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What does it take to be a serious art collector? What drives someone to go after a particular work regardless of the cost? What form of addiction or compulsion causes an individual to devote vast amounts of time, money and emotional energy in pursuit of something that is unobtainable to most of us? Tiqui Atencio has been collecting since she was eighteen years old. Decades later she is one of the most prominent collectors of contemporary art, on the boards of international museums and art-world power lists. For Could Have, Would Have, Should Have, she has interviewed more than eighty of the world’s most influential collectors – from financiers to artists – and asked them to tell their own story of how they started to collect and what continues to motivate them. In a series of thirty chapters – among them ‘Serendipity’, ‘Obsessions’, ‘Auction moments’, ‘What was I thinking?’, ‘To sell or not sell’, ‘Being custodians’ – they reveal their highs and lows, the successes and regrets, the shared passions and intense rivalries, the works that got away … and the ones that perhaps should have done. Their anecdotes and recollections reveal the many practical and emotional aspects of collecting art, all the unexpected pleasures and challenges. What emerges is a frank and honest, surprising and eye-opening, and sometimes hilarious account of a lifelong dedication that is described by some as a heroic commitment and by others as a crazy sickness. Cartoons throughout the book by celebrated artist and satirist Pablo Helguera complement the humorous and entertaining tone of the text.

Reviews

‘Based on interviews with nearly 100 fellow collectors… [Could Have, Would Have, Should Have is] all about the mystery of collecting and the fascination it exerts over high-stakes players who can afford to get hooked. — “Introspective Magazine”’

‘Offering a frank and honest first-hand account of a world that is usually strictly confidential, Atencio speaks with major names like Eli Broad, Peter Brant, Stefan Edlis, Adam Lindemann and Anita Zabludowicz to ask all of the questions you wish you could answer, but never could.– “BMW Art Guide”’

‘Taking an essential look at the landscape of collecting…Atencio has done nearly 100 interviews with artists, collectors, and financiers to shape this guide…[which] explores the “whys” and “how’s” of art collecting. — “Artdesk”

‘The book is an entertaining insider’s guide to the thought processes of more than 80 of the world’s top collectors. Being a highly regarded collector herself,

Ms. Atencio has been able to coax some candid responses from major names like Eli Broad, Peter Brant, Stefan Edlis, Adam Lindemann and Anita Zabludowicz, art-loving 0.1 percenters whose buying and selling habits…are usually cloaked in confidentiality. —Scott Reyburn “The New York Times”

Tiqui Atencio, known for her collection of Latin American, modern, and contemporary art, has long established herself as a distinguished figure in the art world. But now that she’s interviewed over 80 of the world’s most prominent art collectors, her expertise has reached new heights. —Casey Lesser “Artsy”