Collection

Abstract chickens on orange, a brightly naive fish opposite a toothy monster, floral still lifes, cartoons. Oil on canvas, oil on Pavatex, gouache, pencil, colored print. Max von Moos, Ludwig Weninger, Lucien Mainssieux, Rudolf Muchow, Josef Maria Schroder. And in between, two Mickey Mouses with bare male torsos, signs around their necks asking: "Where will you spend eternity?". I cannot provide an answer to this question posed by Chantal Barras' painting. My imagination is too firmly anchored in the here and now of life. And part of this life is the art collection. Having the images around me is as natural and necessary as a writer having their library. Collecting begins in the mind. The quantity, diversity, and complexity of what a small child gathers and connects in their mind during the first years of life is remarkable.