Seeking and Collecting at Home: Sharing Personal Histories in the Art Room

Collecting and placing images/objects of inspiration and personal significance is not an uncommon practice for studio artists. Washington based mixed-media/installation artist Renee Stout draws from the collections she displays in her studio and in her home. She is an avid collector of various objects, including vintage perfumes, West African sculpture, toys, novelties, old furniture, and garments. Some of the aforementioned items serve as mere inspiration, while others eventually find their way into her installations and mixed-media works. Artists Mark Dion, Michael D. Harris, Arturo Lindsey, Bettye Saar, Julia Marshall, and Guillermo Gomez-Pina also arrange objects that offer commentary on the various rituals, ceremonies, and methodologies for collecting, categorizing, analyzing, and labeling within personal, scientific, spiritual, sacred, and commercial contexts. In this article, the author discusses the merit of personal collections, arrangements, altars, and shrines to art teaching and artmaking practices. (Contains 11 figures.)