Possession Obsession: Pittsburgh Collectors
Collecting Features: Pocket Project | Time Capsule 21 | Pittsburgh Collects

Why do people collect? What does it mean to collect? Collectors and critics offer various explanations, suggesting that it’s an obsession, a passion, or a symbol of status. Others speak of collecting as a means of discovery, as a way to structure time, focus energy. Some say it’s a compulsory habit.

It has also been said that collecting can’t be explained, that it can only be depicted. In this spirit and to reflect Andy Warhol’s own vastly different collecting appetites—ranging from cookie jars to antique furniture—we invited a diverse group of contemporary Pittsburghers to be photographed with their collections. The result is an online exhibit featuring five remarkable Pittsburgh collectors. Photographer Jim Judkis was commissioned to capture each person with his or her collection. All of the collectors were photographed at home except for Biko who was photographed at the Kingsley Center in conjunction with an exhibition of objects from his collection.

This online exhibit is a continuation of the museum’s spring/summer education programs, which focused on the theme of collecting along with two other exhibitions: Possession Obsession: Objects from Andy Warhol’s Personal Collection and The LP Show that included more than 2,500 LP covers from 50 collections, in addition to the museum’s permanent displays of Warhol’s artwork. The Pittsburgh collectors highlighted in this online exhibit explore the diverse aspects of collecting while underscoring Warhol’s own practice of collecting in his art and life.

The Collectors & Their Collections:

Biko, artist, pop culture black memorabilia
Jessica Coup, development and communications officer, Elmo “everything”
Judith O’Toole, museum director, 1950 Lucite purses
Harley Trice, lawyer, Pittsburgh glass and antiques
Jerry Weber, owner Jerry’s Records, vinyl records

Photographer: Jim Judkis
Special thanks: Pittsburgh Custom Darkroom