BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors

Michael Buxton

Buxton Contemporary - Melbourne, Australia

Buxton Contemporary 2018. Work by Kate Mitchell, In Time (detail). Image: James Geer
Buxton Contemporary 2018. Work by Kate Mitchell, In Time (detail). Image: James Geer

How important is having the title of “collector” to you?

The title of collector is not important to me at all. My aim is to support this generation’s living artists and for their work to be used as a vehicle to educate and challenge people about contemporary art.

Does your collection follow a specific theme or particular artists?

Yes, the Michael Buxton Collection has a very rigorous acquisition policy that underpins the collection. It follows a smaller number of artists in-depth and across time. It allows for an artist’s practice to be collected over time as they grow, experiment and change. This can then become a very powerful educational tool, not only for students wishing to become the next generations leading artists but also anyone interested in the importance of collecting contemporary art.

Do you have a personal relationship with the artists you collect?

Of course, many artists within the collection have become great friends. When the collection commits to an artwork, we commit to that artist and their practice. The dialogue that is generated through discussing an artist’s practice informs my understanding of their work but also our place in the world. A visit to an artist’s studio is still a point of profound enjoyment and one I feel privileged to be able to do often.

Is there an artwork that you love but can’t live with due to size, medium, or value?

The Michael Buxton Collection is known for acquiring challenging, large scale installations, many of which could not fit within the confines of a domestic home however, this has never stopped us acquiring a work if we felt it made a significant contribution to current visual culture. Luckily for me, building is also in my blood and houses have been built to accommodate works I want to live with.

Installation view, The shape of things to come, Buxton Contemporary, 2018. Image: Christian Capurro
Installation view, The shape of things to come, Buxton Contemporary, 2018. Image: Christian Capurro
Juan Davila, Un-Australian, 2014. Michael Buxton Collection. © the artist
Juan Davila, Un-Australian, 2014. Michael Buxton Collection. © the artist
Installation view, Buxton Contemporary, 2017. Work by Tim McMonagle, Michael Buxton, 2012. Image: Christian Capurro
Installation view, Buxton Contemporary, 2017. Work by Tim McMonagle, Michael Buxton, 2012. Image: Christian Capurro

In your opinion, what mistakes do young collectors commonly make? And what mistakes did you make when first starting on your collecting journey?

I don’t believe there are ever any mistakes when collecting art. When people first begin to acquire work, often collectors decide purely on aesthetic reasons. These decisions often change and develop over time as you see more shows, speak to more artists and basically learn more about contemporary art. Some works will continue to grow and develop as you enjoy them, whereas others may not, but all decisions have led you to that point. My only advice on collecting is not to just buy an artist because other people are acquiring that artist. The commodification of contemporary art has become too much a focus and there are no winners in that, just price fluctuations like the stock market. That is not a good thing for artists or our industry.

What has the reaction been like from visitors of your collection since making it publicly accessible? Does this reaction impact you and what you collect?

I have been amazed by the reaction many people have had. I have received hand written notes of gratitude for making the collection free and accessible to the public. It brings me great joy to see the happiness contemporary art can bring to others. Art is not designed to sit in storage, crated and hidden from view. It is designed to be a vehicle to question much of the contemporary culture of our time. If anything the opening of the museum has made me want to collect more, invest more in our artists and hopefully encourage others to collect challenging contemporary art too.

How has the attitude to collecting changed since you began?

When we first set out to collect contemporary art it was always with the vision to create a museum quality collection that supported our generations visual culture. I believe we still adhere to this defining principle.

Which publicly accessible private collection would you recommend visiting?

Australia alone has many fantastic publicly accessible collections, from the Lyonhouse Museum in Melbourne to MONA in Hobart, but there are countless across the globe. I encourage people to visit as many as they can. Each collection is defined by their collector and seeing the differences in collecting strategy is always intriguing, hopefully these collections will become a catalyst for others to collecting themselves.

Installation view, A New Order, Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2019. Works by (L-R) Diena Georgetti, EXAMPLAR/woven watercolor screen 2010; Split panelled shadow chart 2011; Photographers ocular record cover 2011. Rose Nolan, Big Word Combos - RN 4 ME/DILL, 1998. All works © the artists. Image: Christian Capurro
Installation view, A New Order, Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2019. Works by (L-R) Diena Georgetti, EXAMPLAR/woven watercolor screen 2010; Split panelled shadow chart 2011; Photographers ocular record cover 2011. Rose Nolan, Big Word Combos - RN 4 ME/DILL, 1998. All works © the artists. Image: Christian Capurro
Brook Andrew, Emu, 2004. The University of Melbourne Art Collection, Michael Buxton Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Michael and Janet Buxton 2018 © the artist
Brook Andrew, Emu, 2004. The University of Melbourne Art Collection, Michael Buxton Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Michael and Janet Buxton 2018 © the artist
Installation view, The Garden of Forking Paths: Mira Gojak and Takehito Koganezawa, Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2018–19. Work by Takehito Koganezawa, Paint it black and erase, 2010, courtesy of the artist. Image: Christian Capurro
Installation view, The Garden of Forking Paths: Mira Gojak and Takehito Koganezawa, Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2018–19. Work by Takehito Koganezawa, Paint it black and erase, 2010, courtesy of the artist. Image: Christian Capurro

More Information on Buxton Contemporary

Collectors (77)

Narda van 't Veer

The Narda van 't Veer Collection – Monnickendam, Netherlands

Rashid Al Khalifa

RAK ART FOUNDATION – Riffa, Bahrain

Olivier Chow

The Olivier Chow Collection – Lausanne, Switzerland

Valeria Napoleone

Valeria and Gregorio Napoleone Collection – London, UK

Matteo Novarese

SOF:ART – Bologna, Italy

Martin Steppacher

Gallery Durchgang – Basel, Switzerland

Carmelo Graci

Graci Collection – Mantova, Italy

Dr. William Lim

Living Collection – Hong Kong

NICOLA ERNI

Nicola Erni Collection – Steinhausen, Switzerland

Lukas Jakob

Jakob Collection – Gundelfingen, Germany

Claus Busch Risvig

Bech Risvig Collection – Silkeborg, Denmark

Joseph Awuah-Darko

The Terra Collection Of African Contemporary Art – Accra, Ghana | London, UK

INGRID AND THOMAS JOCHHEIM

Ingrid and Thomas Jochheim Collection – Berlin, Germany

Michał Borowik

Michał Borowik Collection – Warsaw, Poland

Bernardo Paz

Instituto Inhotim – Centro de Arte Contemporânea e Jardim Botânico – Brumadinho, Brazil

Tony Salamé

Aïshti Foundation – Beirut, Lebanon

Nadia & Rajeeb Samdani

Samdani Art Foundation (SAF), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Lord David Cholmondeley

Houghton Hall – King's Lynn, Great Britain

Galila Barzilaï-Hollander

Galila's P.O.C., Brussels, Belgium

Martin Margulies

The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse – Miami, United States of America

Christine and Andrew Hall

Hall Art Foundation - Reading, USA & Derneburg, Germany

Qiao Zhibing

TANK Shanghai and Qiao Space - Shanghai, China

Christen Sveaas

Kistefos Museet, Jevnaker, Norway

Noemi Givon

Givon Art Forum – Tel Aviv, Israel

Seth Stolbun

The Stolbun Collection – Houston, USA

Jochen Zeitz

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) - Cape Town, Africa

Dominique & Sylvain Levy

DSLCollection – Paris, France

Andrea von Goetz

Sammlung Blankenburg – Hamburg, Germany

Gordon Elliott

The Elliott Eyes Collection - Sydney, Australia

The Vague Space

Christian Kaspar Schwarm on the first solo presentation of his collection at the Weserburg Bremen

Anita Zabludowicz

Zabludowicz Collection – London, United Kingdom

Anastasios A. Gkekas

The Office Collection - Nicosia, Cyprus

Rik Reinking

WAI - Woods Art Institute, Wentorf bei Hamburg, Germany

Maria Didrichsen

Didrichsen Art Museum – Helsinki, Finland

João Carlos de Figueiredo Ferraz

Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz (IFF) - São Paulo, Brazil

Julia Stoschek

Julia Stoschek Collection – Dusseldorf, Germany

Maurizio Morra Greco

Fondazione Morra Greco, Naples, Italy

Christian & Karen Boros

Sammlung Boros – Berlin, Germany

Timo Miettinen

Salon Dahlmann – Berlin, Germany

Marli Hoppe-Ritter

Sammlung Marli Hoppe-Ritter – Waldenbuch, Germany

Désiré Feuerle

The Feuerle Collection – Berlin, Germany

Gudrun & Bernd Wurlitzer

Wurlitzer Pied A Terre Collection – Berlin, Germany

Corbett Lyon

Lyon Housemuseum – Melbourne, Australia

Geert Verbeke-Lens

Verbeke Foundation – Kemzeke, Belgium

László Vass

Vass Collection – Veszprém, Hungary

Daisuke Miyatsu

Dream House – Ichikawa, Japan

Samara Walbohm & Joe Shlesinger

Scrap Metal Gallery – Toronto, Canada

Charles Riva

Charles Riva Collection – Brussels, Belgium

Venke & Rolf Hoff

KaviarFactory – Lofoten, Norway

Alain Servais

Servais Family Collection – Brussels, Belgium

Ivo Wessel

Sammlung Ivo Wessel - Berlin, Germany

Ramin Salsali

Salsali Private Museum – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Vittorio Gaddi

Collezione Nunzia e Vittorio Gaddi – Lucca, Italy

Miguel Leal Rios

Fundação Leal Rios – Lisbon, Portugal

Gertraud and Dieter Bogner

Kunstraum Buchberg – Gars am Kamp, Austria

Bob Rennie

Rennie Collection at Wing Sang – Vancouver, Canada

Heiner Wemhöner

Sammlung Wemhöner – Herford, Germany

Lin Han

M WOODS – Beijing, China

Kenny Goss

The Goss-Michael Foundation – Dallas, USA

Karsten Schmitz

Arbeitswohnung Federkiel – Leipzig, Germany

Devon Dikeou

The Dikeou Collection - Denver, USA

Thomas Olbricht

ME Collectors Room Berlin/Stiftung Olbricht – Berlin, Germany

Mera & Donald Rubell

Rubell Family Collection – Miami, USA

Pétur Arason

Safn – Berlin, Germany / Reykjavík, Iceland

Steffen Hildebrand

G2 Kunsthalle – Leipzig, Germany

Frédéric de Goldschmidt

Frédéric de Goldschmidt – Brussels, Belgium

Daniel Teo

The Private Museum – Singapore, Singapore

Claudio Cosma

Sensus – Luoghi per l’arte Contemporanea – Florence, Italy

Michał Borowik

Michał Borowik Collection – Warsaw, Poland

Herbert Gerisch

Herbert-Gerisch-Stiftung - Neumünster, Germany

José Berardo

Museu Coleção Berardo – Lisbon, Portugal

Bärbel Grässlin and Karola Kraus

Sammlung Grässlin - St. Georgen, Germany

Joëlle and Eric Romba

Rocca Stiftung – Berlin, Germany

Myriam and Amaury de Solages

Maison Particulière – Brussels, Belgium

Friedrich Gräfling

Sammlung Fiede - Aschaffenburg, Germany