Collector Spotlight: Alex Bissonnette
1. How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?
I’ve been collecting minerals for a little over 8 years now (I bought my first specimen in June 2014). I was initially introduced to mineral collecting while I was on a road trip through the Midwest and I stopped in Chicago to see a friend. They ended up bringing me to Dave’s Rock Shop since it was in their neighborhood and was a cool spot to check out. At the time I had been an abstract geometric painter for 5-6 years, now going on much longer, so I had spent a lot of time studying abstract painting theory and other artists in that field. When I entered the shop the first thing I saw was this large Navajún Pyrite with a perfect cube perched on top of the matrix. I was absolutely stunned to see something so flawlessly geometric that had formed completely naturally (the painting that first inspired me to become an artist was Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square so this specimen was particularly striking to me). As I continued through the shop I was amazed by the overlap between the art that I studied/made and the mineral specimens. I bought a few pieces from the shop, including my own smaller Navajún Pyrite, and returned home. Once back I researched rock shops nearby and found a store relatively close to my house. As luck would have it, one of the employees there was extremely knowledgeable in regards to different minerals, their formation, localities, all of the good stuff, and she was happy to share. I ended up visiting that store every chance I got, which was almost weekly, and picking her brain as much as possible. From there my interest has just continued to grow and now mineral collecting is a large part of my life.
2. What’s the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?
My collection revolves heavily around aesthetics and provenance, unsurprisingly as these are two very prominent elements in the art world. I love a beautifully composed specimen and equally love a deep traceable history to a piece. I’m also a big bargain shopper and have never let a collection focus get in the way of a great deal. That said, for the past 1-2 years I’ve been leaning a bit more into collecting lead/iron bearing minerals. When I first started collecting I primarily collected Fluorite, it remains roughly 25% of my entire collection, but as my collection has grown I find it harder and harder to find a fluorite that is both impressive and within my means to afford. I also have a running rule that for any new specimen I buy I need to sell one from my collection, so I have to find a specimen that I like enough to replace something I already have which has guided my buying habits a lot as of late (unless one of those aforementioned great deals comes up of course, then I’ll break that rule in a heartbeat haha.)
3. What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc.).
Outside of mineral collecting my main passion is art making and art curation. I’ve been a practicing artist since 2009 and have managed 3 art galleries that specialized in showcasing underrepresented artists. I was also involved in an international curating project that exclusively worked with artists from Africa and the diaspora which I’ve just recently decided to move on from. Beyond my art practice, staring at my display case, and spending time with my partner, I’m a big plant person and have a lot of houseplants that I love to care for.
4. What’s your favorite species? Why?
My favorite species is Bournonite. I love the rarity of quality specimens and I find the history/formation of it very interesting as well. One of my favorite artists is Agnes Martin and thus I’m a sucker for some good horizontal lines and the cyclical twinning of Bournonite really does it for me aesthetically.
5. Where do you see yourself as a collector in 5, 10, 20 years?
Personally, I would just love to grow my knowledge of basically anything regarding minerals. Coming from an art background, I do my best to understand the geological aspects behind minerals and their formation but I know I pale in comparison to the majority of collectors. In regards to my collection, I’d love to have a small but highly curated collection. I’m a city dweller at heart, despite growing up relatively rurally, so I’m destined for a future of small living spaces and easily moved Ikea display cases. I’m very inspired by the Roz and Norm Pellman collection which consisted of 500 specimens and they were all stunning. I’ve also always dreamed of curating a contemporary art exhibition that features mineral specimens or possibly having my own small art gallery/mineral museum space or something.
6. If you could give advice to someone new to the hobby, what would it be?
Coming in new to the hobby I have two points of advice. Firstly, to someone who is already decidedly dedicated to the hobby, I’d say less is more. Save up for those reach pieces the best you can. Once you get a dream specimen, the beauty of seeing it in your hands for the first time is unmatched. In the long run, you’re better off saving up to get pieces you’ll keep forever and they will accrue in value much quicker than mine run quality material if you do choose to resell them. But, to those who are new to collecting and not ready to make the leap (if such a definitive point exists), I would say don’t be intimidated and don’t worry about how nice/rare other peoples specimens are. What’s truly important with mineral collecting is how much a specimen matters to you and how you find happiness in it. Maybe it won’t stand out in the pantheon of that mineral species but that doesn’t matter if it makes you happy. This hobby, to me, is about enjoying all the different facets that minerals can bring to our lives and if that happens to be that, at this point in time, that mineral specimen made your day then that’s just as valid as someone who had the same excitement but maybe spent 10 fold what you did. Joy and passion are completely relative.
7. What fuels your enthusiasm for mineral collecting?
So much of my life revolves around aesthetics, personally and professionally, and I think it is a great reality check to see that the earth produces these amazing crystals without any help from us (not including a helpful cleaning and trimming of course). Much the same that so many painters throughout history have tried to capture the beauty of a flower using solely pigment, I think reflecting on the unreproducible beauty of nature is important to our appreciation of the world. I feel particularly privileged given my current collection to be able to sit in front of my display case and see such a diverse group of specimens that represent so many different geological conditions, countries, histories, laborious efforts of miners and my own personally associated memories with each piece as well. I think a pure joy in life is being able to be surrounded by beautiful and meaningful objects and crystal collecting has always and continues to contribute to that for me.