8   THE ART OBSERVER July 2006 Profile of an Art Collector NG: Have you always liked art? ML:  Everyone must like art - or need it. I guess it speaks to you or says something about you to your friends. But really I’m more interested in how things look, design, and I always have been. NG:When did you start collecting art and what was the first piece you bought? ML:  I love the North West’s quiet industrial places, canals particularly. I’ve walked canals for years. I saw Liam Spencer’s “Gas Works by the Canal” at the opening of the Lowry in 2001 and loved it. The couple of hundred pounds it cost seemed a huge investment and the picture was tiny, but I took the plunge. Liam emailed me inviting me to his show at the Wendy Levy gallery. At that time business was taking me to Manhattan every month. Liam Spencer had been there before me and captured the mid-town feel in “Chrysler Skyline”, a much bigger picture. I was into four figures now but it was super. I was hooked. NG:Which other artists do you like? ML: Art collecting does not have to be expensive. In West Yorkshire where I live there is a local amateur group, The Inkers. They specialise in print making and you can get great limited edition prints for around a hundred pounds. I have had two great pieces from them which are among my favourites. I have other favourites too, all based in the North West. Place is important. NG: Have you ever regretted not buying a particular piece of art? ML:  I’m afraid I do buy what I can afford. Wall space tends to be the limiting factor - although I am beginning to lend pictures to family and friends and to enjoy the pleasure it brings them. NG: From your own collection, if you could only keep one piece, which would it be? ML:  One of the earliest pictures I bought was “Bury New Road”, Liam Spencer again. It is an amaz- ing picture conjuring magic out of steam and light from the most uninspiring subject matter. I’m proud that it features in “Liam Spencer, Painting from Life” a book about Spencer’s work. If I had to sell the whole collection this would be the last piece to go. NADÈGE GUILERA FROM THE WENDY J LEVY GALLERY ASKED COLLECTOR, MARTIN LITTLER A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT COLLECTING ART NG: If you could walk away with any piece of artwork, anywhere in the world, which piece would it be? ML: Actually it would be Anthony Gormley’s Angel of the North, it’s a fantastic piece of public art. It would rather dominate my tiny back yard though, so it’s probably better where it is! We are very grateful to Martin for having agreed to feature in the second edition of our newspaper. MARTIN LITTLER is an ex-teacher who runs a small company, Inclusive Technology Ltd, which produces specialist software and access devices to help disabled children to communicate and learn. His company’s website is at www.inclusive.co.uk. Martin’s current project is for Inclusive Technology to raise at least £50,000 for the new Manchester Children’s Hospital. Martin’s friend Bob the Builder is helping Inclusive Technology to raise the money for the new Manchester Children’s Hospital Appeal. Bob has agreed to feature in one of Inclusive Technology’s SwitchIt! programs and got his friends at HIT Entertainment and the BBC to agree. Every pound received will go to the New Children’s Hospital Appeal. SwitchIt! Bob the Builder will be full switch accessible and will give all children including those with the most severe and complex access needs, a chance of playing with one of the world’s most popular children’s characters. Meanwhile some of the UK’s most poorly children and their parents will benefit from the fantastic facilities at the new, world beating, Manchester Children’s Hospital. “Software for children with a severe handicap never features top-draw licensed characters like Bob” says Martin Littler, who put the scheme together. “Thanks to the generosity of HIT Entertainment and the BBC they can now experience Bob for themselves, with their classmates, in software which gives them control, choices and some fun learning experiences too.” “From sales of our regular SwitchIt! Programs, I know we will sell over a thousand copies” says Martin. “With every pound going to the Appeal we should soon reach and pass our target of £50,000.” Inclusive Technology are the world leaders in switch accessible software (although their software is fun for learners with a special need too) and carry out work for the BBC in making CBeebies on-line games switch accessible for disabled children. Bob the Builder helping to raise £50,000 for Manchester Children‘s Hospital Martin and his friend, Bob the Builder