Art Chicago - The Private Art Collection of Richard And Ellen Sandor

Possibly the best thing about going to Art Chicago this year for MAO, was the VIP program, and getting to see the Richard and Ellen Sandor Art Collection.

These events were mostly very well organized drinking events, but they also included several amazing collection visits.  By total luck.. MAO got to visit possibly the nations most impressive historic photography collection..at the Chicago gold coast home of Ellen and Richard Sandor. (Yes .. we know, it's hard to believe this collection is actually West of the Hudson River !)

Not only was the photography collection a total knock your socks off MAO WoW.. but Richard and Ellen could not have been more gracious hosts. These walls were filled to the brim with Cindy Sherman, Arbus, Curtis, Prince, Man Ray, Vik Muniz, Penn, Burke-White, Kertesz, Steichen..etc.. they have 2000+ images (and it's almost all on the walls..like how obsessive is that!).. you probably couldn't name an important photographer who wasn't well represented in the collection.

It was also amazing to see such bright, obsessive, and generous art collectors being so nice.. like how Non-New York City is that ??  Just, think.. rich, important collectors being nice to the little people... Who would have guessed it was possible? Only in Chicago! 

Ellen and Richard gave us a wonderfully coordinated tour of their impressive art collection which really brought all the obsessive details to life. Their love for collecting photography was totally infectious.

After hearing MAO's raves about our lucky collection visit.. One very resourceful member of the MAO fan club.. was nice enough to send us this PDF file of a Metropolitan Home article featuring Richard and Ellen Sander's photography Collection. But FYI..these photo's don't do the collection justice.. it's way more obsessive and impressive in person. Check it out...here...

Download MetroP_Home_SANDOR_collection.pdf

Our sincere thanks go out to Ellen and Richard Sandor.. you are a total inspiration to every crazy totally obsessive photo collector...You are now, MAO's photo collecting super heros.. and if you're ever in NYC, we would love to take you guys out to dinner to thank you.

Comments

[Dan Cooney]

That's amazing Mike! I guess I should add them tot the mailing list??

[Ruben]

Ok MAO!
That is quite impressive!. I had heard of them before. Love the Mid-West and its people, understated taste,elegance and class.
Thanks for keep us posted.

[Moira]

How refreshing -- great taste and generosity. Go Chicago!

[hulka]

amazingly well hung

[VORCAN]

MAO,

We are just about to wrap up our 50/50/50 tour, painting 50 paintings in 50 states in 50 days....Landed in Anchorage, AK today on day 49...finishing in Hawaii tomorrow...its been an incredible journey...hope all is well at MAO. We have be posting paintings and pics of the journey, the blog is 7 days behind, but we are will be updating regularly...

cheers,

VORCAN.com

[Lisa Hunter]

That's AMAZING! I'm so jealous you got to see this in person.

[Rudy Perpich]

You went to Art Chicago, but you didn't provide any information about the Fairs or artists. You wrote a review extolling only the Sander's collection, AND THEN YOU INVITED THEM TO DINNER VIA BLOG..... They must not have given you their contact information. What did you do, lick one of their photographs?

The blog started so well with a true love of photography, but now you're writing to promote yourself. I miss the old MAO.

[Mark Staff Brandl]

Hi Mike MAO. I'm still enjoying your blog. Missed you in Chicago. I put up a post about this post over on Sharkforum.org (http://www.sharkforum.org/). I'll run into somewhere, sometime, I hope. Are you coming to Basel for the Art fair this year? (I am --- and I live mostly in Switzerland anyway.)