James R. Hedges IV started buying Andy Warhol photographs about 20 years ago, initially hoping to collect enough Polaroids to complete a grid of nine images. Today, the California-based advisor and dealer owns more than 5,000 of these works, having amassed what he says is the largest private collection in this “seriously undervalued market”.
Early in his collecting journey, Hedges learned from his then-boyfriend, who was on the board of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, that he could purchase works directly from the organization. In 2013, Hedges left his investment business to focus full-time on art and is now “the go-to man for Warhol photography”, he says. He attributes his preeminent position to his long-standing relationships with those who knew Warhol best. Tim Hunt, the foundation’s curator who died in 2017, “taught him everything”; he later befriended the chronicler and close collaborator of Warhol, Pat Hackett.
Blonde ambition: Warhol’s Polaroid by Dolly Parton is one of the works exhibited at Château la Coste Courtesy of James R Hedges IV Collection
Hedges has held a new exhibition of works – mostly from his collection – at Château la Coste in Provence, southern France. Travels with Warhol traces the multiple representations and meanings of “journeys” in Warhol’s photography over several decades, and includes photo booth strips, gelatin silver prints and stitched photographs exhibited in the only exhibition devoted to Warhol’s photography during his lifetime , which took place five weeks before the artist’s exhibition. died in 1987. Hedges also organizes sales exhibitions with commercial galleries such as Jack Shainman and Gagosian – they give him space and a list of clients; he does the rest, he says, and lends works to institutions around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Fotografiska in Stockholm.
The Art Newspaper: What are you looking for in Basel this year?
James R. Hedges IV: Young master painters from South Tyrol.
How quickly do you decide to buy a work of art?
As soon as it aligns with my instincts, my heart and my bank balance.
What is the first work you bought?
A reverse photograph of Marilyn by Warhol.
What is the last work you bought?
A wall drawing by Sol Lewitt.
What do you regret not buying when you had the chance?
A painting of the night sky by Vija Celmins. If you know this job, you know it was a great market moment. You had to kiss the ring of a million people to be considered buying it. He was proposed to me the same week my ex-wife filed for divorce, so it was all irrelevant.
Rhine time: The Three Kings by the river is the perfect place for a drink, says Hedges ©Vincent Ghilione
If you could have one work from any museum in the world, what would it be?
I recently saw Cy Twombly’s most poetic painting – literally and figuratively – in the Pinault Collection at the Bourse du Commerce in Paris. This.
Where do you like to eat and drink during your stay in Basel?
Lunch at the Fondation Beyeler, aperitif at Trois Rois.
Do you have parties planned?
The best party is in my hotel room.
What is your least favorite thing about art fairs?
There is nothing “VIP” in the VIP section.
Where to go in Basel to escape?
The Black Forest.
What advice would you give to someone visiting Basel for the first time?
Here are some California tips: Relax. Good art will find you.
