Decorative arts — whether antique or vintage — resonate with different people for different reasons. A new organization — the Fine Objects Society (FOS) — has recently been established to encourage this shared interest of folks from an unlimited range of backgrounds, professions and interests. The president and a founding member of the society, Benjamin Miller, who is also the host of The Magazine ANTIQUES’ podcast Curious Objects, was kind enough to share some of the society’s mission with Antiques and The Arts Weekly.
Tell readers a little about the Fine Objects Society — what it is and who’s in it?
Fundamentally, FOS is a community for people who believe in a bright future for fine historic objects. We know the field looks different today, for a lot of reasons, but we also know upcoming generations have the potential to become truly great collectors, curators, dealers, scholars, interior designers and so on. The problem is, until now we’ve lacked the infrastructure to support these people. Habits and priorities and economics have changed, and the industry by and large has done a lousy job of keeping up. We see a path forward toward a new golden age of collecting, and we feel it’s our turn to step up to the plate.
FOS has been a labor of love starting with a dozen highly creative and skilled professionals across the decorative arts world. You can see a list of our founding members on our website, www.fineobjectssociety.org. We’re now expanding quickly, adding members and connecting with as many people as we can, while building a roster of events and activities and tools that we’re rolling out now.
Why was it formed and where (who) did the idea come from?
The kernel of this idea has been on so many of our minds for so long — I know many of your readers have given a lot of thought to what the future looks like. As soon as I started serious conversations about organizing with my friends and compatriots back in January, it was like flipping a switch. There has been such an outpouring of energy and enthusiasm, I’ve been bowled over. And one reason I have so much confidence in the future of our field is that everywhere I turn, people of all ages are tripping over themselves with passion and curiosity around historic craftsmanship and the unique experiences it creates for us.
The launch party for the Fine Objects Society, and its inaugural exhibition “Please Touch,” attracted a large and lively crowd. Photo by Michael Assis, Terra Orbis.
What are the goals of the society?
Big picture, we want to infect the outside world with the power and richness of the objects we love. Our programming focuses on the intimacy we can experience with these works, presenting them as things you can develop a gratifying relationship with. That means taking them out from behind glass, picking them up and turning them over. It also means emphasizing the central part they can play in our daily lives, bringing joy and contemplation and love every time we pour a cup of tea from our favorite teapot or light the candles in our treasured candlesticks for dinner.
For our launch, we created an exhibition in downtown New York City called “Please Touch,” which encouraged visitors to approach an eclectic group of objects and instead of keeping them at arm’s length, pick them up and handle them. To really get to know them. Attendance far outstripped our expectations. I think there’s a huge appetite for this.
What’s not appealing to us is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. We’re not looking for subtle marketing tweaks to help cling to our last few reliable clients or donors. We think the future of decorative arts lies in building bridges to a much, much larger world.
Are there requirements or parameters to membership? Is age a factor in membership or a hoped-for demographic?
No, we’re pitching a very big tent! This is not a community just for “young” people, though we are very much future-oriented. It’s also not a community just for specialists and life-long collectors, though many of us do fall into those categories. It’s a community for people who care about craftsmanship, material culture and living well. If that sounds like you, we’d love for you to join us!
At the launch party, you mentioned the “Rolodex”; can you tell us more about that?
The “Rolodex” is our effort to give the public access to the decorative arts community in a much more direct way. Think of it as Antiques Roadshow, on demand. If you’re seeking information about an object, or you’re searching for something in a field where you’re not an expert, and you’re not sure who to call or who you can trust — the Rolodex is our way to help you with that. We’re building out a network of reliable, trustworthy and friendly experts that can answer specialized questions about all manner of decorative arts objects, and we can’t wait to open it up for you to use.
Are there upcoming Fine Objects Society events in the works?
FOS events are a little different from what you’re probably used to seeing in the decorative arts community. Instead of passive talks and tours, we want to bring folks into intimate contact with objects, create interesting environments for deepening these relationships and cross boundaries into disciplines that should be natural allies. And we want to have fun doing it! So, look out for zany concepts, off-the-beaten-path venues and collaborations with groups you’re not used to seeing in the antiques world.
[Editor’s note: For information on the Fine Objects Society, or to join, www.fineobjectssociety.org.]
—Madelia Hickman Ring
