Darrell Walker is known for his years on the basketball court as a player and as a coach. But there’s another side to Walker – art collector. On Saturday, July 20, Walker joined Pigment International for a Salon Talk, moderated by Director of the Joyce Foundation’s Culture Program Tracie D. Hall, at Loyola University’s Crown Center for the Humanities. The event was emceed by ABC 7 Sports Anchor and Reporter Dionne Miller.
Walker said he has been collecting fine art pieces created by black artists since 1991.
“It’s important because it’s my history, it’s our culture and this is a great way to preserve it,” he said.
Walker spoke about his close relationships with some of the artists whose work he collects — Norman Lewis, Sam Gilliam and Richard Hunt. So, he really doesn’t single one piece or artist as his favorite. “I love all of my guys and ladies I collect; there’s a lot of good artists,” he said.
When it comes to what or why he collects certain pieces, Walker said he has developed an eye.
“I think I have an eclectic collection. I’ve always acquired what I like,” he said. “When you’ve been doing it for a long time, things just hit you.”
Walker said the type of art he collects has become more inclusive. “In the beginning I was collecting a lot of old school African American artists, now it’s more contemporary, emerging artists,” he said.
Walker credited Dr. David Driskell as being one of the people who inspired him to start collecting. “I was able to lay my eye on a lot of great collections,” he said.
When Hall asked him about any elusive artists, he talked about Archibald Motley, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. “He was just a fantastic painter. He painted the South Side of Chicago … Bronzeville. Archibald Motley would always put those places (juke joints) in his paintings,” he said. “You’re going to see those spots your parents recognize in Chicago.”
Walker also talked about the use of social media for emerging artists. “All these young artists are on Instagram. Instagram is great for a collector and it’s great for artists, too,” he said.
Walker showed images of his collection which included work by Elizabeth Catlett, Robert Colescott, Eldzier Cortor, Kehinde Wiley, as well as Sam Gilliam. “My man Sam. I would spend a lot of time with Sam,” he said. “This is a guy who labored and labored for years without notoriety.”
Walker also talked about a piece he owns by Hank Willis Thomas, called Ball and Chain, which depicts the leg of a basketball player with a chain around his ankle that is attached to a basketball. “Hank is an incredible artist,” he said. “This piece is basically saying, don’t let the game enslave you. I just thought it was a great piece to own.”
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