Orlando Museum of Art Presents Contemporary Art Collection Co-Conspirators: Artist and Collector The Collection of James Cottrell and Joseph Lovett July 24-October 31, 2004

ORLANDO, FL August 12, 2004 -- The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) showcases the contemporary art collection of New York residents Jim Cottrell and Joe Lovett from July 24 through October 31, 2004. More than 70 works are highlighted in the exhibition, including watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, metal, marble and wood sculpture, mixed-media works, pastel and charcoal drawings, etchings and photographs.

According to Curator Sue Scott, “This collection is a personal statement of art collecting, formed not by fashion or trend, but coming out of a genuine love of art, a respect for artists and a fascination with the art-making process. As with many exceptional collections, one can see a cohesive sensibility in the works Jim Cottrell and Joe Lovett have chosen over the years – a love of paint, a feeling for abstraction and an appreciation for whimsy and humor.”

Cottrell and Lovett have been collecting art since 1976. Much of their collection began by building a personal relationship with an artist. Some of the finest pieces in their collection – examples by Jean Michel Basquiat, for instance – were purchased before the artist had achieved recognition.

In reflecting on how the collection began, Joe Lovett notes, “The work I originally collected was given to me by friends. I never had a desire to own grand or expensive works. I am just as happy to see it in a museum as on my own walls. But one day, Jim said to me, ‘If we don’t buy it, how will the artist survive?’ ”

The aesthetic of the collection is overridingly in favor of painting – usually abstractions with a built-up surface of paint. Some of the finer works in this category include paintings by Donald Baechler, Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Deborah Kass, Jonathan Lasker, Suzanne McClelland, Malcolm Morley and Ray Smith. The collection offers an in-depth look at many of the artists, often through three or more examples of their work. The focus of the collection includes artists working in the United States, Spain and France. The international artists include Miguel Barceló, Noel Dolla, Roland Flexner, Philippe Mayaux and Edouard Prulhiere. Outside these categories, the collection boasts outstanding examples of works by David Hockney (early drawings and a small painting), a museum of small Souvenirs by Barton Benes, a sculpture by Manuel Neri and a watercolor by Alexis Rockman.

“I used to think it was the image that was important. But as time went on, it became more about the artist’s relationship to the world. It’s been an evolution in what and how I collect and most of that has to do with getting to know the artists,” says collector Jim Cottrell.

Jim Cottrell and Joe Lovett were listed among Art & Antiques Top 100 Collectors in 2001.

General Information
For further information, call (407) 896-4231 or visit the OMA’s web site at www.OMArt.org. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (55+), college students with ID and groups of 10 or more, $5 for students ages 6-18, free for children age 5 and younger and OMA Members. Residents of Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties receive free admission on Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. The OMA is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.; and closed Mondays. The OMA is located in picturesque Orlando Loch Haven Park at 2416 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL.

Editor’s Note
The collectors are willing to be interviewed by the media. Jim Cotrell’s phone numbers are (212) 989-1112; cell (917) 402-6562; email jcottrell@downstate.edu. Joe Lovett’s phone number at work is (212) 242-8999, ext. 27; email is lovett@lovettproductions.com. The following artists are also willing to be contacted by media. Deborah Kass: DEBKASS@aol.com, Suzanne McClelland: suzannemcclelland@verizon.net, Roland Flexner: flexner1@aol.com and Barton Benes: Bbenes@aol.com. Media interested in receiving promotional images on the exhibition may call (407) 896-4231, ext. 233, or e-mail marketingpr@omart.org.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Orlando Museum of Art is supported by earned income, the Council of 101, donations from individuals, corporations and foundations, and sponsored in part by United Arts of Central Florida with funds from the United Arts campaign, State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.





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