THOMAS FRANGENBERG COLLECTION AT WOLFSON COLLEGE
When Thomas Frangenberg died he left a vast collection of contemporary conceptual art so comprehensive, it has taken years to assemble. Astonished colleagues at Loughborough University found more and more pieces – now it appears this genial German expert had squirrelled away over one thousand paintings and drawings selected over his twenty five years in England. And a huge slice of the bequest has fallen to Cambridge’s Wolfson College and is open to the public.
But what a quarter century to choose?
He arrived here from Cologne at the most opportune of moments. The early eighties saw the beginning of the British Modern Movement – friend and editor of Art Monthly
The incomparable and controversial Patricia Bickers, compared this point in time to the early Renaissance in Italy – which seems to be going a bit far until you began to realize that Patricia Bickers does know what she’s talking about, (She invented the Young British Artists concept) and this collector was a true expert, a real lover of the art he admired. Turner prizewinner Anglo –Israeli artist Amikam Toren (whose work appears in the collection ) agreed with the idea of Frankenberg’s fortuitous arrival,
“He had the ability to judge when a work of art was at its take off point’ he explained. And that’s when he would acquire it.”
A colleague from Loughborough days Professor Phillip Lindley plunged into the massive task of a catalogue for the immense collection he had amassed.’ Just when I thought I had it all, having worked in his apartment for weeks I glimpsed a massive portfolio under the bed. It contained yet more treasures. Not to mention the lock ups and storage locations where Thomas had filed his amazing collection. It was a huge steep learning curve I can tell you, but I am now, something of an art expert myself.”
Andreas Frangenberg the collector’s younger brother talked about their early life together in the family. “ He was a lovely older brother but not hugely interested in the rough and tumble of being a boy. He had a whole different agenda. It is really wonderful to find his life\s work – or such a selection of it - here, celebrated by Wolfson College.”
Flannan Browne, Thomas Frangenberg’s partner for years before they parted talked of the salon he ran from their apartment where young artists would come and talk about their work ‘ over wine, lots of it and very good, at that, and food’ It was more of an on-going party where artists were free to express just what they were working on. Thomas was a unique character and although we parted eventually, he is extraordinary in the collection he left – and the memories of hospitality and fun he engendered.”
Rare today to find a collector like the Renaissance patrons of old. Thomas Frangenberg recreated the passions of quattrocento connoiseeurs, bringing their joy in art into the twentieth century.
Those he inspired, and even those who had some of the burden of such an amazing collection, remember him with great warmth. Wolfson College will not be the last we see of his astonishing taste, but huge credit to them and to those who organized this lovely show, to be the first to celebrate an extraordinary Man of Art. It transforms Wolfson as a home for cutting-edge art. All that now remains is for a building to arise, like the fabulous Heong Gallery at Downing College, to house such a wonderful collection all together.
Wolfson, you are up to the job, no college could do it better.
