One of this blog’s favorite movie moments takes place in “Up in the Air,” when actor George Clooney’s character finds himself the reluctant mediator of a family crisis.
He succeeds by delivering a seemingly simple observation with a tone of almost spiritual wisdom: “Life’s better with company.”
Many collectors have a profound appreciation of that, of sharing the excitement of their quests and finds with someone else. As satisfying as a purely personal experience can be, a great joint expedition can be an achievement in itself.
So we asked the appraisers of Chesapeake Collectibles to push the “sheer fun” button on their imaginations and daydream about exploring an antique show or flea market with an interesting celebrity at their side.
That struck quite a chord with contemporary and modern art expert Kathleen Hamill.
“It would be the artist Hunt Slonem,” she said. “While he may not be a household name in the way movie stars or sports stars are, within the art and design world he is unmistakably iconic. He is best known for his vibrant whimsical abstract paintings, particularly his instantly recognizable bunnies, butterflies, and birds.”
When Hamill met him recently — and discovered they both had studied art history at Vanderbilt University — she sensed the depth to which his art and creativity had fused with his lifestyle brand.
“This is why I want to go antiquing with him! . . . His (home) interiors place his bunnies next to traditional architecture, gothic arches and marble floors. You will find Louis XVI and Louis XVII period furniture in bespoke Hunt Slonem Bunny upholstery atop antique rugs. . . . What I think would make him such a fun antiquing companion is his confidence and ability to combine things that don’t initially seem to go together. He has a rare ability to place the whimsical alongside the reverent, the exuberant next to the restrained.”
Hamill’s eye of appreciation for Slonem’s eye is no surprise, given the connoisseurship we see her demonstrate on Chesapeake Collectibles. And that instinct is what would shape a shopping day with Slonem.
“I can imagine,” mused Hamill, “that we would wander, and he would be able to point things out in the back corners or on the shelves that my eye had somehow missed. I think the day for me would be more about observing. Taking in the process. So much can be learned by just watching. What do other people see as beautiful? Why is that rug the one? Why are we lingering over that painting over another? What is it about that little sculpture?”
If you’re wondering what the point is for collectors who don’t travel in celebrity circles, you might instead think in terms of friends and family members who nevertheless have the same aesthetic radar. Because, at least sometimes, life’s better with company.
While you’re waiting for Chesapeake Collectibles’ new season in June, watch episodes of past seasons anytime on the free PBS app and online at video.mpt.tv/show/chesapeake-collectibles/.
