Stitched Portraits: Herb Vogel

Last night I had the chance to see the Vogel show for free due to a late night party at the RISD museum. Herb and Dorothy Vogel have donated 50 pieces from their collection to each of the 50 states and RISD was the chosen institution from Rhode Island. It only seemed fitting to stitch Herb yesterday for his birthday, only weeks after his passing, and on the same night I first viewed a piece of the Vogel aesthetic.

A little history - Herb and Dorothy Vogel were married in 1962 and began collecting difficult yet interesting minimalist and post-minimalist art in 1965. Unlike typical art buyers, they came from very modest earnings. Herb was a postal worker, Dorothy a librarian. Her salary paid the bills, his salary bought the art. In their tiny apartment, they amassed a huge collection of mostly smaller works by sculptors and painters. There is a really great documentary about them if you want more of their story. I am in love with them. They are wonderful and it was sad to hear that Herb is gone in the midst of this validation of a life's work.

Herb Vogel (August 16, 1922 – July 22, 2012):