Herb & Dorothy

A hit at film festivals across North America, ‘Herb & Dorothy’ tells the story of New Yorkers Herbert and Dorothy Vogel who, in the early 1960s, started building what would become one of the world’s most important collections of Minimalist and Conceptual Art. Herb, a postal worker, and Dorothy, a librarian, built the collection using only her salary while his income paid the rent on their one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Featuring interviews with artists such as Chuck Close, Lynda Benglis, Richard Tuttle, and Christo and Jean-Claude (who once gave the Vogels an artwork in exchange for their caring for the artists’ cat!), the film is, ultimately, as much about the Vogel’s love of art as it is about their love for each other. The recently released Arthouse Films DVD includes deleted scenes, as well as footage of the Vogels conducting Q&As with film festival audiences. Sasaki’s film, made as the Vogels were donating their collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, is a must-see gem.

Herb & Dorothy
A Film by Megumi Sasaki
Arthouse Films/New Video DVD, 2009, 87 minutes