Whimsy Around the World is guest curated by Art Historian, Allison Railo. On view at New Museum Los Gatos February 28, 2020 - January 3, 2021.
Selected items from the collection of Dr. Paul and Lee Quintana
On view at NUMU from February 28 - July 19, 2020, A Call to Collect: Whimsy Around the World is an exhibition that celebrates and investigates the pursuit of collecting folk art, featuring prized pieces from the collection of Los Gatos residents Lee and Dr. Paul Quintana. The Quintanas travel extensively as Paul provides pediatric medical services in underserved communities around the world, including Mexico, South America, Asia and the Pacific as well as West Africa and the Middle East. And after more than 40 years of traveling the globe, the Quintanas have developed a collection of hundreds of pieces, some of which are cleverly repurposed or utilitarian objects and others which represent the material cultures of ancient, traditional and contemporary arts of each locale. Below are images from the exhibition, a few detail images of the collection, as well as text from the didactic panels written by guest curator Allison Railo.
Whimsy - (Def.1) Playful, amusing, unusual; pleasant ideas or qualities.
Paul and Lee seek out whimsical and playful qualities in a myriad of ways, whether it is a fanciful toy, an uncommon musical instrument or a rocking horse made into a table. The colorful ferris wheel and the painted wooden rodeo scene depict festive social gatherings, and a group of tiny mice are gathered to play a game of basketball. One of the most recent acquisitions is a ceramic baseball making a silly expression. There is always something to draw your eye and bring a smile to your face.
About the Collectors
Paul and Lee Quintana, Los Gatos residents for nearly 50 years, originally met in high school in Los Angeles, California. They found each other again a few years later at UC Berkeley, where Lee earned her degree in Cultural Anthropology and Paul studied pre-med, both graduating in 1963, whereupon they wed. After Paul completed medical school the couple began traveling together for Paul’s trips with Flying Doctors to provide free medical care to the world’s “poorest of the poor.” Thus began a lifelong commitment to humanitarian medical service, world travel and collecting that continues to this day. Aside from the skill and talent displayed by the artists, Paul and Lee consider the portability of objects so they can be easily carried home with them. They are also conscious about their support of local economies, being careful to pay slightly more for works than locals might, but still taking part in the bartering culture as appropriate.
Global Art, Local Lives
Welcome to the whimsical world of Paul and Lee’s home and the many ways they use and appreciate artifacts from many, varied cultures. Furniture, textiles, wall hangings, musical instruments, handmade toys and sculptures from around the world are blended and arranged together to become part of their daily lives.
The Victorian (c.1837-1901) era home retains many of the original details such as decorative moulding, carved-brass door hinges, and built-in drawers that provide a historic reminder of the proliferation of foreign travel and collecting around the world that western cultures participated in during that time. Paul and Lee appreciate artisanal work that can be found closer to home just as much as what they find around the world.
Vital to this eclectic collection is a strong belief in sustainability and resource preservation. Of the pieces that were created for and serve a utility, the Quintanas frequently keep them in use. For example, many of their kitchen tools are made from natural, found or leftover manufactured materials. Gourds made into spoons and ladles are stored together in handmade pottery alongside small woven strainers and tin graters, all from different parts of the world. The household makes conservative use of new and mass-produced goods, preferring to appreciate the quality of handmade goods, some of which have been in use for as many as 40 years. Fishing baskets turn into light fixtures, or a woven container once used as a trashcan is transformed into a unique log holder for the fireplace. Textiles, weavings and decorative pillows can be found in every room. Paul and Lee are always on the lookout for the delightful and unusual which abound in communities the world over. Oftentimes, they will see beauty and value in something that was in a discard pile – perhaps it was burnt, cracked or displays some other imperfection that gives the piece an appealing character and piques their collector’s instincts.
Tradition & Individuality
Particularly treasured within the collection is the art of Mexican ceramist, Angelica Vasquez Cruz and her family. The tradition of pottery making has been passed down through multiple generations and continues through Angelica’s children and grandchildren, as seen in these works. There are pieces made by Angelica’s sister, a group of tiny animal musicians made by her son, and another figure made by her daughter. Paul and Lee have developed an ongoing relationship with Angelica and her family and take particular delight in noticing the similarities, individualities and progression of each artist in each generation.
These unglazed pieces obtain their color variation from different Oaxacan clays or by the addition of finely ground stones to the clay. Notice the pale color of the three mermaids -- they were made by Angelica, here in Los Gatos with local clay, when she visited a few years ago.
Some of the earliest pieces to spark the love of collecting are the expressive and multi-figured works of Oaxaca, Mexican ceramist Angelica Vasquez Cruz. The hand-formed pieces are made from Oaxacan clay and wood-fired in a stone pit. The larger female figure was made and signed by her parents, who taught Angelica their artisanal customs.
A Call to Collect is a recurring exhibition program that celebrates the pursuit of collecting. This exhibition is the second in the series that NUMU introduced in 2017 to feature exceptional private collections of local residents.
A Call to Collect: Whimsy Around the World is generously supported by Gretchen Bell. Additional support is provided by NUMU Circle members.
