Works From The Collection Of Vicki & Kent Logan

Photo courtesy Collection of Vicki and Kent Logan

Gottfried Helnwein, "Epiphany (Adoration of the Magi)" (1996)

Photo courtesy Collection of Vicki and Kent Logan

Wang Guangyi, "Face of the Believer D" (2003)

Andy Warhol Gerhard Richter Richard Diebenkorn Investors Indulge Appetite for Luxury Dealer Holly Solomon’s Papers Headed to Smithsonian Phillips de Pury Makes Its (Small) Mark The Second Sex (at Auction, Anyway) German Parliament to Return Nazi-Looted Portrait

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The Colorado-based couple has been active on museum boards for many years and has donated extensively to the Denver museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

However, the Logans actually started their collection on a whim and became known in art circles for dropping into major galleries unannounced and snapping up works on impulse.

But that doesn’t mean their collection is slapdash. The Denver Art Museum (where highlights from their holdings are on display through July 15) calls the works “a cohesive, uniquely personal and original collection based on their beliefs about art.”

Kent Logan, who is a retired securities industry executive, spoke to ArtInfo about the collection.

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Our First Acquisitions:

Part of the irony is that Vicki and I spent most of our adult lives in New York, and in all that time we never collected art. It wasn’t until we moved to San Francisco, in late 1993, that one of my new partners invited us on a gallery walk. We bought The Butler’s in Love by Mark Stock for $10,000. It’s probably worth about $30,000 now.

When we started collecting it was more spontaneous than it was thoughtful. The collection really began with Bay Area artists such as David Park and Richard Diebenkorn. Then we moved into a whole host of young, San Francisco-based artists.

Later, I was in London on business and I wandered into Anthony d’Offay’s gallery. Within two years I became one of his biggest clients. Between 1995 and 1996, we bought a lot of other works by Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter and Jeff Koons.

Our Most Recent Acquisitions:

For the past year, I’ve focused on expanding our collection of contemporary Chinese works. From 1995 to 1997 there was an initial burst of interest, and we bought roughly 80 or 90 pieces, and then the interest died off. But over the past two years it has become clear that interest is peaking again. We added another 60 works, including pieces by Sui Jianguo and Chen Wenling.

The [Chinese art] market in the past year has exploded. Availability has become an issue with the major artists, but our relationships have held us in good standing. We have relationships that date back to 10 years ago, when no one cared about these artists. They remember that we were there when they couldn’t even boil tea. So we now have the second-largest collection [of Chinese contemporary works] in the world.

Works That Have Appreciated Most in Value:

Frankly, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you. We do have 35 Warhols and they have appreciated a great deal. And we have an early Richter that certainly has to be one of the ones that has appreciated the most.

Advice for Beginning Collectors:

Today, I would say, “See as much as you can, but keep your wallet in your pants.” I think this art market is overextended. Everything goes in cycles and there will be another cycle soon. Anything you like today will be cheaper in five years.