Waking up with Warhol

Franz Kline, Buried Reds, 1953; Isamu Noguchi, Little She, 1969; Roy Lichtenstein, Studio Wall with Hanging Pencil, 1973; Adolph Gottlieb, Untitled (Orange Blast), 1967; Bryan Hunt, Lure, 1978; Anthony Caro, Silver Piece V, 1976–77; Duane Hanson, Florida Shopper, 1973; Helen Frankenthaler, Gateway, 1988; Keith Haring, Untitled, 1984; Francis Bacon, Study for the Eumenides, 1981. 

Photo: Yoshihiro Makino

The image above is from the home of collector Frederick R. Weisman, one of the best kept secrets in Los Angeles.

Weisman, a successful businessman and philanthropist, amassed a remarkable collection of works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler, and more than 400 of them are on display throughout his Mediterranean Revival home just off Sunset Boulevard in LA. The private collection is now a public museum and offers weekly tours (by appointment).

In an interview, his wife, Billie Milam Weisman recalls living in the home, and being sick in their bedroom, where a portrait by Andy Warhol hangs above the bed, and Fred bringing the tour group through anyways.

In her words:

Collecting is for the enrichment of your own life, but it comes with a responsibility to share. When artists make work, it becomes their baby. When we took on the responsibility of caring for an artist’s baby, we understood the responsibility to not only maintain it properly, but to share it with the public.

On Instagram, I often highlight collectors who have built collections that they generously share with the public, including a few in Miami, where I am based, like my personal favorite, the Rubell Collection and the recently opened Marquez Art Projects.

I hope you enjoy this glimpse into this fascinating collection and get inspired to discover some art, wherever you may live. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for updates on artists and exhibitions.