To Have And To Hold: Making Collections

To Have & To Hold displays selections of objects from 18 private collections. But what is principally on display here is ‘the hand' of the collector as To Have & To Hold sets out examine the activities and motives of these collectors. Why has the collection been formed, how has it been formed and what does it mean to them?

In valuing the discards of others, private collectors are often pioneers in the opening of new territories of knowledge. While collecting is commonly perceived as solely a private occupation the collectors of To Have & To Hold demonstrate something quite different. Even though their collections are privately owned much of the practice of these collectors has public dimensions in terms of the locations and subjects of their collecting.

The frequent generosity of many collectors in sharing their accumulations, both objects and knowledge, (To Have & To Hold being on example) is an aspect of their long-term and public commitment to the territories they work. In view of these commitments and performances To Have & To Hold suggests that, "Rather than being a wholly enclosed, or private, pursuit these collectors demonstrate that collecting is a cultural practice that enlarges and enriches public life."

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