Marie Elena Angulo

"Start with a budget you are comfortable with"

Marie Elena Angulo lives in North London and has been collecting contemporary art for around 10 years.

The first work she purchased was by Shirin Neshat, whose work struck her when she visited a gallery in Soho, New York, in 1997. The artist's photographs resonated with her and when she finally returned to New York in 1999, she asked an artist friend about the work she had seen. Eventually, she found the gallery and bought a small photo... against her friend's advice.

Although the work she has bought since then is varied in medium and theme, she is often attracted to text-based work, strong patterns and to Middle-Eastern artists. Interestingly, these are all characteristics of that first photograph which she bought in 1999 and has formed the basis of a lifetime's interest.

Marie Elena's approach to collecting is extremely diverse, since she has moved country several times and has spent time in Puerto Rico, Argentina, New York and now London. In these circumstances, it has not always been possible to maintain close contacts with any particular gallery. While she recognises that building a long-term relationship with a gallery can be very useful as guidance, her mobility has given her a very high level of independence when it comes to trusting her instincts and making choices. As a result, she often buys work at Art Fairs and has a collection encompassing work by Iranian, Argentinian, Swiss, Chinese, Russian and German artists.

Marie Elena also emphasises the usefulness of young collector groups and memberships of public galleries such as ICA and South London Gallery, arguing that smaller institutions can make you feel more valued than a large institution like Tate.

Her advice when starting a collection: "Take the risk".

Collectors

Photo: Marie Elena Angulo