APAA Client Spotlight: In Conversation with Collectors Vicki & Seth Kogan

Vicki and Seth Kogan, married for over 37 years, have been collecting with Victoria Burns Art Advisory for about 11 years, jumping in with both passion and dedication to supporting artists and their careers. With deep ties to Detroit and Los Angeles and a long term commitment to philanthropy and social causes, the collection has several foci that have evolved over time: work created by Los Angeles based artists and underrepresented artists, particularly women and artists of color. A common thread of sculpture and tactility has also come to define the collection.

Glenn Kaino purchased from Honor Fraser. Photo: Laura Hull

What inspired you to engage with an art advisor, and how did it influence your collecting journey?

We had not considered working with an art advisor until we met Victoria. While constructing our home we were already working with an architect and interior designer. It therefore felt natural and organic to expand our vision to include art. While we had long appreciated fine art we had little idea what it meant to be art collectors, including how the market worked, or how it would change the trajectory of our lives. Once we began our journey, with Victoria as our advisor, educator, and confidant, we were amazed by the vast array of choices and the vibrant, intellectual community we found.

Working with the right art advisor makes collecting immensely easier as well as fun (Vicki and Victoria have traveled on nearly 30 trips around the world together!). With an advisor’s skill you have an expert who is also your advocate, one who possesses strong relationships with key market figures, and who can unlock opportunities and provide you access to works which artists and dealers might well not place with just anyone. During our first few months we were naifs, to put it bluntly. Just knowing the right questions to ask to understand the objects was a challenge; it was Victoria’s expertise which put us at ease. She explained each artist’s work in a context which turned confusion into clarity, enabling us to see the connection that art has with history, culture, and current events. We learned the ways in which our burgeoning collection should connect with our values and our interests. Rather than “decorating” our house with art, we were transformed into lifelong passionate collectors, understanding the artist’s background, environment, mindset and intention.

Has your art collection influenced those around you?

Victoria goes far above and beyond the acquisition process, even assisting us with insurance reports, conservation and framing, as well as guiding us to installations in which disparate works are meaningfully juxtaposed. We take great pride in the dialogue the various works create with each other in our home. We love sharing that dialogue with our family, friends, and guests who express curiosity about the artworks, as well as the journey in their acquisition and display. We have found this transcends generations, becoming a special interest that is shared not only with our friends but also with our adult children and their friends.

We are constantly amazed at the way our art serves as a catalyst for conversations. Nick Cave’s Hustle Coat is a great example. We instantly fell in love with it and its “coolness”, hearkening back to Seth’s College days visiting New York City. We particularly adore the chains with phrases like "boss," "happy," "dope," and "bad bitch." Unfortunately the first one we saw was already spoken for. Victoria, seeing our disappointment, submitted our interest and managed to secure one for us a few months later. Not only is this work visually stunning, but its placement in our foyer makes it a conversation piece. As guests enter, their immediate reaction is, "Oh my gosh, what is that?" It's so enjoyable for us to explain that it's a man’s trench coat, filled with items from flea markets, leading directly to "Have you ever been approached walking down Manhattan’s Canal Street?"

Nick Cave, “Hustle Coat.” Acquired from Jack Shainman. Photo: Laura Hull

Otis Kwame Quaicoe, acquired from Roberts Projects, Yoshitomo Nara, acquired from Blum, and Jaume Plensa acquired from Gray gallery. Photo by VBAA

How has collecting art changed the way you spend your time?

Art-related travel has become a constant in our lives. We could not imagine going to a new city without spending time, hours or even days, touring a museum or gallery. We have made specific art trips to Marfa, Texas, Bentonville, Arkansas, Mexico City, the Glenstone Museum in Maryland, and various Biennials. While ten years ago, this would never have crossed our minds, now art education and collecting infuses culture into our daily life, influencing and shaping how our family spends time together.

Could you tell us about your favorite installation in your home?

One of our very favorite works is a fabricated and decorated punching bag by Chocktaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson titled The Power Within. This was a specific commission, a piece for an unusual location in our home. It was magical to witness the installers maneuver to hang this beautiful piece pendulously above the staircase outside our bedroom.

The punching bag symbolizes the connection between the body and the mind, reflecting the artist’s personal journey of growth and healing. In contrast with the violent origins of such a piece of gym equipment, it is actually a joyous object in its colors and choice of words in its beaded exterior. We were captivated by his story from the moment Victoria shared it, a not uncommon response to the artists whose works we collect, many of whom are women and artists of color. This evolution was not necessarily intentional but occurred organically, owing to our love of the work’s palette and vibrancy as well the messages the artists convey.

Jeffrey Gibson’s work is deeply impactful and witnessing the artist’s career trajectory has been all the more gratifying. Victoria was prescient, sharing his work with us first in 2018. We are so excited that Jeffrey is representing the United States in the 2024 Venice Biennale! It makes us feel ahead of the game and confident in our eye as collectors!

Do you have any ideas on how you want the collection to evolve?

We never want to be collectors who say, “We’re done, our walls are full, we’re good now,” because then we will lose connection to what is happening in the arts. Our collection should never become stale. At this point in our lives we are too invested, too interested, and much too passionate. Our lives would literally be much less colorful without the pursuit of art sparking joy and intellectual invigoration.

Collectors Vicki and Seth Kogan alongside Jeffrey Gibson’s “The Power Within,” (2019), acquired from Roberts Projects. Courtesy of Victoria Burns Art Advisory.