The Los Angeles-based collector Michael Sherman is the co-founder of the production company Bow & Arrow Entertainment, whose credits include, among many others, the 2016 documentary Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back. As a collector, his tastes lean less towards irreverent Europeans (though one of his first purchases was a Banksy) and more towards the Americas, especially Indigenous, Black and Afro-Caribbean artists—and even more especially, artists from his hometown of Baltimore. He owns works by Deanna Lawson, Noah Davis, Jerrell Gibbs, rafa esparza, Jonathan Lyndon Chase and others. He also served on the board of advisers at the Hammer Museum and is a trustee at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Ahead of Frieze Los Angeles, he shared his tips for shows to see, places to eat and more.
THE ART NEWSPAPER: How were you affected by the wildfires?
MICHAEL SHERMAN: Fortunately our house is OK, but it’s very sad to see so many people lose everything. That was a very scary moment for Los Angeles. It was amazing to see the Los Angeles art community step up and offer a tremendous amount of support for everyone affected by the fires.
Sherman is a big fan of the artist Lindsay Adams, whose work he describes as “phenomenal”. The Chicago-based Adams has her first West Coast solo show, Keep Your Wonder Moving, up at Sean Kelly gallery in Hollywood (until 8 March)
Brica Wilcox, Courtesy Of Sean Kelly Gallery
What are you looking forward to during Frieze Los Angeles this year?
I love to try and discover someone new each time I go to a fair. I did see the Lindsay Adams show currently on view at Sean Kelly Los Angeles (until 8 March), which is phenomenal and I highly recommend it for anyone coming into town during Frieze. I love Adams’s work and own a few. Her use of colour brings to me a place of serenity and meditation. I’m also really excited to see Brandon Landers’s solo booth with Carlye Packer.
Where do you like to eat and drink in or near Santa Monica?
I love Gjusta. That’s probably my go-to in Venice. Santa Monica pier has The Albright, which has some great seafood.
What was the first work you ever bought?
Banksy, then Noah Davis. Funny pairing, but both brilliant in their own ways. I went to the Banksy show in 2006 and was enamoured by not only the elephant in the room but his use of images alongside the genius of his wordplay. I met Noah through [the streetwear designers] Chris and Beth Gibbs and instantly fell in love with the work. There was such a depth to his paintings that I had not experienced before.
Whose work did you buy most recently?
Kaloki Nyamai and Amanda Ba.
How quickly do you decide to buy a work of art?
For me, it’s love at first sight. Then I take ten minutes, look again and, if I’m still in love, do it.
Which artist’s work do you regret not buying when you had the chance?
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.
If you could have any work from any museum in the world, what would it be?
Any great Basquiat painting would make me smile daily.