David Earl Erskine

The Collector's Voice Ventriloquism David Earl Erskine

Collector's Voices float through our memory's sanctuary. They cast unforgettable stories into the folk art of collecting. It is of course true that the pleasure of collecting is prompted by a delight in possessions. To the knowing collector, such an object lives "the period, the region, the craftsmanship, the former owner." As a collector holds an object in his collection, he seems to be seeing through it into its distant past. Your passionate dialogue with the past becomes your motivation. This kind of collecting must be seen in the light of a pronounced desire to learn and understand more about one's self in the world. To others it is the thrill of discovery, a communication with a distant past, a dream come true. Maybe our motivation is to hold close something from the past that makes us feel better.