126
T.A.M.: While Native American material still
interests you, you mentioned that your focus
has shifted to Hudson River School paintings.
What do you see as the future for your
material?
S.M.: As I approach seventy years old, I’m
slowing down my collecting. I would like to
keep the collection intact, and it is my hope
that it can eventually fi nd a home in a museum.
Even though I’m not actively collecting this
material at this point doesn’t mean I’m not
still fascinated by it. I still look at hundreds
of images every day, both in the fi elds I’m
currently involved in collecting as well as ones
that I’ve collected in the past. I like to follow
the market, notice trends, do my homework. A
collector is always on the hunt, and I’m always
looking.
T.A.M.: You built a remarkable collection in
a relatively short period of time. Do you have
any advice for collectors who are just setting
out on their journey?
S.M.: I am a collector. It may be seen as
a passion or, as my wife might say, an
obsession. I love to do it. I love the hunt. I
have been fortunate to have had opportunities
to acquire objects considered the best in the
fi eld. I have also made some choices that
if I had the chance, I would do differently.
There is always a learning curve, as in any
fi eld. I believe in the law of averages and, in
the end, if I invest my time and do my due
diligence, I will end up ahead. I see my tribal
art collection as the pinnacle of my collecting
“career.” It is one of the collections I am most
proud of, and it is one of the most exceptional
in its fi eld.
If you are buying just to put things on your
wall for decorative purposes, I see that as
different from collecting. I see collecting as an
art, a skill, a technique. It has to be developed
and refi ned as with a sport or any art form.
The more time, the more training, the more
situations, the better one becomes.
The learning curve can be shortened by
utilizing the time and experience of others.
Know what you are dealing with and whom
you are dealing with. Find out who the
players are.
FIG. 17: Human effi gy pipe.
Great Lakes. C. 1760.
Maple burl, lead. L: 11.4 cm.
Photo: Steve Tucker/Chuck Dorris.
FIG. 18 (below):
Human effi gy bowl.
Southern New England.
C. 1660 or earlier.
Ash burl. W: 36.8 cm.
Photo: Steve Tucker/Chuck Dorris.
an archive, a catalog, of my collection. I wanted
to present it in the best way possible. It was a
labor of love and it was well worth the effort.
Over a period of three years, my assistant,
Susan Fierro, and I coordinated with
photographers Chuck Dorris and Steve Tucker
to document much of the collection, and we
worked with well-known specialists, including
Steve Brown, Peter Furst, Sean Mooney, and
Steve Powers, to produce introductory essays
and descriptions of the pieces. In the end, we
averaged one year apiece to produce a book for
each subcollection: Northwest Coast, Arctic,
and Woodlands. Three years, three volumes,
which together comprise Art of the Spirit
World. As with my other book, I took this
one to Graphicom in Verona, Italy, which has
a well-earned reputation for printing some of
the fi nest books of their kind. As with my fi sh
decoy book, we used a special technique where
a layer of “gloss” was overlaid onto each image,
allowing for added dimensionality. With each
image resting—or, rather, hovering—against the
black background, the sculptural quality of each
piece comes to life. The catalog—and indeed the
documentation of the collection—is available at
www.stevenmichaancollection.com.
TRIBAL PEOPLE
/www.stevenmichaancollection.com