on a lazy late afternoon i play some old minako yoshida tunes and imagine summer in a white floor length cocktail dress…
i happen upon an article in the architectural digest, winter 1970: the hero, none other than the villainous actor vincent price; gourmet and general know it all whose fine visual autobiography called,’i like what i know’ is full of witticisms and anecdotes about collecting and living with art.
on clutter:
‘most of the collectors i know live in old houses, … they don’t dwell in modern homes with vast expanses of glass
…you can’t hang anything on a window.’
on money:
‘the fact remains that collecting art can never be altogether separated from finances… there’s nothing like the thrill of being extravagant, even if it takes seemingly forever to pay for the delicious sin.’
on dealers:
‘it helps, if you can recognise the difference between the good ones and the bad ones.
but the lure of lost treasure… would never be satisfied on madison avenue. nothing gets lost there but money.’
on style:
‘… any attempt to define what you should like in art is folly,
because you’re more likely to have your mind changed about what is art with each new discovery.’
in addition collecting art and roles in various horror films, mr price’s talents and passions included food;
besides his gourmet television cooking show and cookbooks, he also did a series of cooking tutorials on vinyl, narrated of course in his own appetising voice.
