JAVIER LENTINI T.A.M.: How has your eye developed over the course of your long interest? Are you still moved by the same kinds of pieces you reacted to at the age of twenty? J.L.: Essentially my eye has gained confidence over time. It has also become more demanding. On the other hand, my tastes have changed very little, at least to the extent that an object of great quality has always been and remains what gives me pleasure. I have always been eclectic in my selections, and I have never favored one area or style over another. I am interested in a wide variety of art, whether it comes from Africa, Oceania, or Indonesia. T.A.M.: Despite the heterogeneity of your “selection,” the objects in it share one common factor in that they all have a figurative aspect. Is that intentional? J.L.: Generally speaking, yes it is. I primarily have masks and figures that represent anthropomorphic forms. This isn’t really surprising, though, since tribal art is essentially anchored in the representation of either nature (men and animals) or of the supernatural (spirits and ancestors). I own a small group of objects that don’t adhere to this, even if they do maintain some relationship to the human body. For instance, I have a small collection of East African labrets, mainly from Ethiopia and Sudan, of which I am extremely fond. T.A.M.: Let’s conclude this interview with a more personal question. In recent years, Veneta, the woman who is now your wife, has come into your life. Do you now collect as a couple? J.L.: Yes, absolutely! After having been a solitary collector for more than thirty years, it is a new and stimulating experience for me to be accompanied in the evolution of my passion. Veneta was a complete neophyte in this field when we met. Knowing that tribal art had such an important place in my life, she became interested in it, and I must say she has very quickly developed an eye of her own for objects. I must also say that her sensitivity, her perseverance, and her ability to analyze (her university studies in the field of criminology shine through) have considerably enriched my own approach to objects. She helps me see the objects we are offered in a fresh and rigorous way, and she always reminds me of the current state of our ensemble in such a way as to help us judge whether a given piece will fit into it harmoniously. It goes without saying that we now go to all the fairs and the galleries together, and that each of our acquisitions is made in common agreement. FIG. 11 (right): Full view and detail of a stilt step, tapuva’e. Marquesas Islands. 18th century. H: 28.5 cm. © Tribal Art magazine, photo by Santiago Borthwick.
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