Collecting art is an activity that is not very visible in the city of Mérida, however it is a very important undertaking for the arts and cultural development of the city. It also requires not only a good eye, but also specialized knowledge. It is also not a secret that we are in times in which art is one of the best economic investments if you know how to acquire the right artists and pieces.

Collecting, as opposed to acquiring works haphazardly, means having drawn a clear line in the integration of the pieces: themes, artists, periods, conditions, etc. It also implies forming a heritage that goes beyond the personal, that is, collecting is understood as a collective legacy that, under good care, cataloguing, research, etc., acquires great importance for a society. There are many cases where private collections give life to large museums.

José Enrique Gutiérrez López (JEGL) started his collection more than 35 years ago and until now it consists of more than 250 pieces. His line has been Yucatecan artists, among which those who marked art since the eighties such as Alonso Gutiérrez, Ariel Guzmán, Teresa Loret de Mola, Víctor Argáez, Mario Trejo, Carlos Lores, Jorge Espinosa, Adela Isaac, among many others. His collection includes part of the history of Yucatecan art,  and its historical value is already considerable. The collector kindly allowed us to ask him a few questions.

How did his collection begin?

JEGL - Triana, by José Patrón Juanes, was established on 47th Street, first as a framer and then as a gallery. There I started with some acquisitions but as time went by I was a regular visitor to exhibitions in the city and met many artists. I started buying some works for the pleasure of seeing, of being able to be there and admire the pieces. Now the collection is vast, and I even constantly move pieces from one place to another, from one location to another, from time to time. Over time my purchases have been much more thoughtful because even space has begun to be a problem.

It is clear that over time your collection took more defined directions. What are your considerations for buying art?

JEGL – That's right, I make up an eclectic collection but there are lines that give it body; For example, the predominant format is two-dimensional, especially painting, and the themes that are privileged are landscape and nudes, although there is also an important group of portraits. I lean toward art produced by Yucatecan artists who have great quality. I have bought both already completed work and specific commissions, in the case of the latter always linked to more personal issues.

Why art, what is there in it, that leads you to make many pieces?

JEGL- The initial reason still remains: for the pleasure of seeing, that does not disappear. Only now I appreciate its forms and contents more acutely. I have always had a predilection for art, it has even led me to experiment in creation as a photographer. Art has become part of my life, in some way, I also found a way to deal with life and death. I have in mind three portraits of me that have been made by three different artists: Alonso Gutiérrez, Teresa Loret de Mola and Mario Trejo. All three have a very special meaning for me, they were made at a key moment in my life, I even think that each one will go to each of my children.

José Enrique Gutiérrez López has built a collection that has become part of him, his way of appreciating the world can be reflected in the set of pieces that he has acquired. His collection is in itself a great unpublished exhibition of great artistic and cultural value for our State. We thank you for opening the doors to us.