The other day I pulled out the art prints that I acquired over the past year or so. They were securely packaged and had been living on a shelf in my closet. I had good intentions to get them all framed and hung a long time ago, but you know, sometimes you get sidetracked. It got me thinking about art collecting in general and I thought it'd be a good idea for a post.
I am not at the level of prestige art collector. Maybe one day I'll be able to walk into a big gallery and buy a piece right off the wall, but right now I'm currently working within a budget and with limited wall space.
I have an arts background. My education was in Interior Design. I caution design clients against going with a "trendy" design and suggest that they go with a design that they like and that is true to them and how they live. Trends come and go, but if you choose what you like and what suits your lifestyle, it will always be in fashion for you. I think collecting art is the same. Take some time to figure out what you like and why. Why does it appeal to you?
Collecting art is fun. There are so many different styles, mediums, genres. There's something out there for everyone. Really. If you can't find something that appeals to you, you can always make your own art. That might be a post for another time. Some tips on how to get started:
- Learn about art history. Having some knowledge of art history can help you figure out what you like, plus, I find that learning about out the lives and careers of artists to be fascinating (hence the interviews on this blog)
- Get to know the different price levels and different mediums
- Visit artists’ and art gallery websites
- Social media is a great tool for discovering new artists and artwork. Take some time and explore Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. There are also a lot of great sites where you can order prints online, like Etsy, Society 6, Crated, etc
- Attend art shows, art fairs, exhibitions, museums, open studio tours. Even if you are unable to get a piece that day, shows are a great way to connect with the artist and talk to them directly about their work. I have a huge wish list of artists I've met whose work I hope to own one day.
- Talk to artists and gallery owners. In my experience, they are always eager to talk about their work, offer suggestions and give art advice.
- Visit art blogs (like this one, wink wink)
- Read art magazines
- If you have a large collection, consider rotating your art from time to time so that everything gets a chance to be seen
- Consider buying something that's outside of your usual tastes, you might surprise yourself. Have you ever been clothes shopping with a friend and they picked up something and said you should try it and you laughed, but tried it on anyway and it turned out to be amazing? Keep an open mind.
I'll end this post with photos of my prints. These aren't great photos of the art, but you'll get a general overview. They are not yet framed and I know that some of them are crooked. I was just experimenting with placement. I posted the picture of my two limited edition prints from Velicia Waymer on Instagram. You can see the photo here and you can read my interview with Velicia here.
By Chris Coates @neverantiquated on Instagram
By Mark Essner. From My Eye to Yours on Facebook and @bermudashark on Instagram. You can't tell in this photo, but this is printed on fancy, textured paper.
What's your art collection like? Who are some of your favourite artists? Do you have any art collecting tips?
Story and photos by Glodeane Brown