The perennial problem facing the “non-professional” collector, i.e., the collector who is moved more by personal pleasure than by considera­tions of reputation, historical curiosity or wise investment, is that he feels obliged to “live with” the things he collects rather than simply store them conveniently. Paintings collected with these problems in mind tend toward an “Intimism” which is understandable; thus the paintings assembled here re­flect a certain caution on the part of the owners. Few, if any, could be con­sidered disquieting confrontations. Rather than confront, the paintings here mirror, evoke, or suggest––it is a matter of intensity, Still-lifes, landscapes and a sort of Bay Area figurative predomi­nate. A partial list of painters represent­ed will serve to give an idea of the tenor of the group (although it is entirely pos­sible that a different choice of collec­tors would have resulted in a radically different selection): Robert Frame, James Jarvaise, Arnold Mesches, Emer­son Woelffer, Paul Wanner, Sam Amato, Morris Broderson, Hilda Levy, Lucile Brokaw, Roland Petersen, John Mc­Laughlin, Oskar Fischinger, Arthur Secunda, and Willie Suzuki, who is repre­sented twice. Virtually no sculpture ap­pears, either for practical reasons or because people are just not collecting it, and only one “object”––Charles Frazier’s Nest. Within these limita­tions, however, the collectors have chosen well, even if they tend to keep one eye on tomorrow.

––Joan Hugo