Numerous results can be obtained with a brief search for the nаme Kevin Love: a mainstay on the Miami Heat, an NBA All-Star five times over, and the man who established the Kevin Love Fund to promote emotional and physical wellness… The athlete has been quietly building an outstanding art collection away from the court and the public eye. In his New York City residence, you may find works by artists including Richard Prince, George Condo, and Rashid Johnson.
Love is the newest guest curator for Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated series, which debuted in 2013, and this is in part due to the roster. Past participants have included Kim Jones, Robert Pattinson, and Oprah Winfrey. Each participant draws on their experiences in the fashion, film, and music industries, among others, to choose a selection of Post-Wаr or Contemporary works that resonate with their personal artistic interests.
That “you can never tell where your inspiration is going to come from” is what “captivates me,” as Love puts it. I draw inspiration from a wide range of artists and time periods. Which direction it will originate from is anyone’s guess. That sums me up well. All the art I own—not just the stuff I keep in my house, but everything I hold in high esteem—reflects my insatiable curiosity.
The eight pieces chosen by the basketball player, which include works by Cindy Sherman, Ernie Barnes, Alex Katz, and Issy Wood, will be displayed from September 23 to 27, and the sale will be held at Sotheby’s New York on September 28. “Like most people, I collect what speaks to me, what inspires me, and what fits my ethos,” Love says of his work with the auction house. There is a great diversity of media and subject matter represented in my collection, as there is in the curated works with Sotheby’s. I get great pleasure in the narratives told by artists and the meaning conveyed by their creations.
Love discusses several of the items in his Sotheby’s edit below.
Among the many artists I listened to as a kid was Marvin Gaye and a lot of MoTown. I first heard about Barnes when I was a little boy, and I only just found out about his sports history. The uniqueness of his work is in the way he portrays the ebb and flow of movement, and the dynamism of his subjects. Seeing it unfold is a breathtaking experience.
Sherman is bringing attention to culturally accepted gender roles and stereotypes in photography, which piques my interest in the art. It seems like the photo is from another era; it’s that stunning. The suspense in this piece reminded me of Hitchcock’s earlier works, like Vertigo and Rear Window, and I’m a big fan of his flicks.