Where did your passion for British craft begin?
Marc: We started collecting when we were first married, little bit by little bit. We came to London for the first time in 1977 and in ’78 bought our first piece of British pottery.
Diane: In 1985, Marc began working one month in London, one month in Washington DC; he went back and forth for about 15 years. We went on holiday to St Ives and absolutely loved it. Everywhere we went, there was an artisan making ceramics.
We began to travel the country – Bath, Oxford, Bovey Tracey – to meet craftspeople and buy work. When Marc travelled from the US to the UK, he’d bring over cardboard boxes to fill with pieces to bring home. The immigration people were always baffled by those huge empty boxes!
What was it that particularly appealed to you?
Marc: We collected American craft, too, but British work was much more affordable. It also tended to be technically better made. At that time, people in the UK would collect antiques and so on. But when it came to craft, they would always ask: ‘Is this really art?’ To which my answer was: ‘It's much more like art than a lot of art out there.’
You’ve collected craft for almost five decades. What kept you hooked?
Marc: It wasn’t just that we liked how it looked – it was the way you could live with it. Also, when you’re a real collector, you just can’t stop.
Diane: The work is very appealing. Plus, we got to know all the artists, the gallerists, the people who shared our interest. It’s not simply buying pieces – it’s a whole interpersonal thing.
How did you first encounter Crafts Council?
Marc: I was already involved with various friends’ organisations connected to craft in the US. I was chairing the board of trustees for the American Crafts Council and met [former Crafts Council director] Rosy Greenlees through some collaborative projects. I joined the UK Crafts Council’s advisory board for the first edition of Collect art fair, which took place in 2004. Rosy and Diane became great friends.