"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” – Francis Bacon
Since its genesis in 1991, the West-Sun Collection has sought to showcase a varied selection of pieces that resonate with the pulse of the moment. Informing our curation process is the belief that art is often the first responder to many of the things that are experienced by society but not yet expressed in words. Our first purchase, Les Tuileries by German artist Dietz Edzard, anchors the Collection even as it testifies to the direction of its growth. In his own time, Edzard was a widely recognized and successful artist, who appealed to the sensibilities of his generation. Indeed, his colorful depictions of contemporary Parisian life "made him a favorite of art circles in [France] and abroad." It is artists like Edzard that our Collection wishes to celebrate -- those whose work speaks, for one reason or another, to the now -- to all of us who are being collectively shaped by unique societal pressures, fears, and joys.
Les Tuileries was an auspicious start to the Collection, which continues to seek out artists who are contribuiting in thoughtful ways to the collective effort of meaning-making. Today, we do so primarily by acquiring the works of contemporary and emerging artists, who are always bringing the truths of tradition into conversation with the vernacular.
With each passing year, the Collection concerns itself more and more with supporting, upholding, and understanding the contemporary arts scene. Boasting the work of artists like Titus Kaphar, Amanda Wall, Asher Liftin, Chloe Wise, and Jess Valice, the Collection sees itself as orchestrating a polyphony of voices, each offering its own tone of truth to the often-confusing discourse of a society that faces uncertainty – financially, politically, and ontologically. It is our pleasure to put forward a selection of the art scene that reflects the reality of our times, whether the works dwell in the anxiety or transform the shards of darkness into playful smirks of light. Adding base notes to the Collection are the occasional pieces from pioneers of previous generations, like Keith Haring, Richard Avedon, and Sorel Etrog, whose work so often calls to the future from the past.
Today, operating out of Montreal and New York, the Collection continues to search carefully for work that responds in brave and interesting ways to the undercurrents of our time, as we look for more avenues to share our perspective with the public.