Event

Herb and Dorothy

(Megumi Sasaki, USA, 2008, DigiBeta, 91 min)

In their modest one-bedroom New York apartment, unassuming couple Herb and Dorothy Vogel quietly amassed one of the worlds most extraordinary collections of minimalist and conceptual art. The Vogel's are soul mates, man and wife united in their passion for modern art, their uncanny visual eye and their tireless desire to collect works by artists on the brink of discovery. He is a retired postman; she a former librarian. Starting in the early 1960s the pair managed to parlay their salaries into a priceless, groundbreaking collection that included 4,000 pieces crammed in a tiny space that also included a menagerie of pets. Some works were even drawn or mounted directly on their apartment wall. In 1992 the Vogel's donated their collection to the National Gallery, accepting no monetary compensation. It was their wish that the collection remain intact so that the public could experience the works of Richard Tuttle, Christo, Pat Steir and others alongside each other. Herb and Dorothy are charming eccentrics whose story is certain to amuse, confound and inspire those of us who appreciate individuals with the strength of character to follow their dreams.