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    "result": {"data":{"sanityEditPost":{"_id":"d2f27b94-4a15-4b84-a824-977c63a335ce","title":"Collection Building with Brian Mandell","publicationDate":"2026-10-21","byline":"By Untitled Art","_rawBylineBio":null,"image":{"asset":{"gatsbyImageData":{"images":{"sources":[],"fallback":{"src":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,180,1080,720&w=1080&h=720&auto=format","srcSet":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,180,1080,719&w=320&h=213&auto=format 320w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,180,1080,720&w=654&h=436&auto=format 654w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,180,1080,720&w=768&h=512&auto=format 768w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,179,1080,720&w=1024&h=683&auto=format 1024w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png?rect=0,180,1080,720&w=1080&h=720&auto=format 1080w","sizes":"100vw"}},"layout":"fullWidth","width":1,"height":0.6666666666666666},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/7df60a6460760e8d816ae905bbbc98f913ad0287-1080x1080.png"}},"color":{"color":{"hex":"#bd0c16"}},"matrix":[{"__typename":"SanityEditText","_key":"d068be2eadf3","_rawContent":[{"_key":"b31849479d3a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0558413b1f580","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Continuing our "},{"_key":"e7c6890a4ddc","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Untitled Edit "},{"_key":"f79da6346b2f","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"series spotlighting collectors who engage with our fairs, we turn our attention to Houston-based "},{"_key":"7b24a92fcd8b","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Brian Mandell"},{"_key":"c41450801ced","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Mandell works in the energy sector and brings that same forward-thinking vision to his art collection, which he has built over the past several years with guidance from "},{"_key":"8216fd790a03","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Adam Green"},{"_key":"c2de35b26167","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", art advisor and Untitled Art Ambassador. His collection centers on rising and mid-career artists, featuring standout works by Nicole Eisenman, Dana Schutz, Lisa Yuskavage, John Currin, Lynda Benglis, Carol Bove, and Toyin Ojih Odutola, among others."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"253b96aae61e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8642cd2f0c990","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the conversation that follows, Brian shares the philosophy behind his collecting practice, what it means to build a collection with passion and purpose, and his perspective on Houston’s growing significance as an art capital."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]},{"__typename":"SanityEditText","_key":"088674d5fb2b","_rawContent":[{"_key":"58ed60483914","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f1166e78c68d0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"\n\nUntitled Art (UA): What does it mean to you to be a collector?"},{"_key":"39a95beeb9c3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"b4c56f967d24","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Brian Mandell (BM): "},{"_key":"7db62486faa7","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For me, being an art collector is about learning. I study artists, look closely at their work, discuss art with others, and try to determine why certain works are important. The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to learn. Ultimately, I hope to acquire art for my collection that has meaning to me and that I want to live with, think about, and continue discovering over time. Buying art is actually the easy part. Understanding it is the most rewarding part.\n\n\n"},{"_key":"fb75ca3d1b6d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: When and where did you start collecting? Do you remember the first work you acquired?"},{"_key":"3a80fc65c4dd","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"1a6e939f4b7a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"BM: "},{"_key":"b29fbe84d337","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While I’ve been interested in art since I was a child, I started collecting seriously about a decade ago. Like many new collectors, I started visiting galleries, browsing auction catalogues, and attending art fairs. I don’t recall my first purchase, and there wasn’t necessarily a single acquisition when I suddenly thought, “I am now an art collector.” It evolved organically. One acquisition led to another, curiosity became a habit, and the habit became something considerably more expensive."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]},{"__typename":"SanityEditImage","imageSize":"small","primaryImage":{"asset":{"gatsbyImageData":{"images":{"sources":[],"fallback":{"src":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=1080&h=1080&auto=format","srcSet":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=320&h=320&auto=format 320w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=654&h=654&auto=format 654w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=768&h=768&auto=format 768w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=1024&h=1024&auto=format 1024w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png?w=1080&h=1080&auto=format 1080w","sizes":"(min-width: 1080px) 1080px, 100vw"}},"layout":"constrained","width":1080,"height":1080},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/2f02a60debc9e5eff24e647064a3ec8c526c5fe3-1080x1080.png"},"caption":"© Lynette Yiadom-Boakye"}},{"__typename":"SanityEditText","_key":"ea2aad1c3dc9","_rawContent":[{"_key":"7d1ab3cdb78b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"544c7ed768300","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: Do you have a specific philosophy you adhere to with your collecting? And what advice would you give emerging collectors about meaningfully developing their own collections?"},{"_key":"0d1879dbe723","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"4ba7ccd64326","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"BM: "},{"_key":"99251a47bb50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Early on, I primarily bought work that interested me visually and emotionally, often without doing a great deal of research into the artist’s broader practice or career. Over time, and with the help of an art advisor, I’ve become much more focused and disciplined.\n\nToday, I’m increasingly interested in collecting across generations of artists. With younger and emerging artists, I’m drawn to those who have a distinctive aesthetic voice, are saying something meaningful through their work, and whose practices I believe will remain relevant over time. More recently, I’ve also focused on acquiring work by established and non-living artists with historical significance and strong institutional recognition. Developing an intergenerational dialogue within the collection has been particularly exciting and has helped me think more clearly about which artists belong in the collection and why. For example, a recently acquired painting by Ilana Savdie enters into conversation with a late-1960s Benglis already in the collection. They were made nearly sixty years apart, but I love seeing connections between them, including the way both artists incorporate beeswax in their work. \n\nBut I never want collecting to become a checklist. The work still has to affect me. Art-historical importance, museum exhibitions, scholarship, and other forms of recognition certainly matter, but at the end of the day, I’m living with the work.\n\nFor someone beginning to collect, my advice would be simple: look before you buy. See as much art as possible, and see it in person. Visit galleries, museums, fairs, and auctions. I love visiting museums whenever I travel. Talk to artists, dealers, advisors, and other collectors. You would be surprised by how open most people are to talk with a new collector. Ask questions- including the ones you think you’re already supposed to know the answers to. Your eye develops through repetition. The more you see, the more you understand what is truly distinctive and what merely looked exciting for a few moments.\n\n\n"},{"_key":"2fafc6c30edf","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: How and where do you discover new artists?\n\nBM: "},{"_key":"2ad8fff384c8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I spend time most nights looking at and studying art on my iPad. I follow gallery exhibitions, museum shows, and upcoming auctions. I love visiting galleries and museums. I also enjoy visiting other collectors’ homes because seeing how someone else lives with art can completely change how you see a particular work, or even an artist more broadly.\n\nThere really isn’t a shortcut. The more art you see and discuss and the more artists you discover, the more discerning your eye becomes. And occasionally, you discover an artist who stops you in your tracks. Those moments are what keep collecting exciting."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]},{"__typename":"SanityEditImage","imageSize":"small","primaryImage":{"asset":{"gatsbyImageData":{"images":{"sources":[],"fallback":{"src":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=4411&h=4409&auto=format","srcSet":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=1,0,4409,4409&w=320&h=320&auto=format 320w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=1,0,4409,4409&w=654&h=654&auto=format 654w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=1,0,4409,4409&w=768&h=768&auto=format 768w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=1,0,4409,4409&w=1024&h=1024&auto=format 1024w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=0,0,4411,4408&w=1366&h=1365&auto=format 1366w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=0,0,4411,4408&w=1600&h=1599&auto=format 1600w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=1920&h=1919&auto=format 1920w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=2048&h=2047&auto=format 2048w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=2560&h=2559&auto=format 2560w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?rect=0,0,4411,4408&w=3440&h=3438&auto=format 3440w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=3840&h=3838&auto=format 3840w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=4096&h=4094&auto=format 4096w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp?w=4411&h=4409&auto=format 4411w","sizes":"(min-width: 4411px) 4411px, 100vw"}},"layout":"constrained","width":4411,"height":4409},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/bcfe29a3a818ef3887d58281a3b3a2897e93d8d3-4411x4409.webp"},"caption":"© Dana Schutz"}},{"__typename":"SanityEditText","_key":"4cb7b65e02c7","_rawContent":[{"_key":"c9a0a6dc3937","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3a47e04f516c","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: What, in your opinion, should the role of art fairs be in this moment?"},{"_key":"d5763b1b580f","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"754d5e4b3bb5","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"BM: "},{"_key":"9d94907de283","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While art fairs are, at their core, marketplaces where art is bought and sold, I think they can be much more purposeful for a collector. I regularly buy art at fairs, but what I value most is the opportunity to see the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of artists in a short period of time. Sometimes I discover artists who are completely new to me; just as often, I finally encounter the work of an artist I’ve been following for some time. That allows me to understand the work differently, to see the surface, texture, color, and scale in a way that an image simply can’t convey. If the work resonates with me, even if that particular piece is already sold, seeing it in person can give me the confidence to acquire another work by the artist in the future, even if I buy it via an image.\n\nFairs also do an excellent job of bringing the art community together and creating opportunities for conversation. You meet so many galleries and can have meaningful discussions about their artists, better understand their broader programs, and speak with other collectors, some of whom may have perspectives completely different from your own. I think the best fairs educate collectors, broaden audiences, and support galleries and artists. Of course, they can also be exhausting. There are only so many booths the human brain and feet can absorb in one day.\n\n\n"},{"_key":"449e106b3b75","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: What resources have been most valuable in shaping your collection?"},{"_key":"30813c95fc6e","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"c9e76c2bcbb4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"BM: "},{"_key":"1acb2a7e45e3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"My iPad, my art advisor, galleries, auctions, museums, other collectors, curiosity, judgment, and, unfortunately, money. More seriously, I think the most valuable resource is access to people who know more than I do. I’ve learned enormously from my art advisor, Adam Green, from thoughtful gallerists and other collectors. Technology has also transformed collecting; I can spend an evening moving between gallery exhibitions, museum collections, auction archives, and artists’ histories without leaving the sofa.\n\nBut information isn’t the same thing as judgment. At some point, you have to develop your own eye and be willing to trust it."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]},{"__typename":"SanityEditImage","imageSize":"small","primaryImage":{"asset":{"gatsbyImageData":{"images":{"sources":[],"fallback":{"src":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=2643&h=3304&auto=format","srcSet":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=320&h=400&auto=format 320w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?rect=1,0,2642,3304&w=654&h=818&auto=format 654w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=768&h=960&auto=format 768w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=1024&h=1280&auto=format 1024w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?rect=0,0,2642,3304&w=1366&h=1708&auto=format 1366w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=1600&h=2000&auto=format 1600w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=1920&h=2400&auto=format 1920w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=2048&h=2560&auto=format 2048w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=2560&h=3200&auto=format 2560w,\nhttps://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp?w=2643&h=3304&auto=format 2643w","sizes":"(min-width: 2643px) 2643px, 100vw"}},"layout":"constrained","width":2643,"height":3304},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/t41170t7/production/43126018e4b33d9492053fde29d789f5bbad3ff4-2643x3304.webp"},"caption":"© Ilana Savdie"}},{"__typename":"SanityEditText","_key":"c3e5366524a2","_rawContent":[{"_key":"aeefb3ab77b4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c3c0e66a0b050","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: As a long-term resident of Houston, you’ve witnessed the city’s evolution as an arts destination. How do you see Houston’s evolving role as a leading cultural hub of the American South?"},{"_key":"8dffb9a18fa1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n\n"},{"_key":"a64f92763b4f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"BM: "},{"_key":"4c4cc5869129","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Houston has always had extraordinary cultural institutions and serious collectors, but I think the broader enthusiasm for contemporary art in the city is becoming increasingly visible.\n\nI was particularly excited by the strong turnout for Untitled Art, especially on opening night. There was real energy. Houstonians are curious about art and excited by the opportunity to see galleries not only from Houston but from across the country and around the world. Exposure creates curiosity, curiosity creates engagement, and engagement ultimately creates collectors. The more opportunities Houston has to bring exceptional art, artists, and galleries to the city, the stronger that ecosystem becomes.\n\nHouston already has the museums, collectors, philanthropy, diversity, and intellectual curiosity to become an increasingly important cultural center—not simply in the South, but nationally and internationally. And selfishly, I would be very happy if more of the art world came to Houston. It would save me a lot of plane tickets.\n\n\n"},{"_key":"7534bc6cc338","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"UA: What do you enjoy most about Miami and/or Houston Art Week?\n\nBM:"},{"_key":"21934b72d7e3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" I love the energy. For a few days, art becomes part of the broader conversation of the city. You see people moving between fairs, galleries, museums, private collections, and dinners, and everyone seems to be talking about what they saw.\n\nHouston has something particularly exciting happening right now: a sophisticated and increasingly engaged community of collectors, combined with exceptional museums, galleries, and institutions. In both cities, the best part is the same- discovering art and then arguing with your friends about which work was actually the best you saw."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}]}]},"sanityWebsiteConfiguration":{"websiteTitle":"Untitled Art","url":"https://untitledartfairs.com","description":"Untitled Art is an international, curated art fair that focuses on curatorial balance and integrity across all disciplines of contemporary art.","seoImage":null,"activeLocation":"miamiBeach","address":null,"phoneNumber":"+1 646 405 6942","emailAddress":"info@untitledartfairs.com","socialMediaPlatforms":[{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/untitledartfairs/","platform":"Instagram","_key":"e40b82830814"},{"url":"https://www.facebook.com/untitledartfairs","platform":"Facebook","_key":"b1e6180d2b87"},{"url":"https://mobile.twitter.com/untitledfairs","platform":"X","_key":"5526a817fb04"}],"legalOrder":[{"pageTitle":"Accessibility","shortTitle":null},{"pageTitle":"Privacy Notice","shortTitle":null},{"pageTitle":"Terms of Use","shortTitle":"Terms of Use"},{"pageTitle":"Visitor Terms and Conditions","shortTitle":"Visitor Terms and Conditions"},{"pageTitle":"Code of Conduct","shortTitle":"Code of Conduct"},{"pageTitle":"Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information","shortTitle":null}],"nestColor":{"hex":"#d9d9d9"},"nonprofitColor":{"hex":"#d9d9d9"},"specialProjectsColor":{"hex":"#07488a"},"boothSections":[{"title":"A","boothColor":{"hex":"#000000"}},{"title":"B","boothColor":{"hex":"#000000"}},{"title":"C","boothColor":{"hex":"#000000"}}],"coverAnimation":["Miami Beach","2-6 Dec 2026"],"menuLabelMiami":["Miami Beach","2-6 Dec 2026"],"menuLabelHouston":["Houston","1-3 Oct 2027"]}},"pageContext":{"id":"-7266a1f3-08d5-5c4b-9892-9af2de9ad2ea"}},
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