Magazines - Tribal Art Autumn 2010
Jeremiah H. Fogelson
Interviewed by Jonathan Fogel, editor in chief of Tribal Art magazine.
Introduction Jerry Fogelson is a familiar face at tribal art events. Living in western Oregon, he is a veteran African art enthusiast of some five decades, who has formed a remarkable collection that largely emphasizes the more aggressive sculpture of West Africa. Tribal Art sat down with Jerry to find out a little more about what he’s been doing. Tribal Art Jerry Fogelson: I always collected as a kid—you know, stamps, coins, that sort of thing. Trips to the Art Institute of Chicago started me appreciating real art—a fabulously romantic Delacroix, a man on a horse fighting a lion. Later, in the ‘50s, I made my first trip to Europe and was knocked out by Michelangelo’s Moses and the Winged Victory at the Louvre. At the same time, my father acquired a beautiful Dan spoon, which I found absolutely fascinating (and still own). Then in the mid-sixties in Chicago, I won quite a bit of money at poker, which I considered fun money. That gave me a bit of a budget for art. I came across a small shop on Wells Street that had some tribal pieces, and I was even more turned on by the exotic quality of the things. In 1966, I saw the Wielgus Collection at the Arts Club of Chicago. I went back many times because I was so struck by the pieces. I began to realize this was what I wanted and, at the same time, how difficult it was to find such great objects. |