Rob Suss, of the Franks-Suss Collection, Chooses His Top 6 Works at Art15
Rob Suss’s longtime love of art and his three decades as a collector are crystallized in the Franks-Suss Collection—a 1,000-piece-strong collection representing a mix of artists from dynamic, emerging markets and the UK—which Suss built with Simon Franks and curators Eli Zagury and Tamar Arnon over the past decade. Additionally, Suss is a dedicated investor, with expertise backed by a 21-year career in finance.
Suss is deeply involved with the Royal Academy of the Arts, serving as a trustee of the institution, and as a chair of both its patron committee and its schools’ yearly auction and dinner. His passion for art (evidenced by his well curated Instagram account) lives in tandem with his passion for philanthropy, as he sits on the advisory board of Global Angels and is a trustee of J.K. Rowling’s endeavor Lumos—both charity organizations that work to aid and empower disadvantaged children.
In advance of London’s Art15 fair, Suss browsed through Artsy’s fair preview to select the six works that he’s most drawn to—perhaps, we suspect, you’ll soon find them in the Franks-Suss Collection.
Portrait of Rob Suss courtesy of the Royal Academy.
I have looked at the works for the upcoming Art15 fair, which provides a fabulous mix of artists from around the world and working in different mediums. The Franks-Suss Collection focuses on artists who are making work that is new, exciting, technically brilliant, bold, beautiful—or all of the above. I have made a selection from the fair including artists whom we own and support, whom I love, or who have caught my eye.
Desire Obtain Cherish, Pink Champagne Meltdown - Medium, 2014, at UNIX Gallery
Desire Obtain Cherish (DOC)’s work is synonymous with pop sculpture, and what a wonderful, fun example of his work this is.
Josef Albers, Study for Homage to the Square: Nocturne, conceived in 1950 and painted in 1970, at Cortesi Gallery
I feel it would be wrong not to pay homage to Albers.
Bridget Riley, KA IV, 1980, at Piano Nobile
I love Bridget Riley’s work, which elegantly delivers simplicity and explores the dynamic potential of optical phenomena.
Liu Shih-Tung, Danshui Riverside, 2011, at Lin & Lin Gallery
Liu’s work is beautiful. His creative process involves a daily routine of drawing, cutting, and pasting, which he employs skillfully in creating his intricate canvasses. His recent works are rich and colorful compositions that feature elements from nature, the artist’s own imagination, and folk art.
Yang Fudong, Yejiang / The nightman cometh, 2011, at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
I love the work of Yang Fudong, who originally studied painting at China’s Academy of Fine Arts in Hangzhou and is now one of the country’s most influential artists. Since the late ’90s his practice has incorporated film and video to explore how China’s modernization has supplanted cultural traditions. His work deftly presents this clash in timeless, beautiful images.
Ma Dan, Half dream 3 半梦3 , 2015, at Amy Li Gallery
My family loves the work of Ma Dan. Ma Dan’s works reveal an unexpected simplicity. Such simplicity comes not only from the beauty of Yunnan’s scenery under her brush, but also from the purity of her intimate yearning for perfection. Ma Dan’s original paintings invite us to share her deeply felt joys and sorrows. In her work we can rediscover freedom, simplicity, and innocence, qualities rarely seen in today’s contemporary art world.
