Often I’ll have a couple respond to a particular piece that will remind each of them of a particular cherished experience that they have shared together. I remember a husband and wife  who were moved by a landscape that captured the light on a rock formation  in a such a particular way that it brought them back to an experience they shared together hiking in the Grand Canyon.

But sometimes what is shared between them is not a literal experience but something more ephemeral or spiritual. I’ve seen it when they both love the piece and they can’t specifically say why other than there is something about it that just makes each of them feel good.

Over the years, I’ve sold art to many couples and it’s especially great when they later return to the gallery to tell me how much they are enjoying living with the piece. Not only do I often hear how the piece adds to the aesthetic of their household but also how it has become a shared treasure that holds the memory of the special time in Santa Fe when they first came upon it together. 

Tom Ross is a partner in Hanh Ross Gallery, a Santa Fe gallery specializing in contemporary art. - http://www.hahnross.com/