MOCA receives portion of NYC couple's massive art collection

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He was a postal worker who worked the night shift and she was a city librarian. To the average person, this unassuming, quiet couple could never be America’s most iconic art collectors.

But since the 1960s, Herb and Dorothy Vogel collected more than 4,000 pieces from the New York contemporary art scene, squeezing pieces into every spare corner of their tiny one-bedroom apartment.

Their appetite for art has been described as “voracious” but their criteria for purchasing art was simple: They had to like it, it had to be affordable, and it had to fit into their tiny apartment.

Pieces from The Herb and Dorothy Vogel Collection can now be seen at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Downtown Los Angeles. Fifty galleries throughout the country took a portion of the Vogel’s massive collection.

Many of the pieces at MOCA are about process rather then result. Torn sheets of notebook paper scribbled with notes of how colors should appear “washed-out,” or sketches on draft paper.

There are highly stylized pieces such as Linda Benglis' Sculpture “Little Pinch,” which looks like a giant candy wrapper dipped in gold and sparkles. Next to the sculpture hangs a drawing of the Vogels, watching proudly over their collection.

The couple went to local art shows, and were often the first buyers for up-and-coming contemporary and minimalist artists. And when the couple bought one artwork, they kept coming back as customers and as friends.

The Herb and Dorothy Vogel collection will be on display at MOCA in Downtown Los Angeles until March 11, 2013.

But before visiting the gallery, I suggest watching the documentary film, “Herb and Dorothy.” You will see some of the LA pieces in context and fall in love with a couple who loved collecting art because it just made them happy.