Pace Prints President Jacob Lewis Discusses Collecting And New Endeavors

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Jacob Lewis, who serves as president and chief executive of Pace Prints, has developed his art collection over 25 years, evolving from printer's proofs to a diverse range of media, while maintaining a focus on printmaking. His collection features works by artists who have collaborated with Pace Prints, including Robin F. Williams, Leonardo Drew, Peter Saul, and Tomokazu Matsuyama.

Pace Prints is also expanding its operations. This autumn, it plans to open an outpost in Los Angeles and recently acquired the prominent publisher and printmaker Brand X Editions. The gallery's initial New York exhibition of the season, on view until October 10, showcases new monoprints by Puerto Rican artist Gamaliel Rodríguez.

Lewis shared details about his collecting philosophy and recent acquisitions. His first purchase, in 2007 for his birthday, was a Lisa Yuskavage edition titled“Weeds.” He noted that her show with David Zwirner that year significantly influenced him.“The work was not just provocative but was introspective and psychologically layered. The tension between beauty and discomfort in her work started to really resonate with me,” Lewis explained. He bought the piece when he was 28, around the time he was opening Pace Prints Chelsea.

His most recent acquisition is a painting by Gamaliel Rodríguez, an artist introduced to him by curator Aaron Levi Garvey. Lewis was immediately drawn to Rodríguez's paintings, which he said convey a“sense of dystopian futures that I was immediately attracted to, it feels fitting for our time.” He added,“The more we spoke about his work, the more his themes of power and consequences came up.” This connection led Pace Prints to invite Rodríguez to create a series of monoprints for their September exhibition.

Lewis, who majored in printmaking at West Virginia University and started as an intern in Pace Prints' workshops, explained how his expertise in the medium influences his collecting.“My love for the medium affects the way I look at art,” he stated.“I'm always thinking about how printmaking could further develop the artist's hand or consider how an artist exploring the medium could expand their breadth in the practice of making art.” He often supports artists by acquiring prints if original works are unaffordable, creating new opportunities for both the artist and his collection.

Regarding his decision-making process for purchases, Lewis affirmed,“If I love it, I know it. I let my body tell me what to do. It has always led me in the right direction.”

He expressed regret over not purchasing a specific work, a Dana Schutz sculpture titled“Buddy” from 2018.“That piece always resonated with my personality, and my humour,” he said.

When asked about a dream acquisition from a museum, Lewis chose Roy Lichtenstein's“I...I'm Sorry!” (1965-66), currently displayed at The Broad in Los Angeles. He elaborated,“Why? Because I'm sorry that I will never have the chance to own it. I love the melancholy I feel from this painting even though its palette is bright, and the mark-making is essentially Pop.” He noted his respect for Eli Broad's collection and his connection to Pop Art as a printmaker.

For upcoming exhibitions, Lewis is particularly looking forward to“Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio” at the Museum of Modern Art, running from October 25 to February 27, 2027. He describes Brancusi's work as having“true beauty” in its simplicity and purity.

His preferred dining spot near the Javits Center or in Chelsea is Juban (207 Tenth Avenue), owned by his friend Ashwin Balani. Lewis mentioned that significant life events, including his first date with his wife, their engagement, and dinner the night before his daughter's birth, occurred there. He frequents Juban several nights a week, jokingly calling it his“second office.”

Source: The Art Newspaper

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