair like VOLTA which is about discovery, collectors like Steve are so incredibly important. It’s easy to buy an established artists (expensive, perhaps, but not risky!) but Steve really collects with an intense passion and enthusiasm that is born from love and commitment. His generosity of spirit is amazing, in how he donates work regularly once his home is too full, as he strongly believes art should be lived with and enjoyed.

AMANDA COULSON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF VOLTA, SPEAKING ABOUT STEVE SHANE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS APPROACH TO COLLECTING.

HARTMUT STOCKTER, Pavement Sparrows, 2013
HARTMUT STOCKTER, Pavement Sparrows, 2013
BEN GODWARD, 1 Pound of Premium Art Cut Fresh, 2015
BEN GODWARD, 1 Pound of Premium Art Cut Fresh, 2015
Steve’s parents, Sonia and Frank, living with works by MARC CHAGALL and ALEXANDER CALDER
Steve’s parents, Sonia and Frank, living with works by MARC CHAGALL and ALEXANDER CALDER
ERIKA KECK, Untitled, 2011
ERIKA KECK, Untitled, 2011
MANFRED PECKL, Punta Vista, 2005
MANFRED PECKL, Punta Vista, 2005
KATHERINE BERNHARDT, Liz Taylor, 2002
KATHERINE BERNHARDT, Liz Taylor, 2002
CARL D ALVIA, Bradypus, 2008
CARL D ALVIA, Bradypus, 2008
JEFF BURTON, Untitled (Swim Trunks), 2000
JEFF BURTON, Untitled (Swim Trunks), 2000
YEVGENIYA BARAS, Untitled, 2016
YEVGENIYA BARAS, Untitled, 2016

USA (55)

West Collection

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Valeria Napoleone

The Italian-born collector actively seeks out under­represented positions and therefore only acquires works by women artists.

Christine and Andrew Hall

Interview with the collectors behind Hall Art Foundation

Gary Yeh

IC talks to Gary Yeh.

de la Cruz Collection

Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, the co-founders of the renowned collection that bears their name, are always quick to highlight the importance of education when discussing the role the De La Cruz Collection plays in the Miami community.

The Broad Collection

Walking down the Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, right by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), you can’t help but be struck by the angular construction of The Broad and its bright white honeycomb exterior.

Marciano Art Foundation

Maurice and Paul Marciano, founders of the GUESS jeans brand, in their five-thousand-square-meter exhibition space

The Mallin Collection

Nestled on 15 acres in the scenic town of Pound Ridge, New York, Buckhorn Sculpture Park features gardens, woodlands, a lake and an orchard.

Transformer Station

Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell’s transformation of an electrical power station in Cleveland

The Goss-Michael Foundation

A place that grew out of a romantic connection between Kenny Goss and the late pop music legend, George Michael

Franks-Suss Collection

Initially focused on China, collectors Simon Franks and Robert Suss soon widened their purview

Mera & Donald Rubell

Five quick questions, five short answers by the famous couple behind the Rubell Family Collection

Thoma Foundation

Two intimate art spaces in Chicago and Santa Fe encourage dialogue between work and viewer

Martin Margulies

Interview with the collector behind the Margulies Collection

Seth Stolbun

The Houston native collector almost exclusively acquires works from artists that he has a personal relationship with

The Donum Collection

Wine tasting and Crouching Spider by Louise Bourgeois

March 8th 2022

The Stolbun Collection presents “March 8th 2022”, likely the only exhibition at Ferndale–Seth Stolbun’s rental home, as captured by his iPhone

Rubell Family Collection

Curator Joey Lico teams up with artist Alexis Diaz to visit the mighty Rubell Museum in Miami

Saint Georgina Slays The Dragon

A new collection on IC, see inside The Bennett Collection, which is focused on figurative realism, specifically the realistic, painted depiction of women by women.

Flippin The Script with Armand-Paul Family Collection

In “Flippin The Script” we warmly welcome the Armand-Paul Family Collection in New York to IC, with its focus on the African and Latin diasporas, and interest in performance.

Donna Huanca – Obsidian Ladder

Skin painting artist Donna Huanca participates in the current MAF project series, exploring gender and sexuality in contemporary life.

We Still Have Wild Birds Here

Overlooked American artist Gene Beery (b. 1937), declared and depicted reflections in his paintings with a relevant truth and irony that is no less today.

Life Cycle

The Marciano Art Foundation hosted Ai Weiwei for the third MAF Project in their Theatre Gallery.

The Wig Museum

LA's MAF was inaugurated in 2017 with a solo show of Jim Shaw, curated by Philipp Kaiser.

Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation

Delve into the digital art of the collection exhibited across two spaces.

Art Now, Art Forever: Damon Zucconi

As collectors dedicated to following artist careers in depth and breadth, Clayton Press and Gregory Linn describe their on-going relationship to the work of Damon Zucconi, whose works are frequently accessible online.

www.Simco Web Works

In context of exposing art digitally and exposing digital art, we wanted to present artworks that have only and always existed on the web, as URLs, here in the collection of Stefan Simchowitz.

Responding to Nature

Tucked away in the vineyard’s of San Francisco you’ll find the secret sculpture park of Nancy and Steve Oliver.

Go Figure / Alec Soth

This summer, the Pizzuti Collection will feature two exhibitions featuring works taken from the private collection of Ron and Ann Pizzuti.

John Morrissey

Discover is a keyword for the American attorney and art collector John Morrissey, who directs his focus towards emerging contemporary artists.

Roberto Toscano

It all started with the purchase of an etching by Richard Serra in 2011, which turned out to serve as the very foundation for Roberto Toscano’s art collection.

Stefan Simchowitz Collection

L.A.’s most controversial art collector opens up his private collection of contemporary painting.

Carole Server

The New York-based collectors with an enthusiasm for patronage and education.

Force and Form

The private collection studying contemporary visual culture.

Elayne & Marvin Mordes

The sun has just risen over the eaves when we meet on Park Avenue one peaceful January morning and Marvin and Elayne Mordes seem just the way we’d had hoped – warm, open and sympathetic.

Buckhorn Sculpture Park

Located in the scenic town of Pound Ridge, New York, you’ll find the private home of collector couple Sherry and Joel Mallin and their Buckhorn Sculpture Park.

Visions From India

The exhibition “Transforming Vision” includes some of the most prominent Indian artists working today, with all forty works coming from the Pizzuti Collection.

Clayton Press & Gregory Linn

Since 1980, Clayton Press and Gregory Linn – New Jersey collectors – have evolved from being energetic art aficionados to art market specialists.

Soul Of A Nation: Art In The Age Of Black Power 1963-1983

HEAR this Online Exhibition, exclusively put together with an abundance of images, to view whilst listening to a curated playlist by Quincy Jones.

The Broad Survey Of Shirin Neshat

Downtown L.A.’s The Broad presents Shirin Neshat in an immersive survey.

PHANTASMAGORIA

Exhibition at the Stolen Collection

The Herskovic Collection

A fanatic collector of Abstract Expressionist Painting.

The Dikeou Collection — Part III

A variety of artworks by both established and emerging artists.

The Dikeou Collection — Part IV

A variety of artworks by both established and emerging artists.

The Dikeou Collection – Part II

Artworks by both established and emerging artists, ranging from installations, sculpture, photographs, videos, drawings, to painting.s.

The Dikeou Collection – Part I

Founded in 1998 by the siblings Pany and Devon Dikeou, the Dikeou Collection is located in downtown Denver.

Times of Change

New York-based collector Gregory Vinitsky has been dedicated to collecting contemporary since the 1970s.

Working Hard for Art

An art consultant and curator by day, the Brooklyn-based Collector is a self proclaimed “gutsy newcomer”, working with emerging artists to help her push her collection further.

Chaotic Contemporary

Chicago based collector Troy Klyber, is a contemporary art collector that loves to engage in a bit of chaos.

No Man’s Land

Just in time for the opening of Art Basel Miami Beach 2015, the Rubell Family Collection/Contemporary Arts Foundation has opened its new exhibition, “NO MAN’S LAND: Women Artists from the Rubell Family Collection”.

Letters to Pia

Having been given the chance to acquire intimate images of Morrisroe’s muse, Pia Howard, Boston-based collector Adam Larson speaks to IC about his relationship with the following photographs, and of course about Pia.

Select Works from the Stolbun Collection

The Stolbun Collection has turned its attention to featuring younger American artists

R F Jefferies – Don’t Postpone Joy

A look inside the collection of San Diego-based collector R F Jefferies.

THE OJIKUTU COLLECTION

Exquisite showcase of treasures of African art, culture, and history