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Did you ever walk into someone’s home and immediately get
a feel for who they are by the way they have decorated it? The things
we choose to surround ourselves with are as much of a reflection of who
we are and what we value as the clothes we wear or the car we drive.
What does your home say about you?
In my twenty-plus years as an artist, I am often asked
for advice about what art to choose or what is “good” art to collect.
While I am not a Christies Art Auction expert, there are some general
guidelines for building your own art collection.
1. Buy what you like.
This may seem obvious but many people are afraid to make a commitment to
what really grabs them emotionally. Art is not a vitamin. You don’t
buy art because it is good for you or fashionable or will make you
appear cultured. You buy art to make your surroundings more pleasant,
for your own enjoyment and to reflect who you are. If dogs playing
poker or NASCAR icons are your thing, fine. If you’d rather surround
yourself with soothing scenes of mountains or the ocean, that’s great,
too. Maybe you like the high energy of abstract art or are looking for
a color scheme (to match the sofa), that is OK. You probably already
have a gut instinct of what you like so don’t be afraid to go with it.
2. Buy original art.
Nothing dismays me more than to visit someone’s home and to realize
that, although they may have no trouble making decisions in any other
area of their life, they have turned over the art selection to some
designer who has filled their home with decorator prints. These are
essentially photographs of paintings and their greatest value lies in
the framing. Why buy a photograph of a painting when you can find
affordable original artwork at local galleries and gift shops, art
fairs, museum shops, the Internet, or even commission a piece directly
from the artist? Speculation in collectible signed and numbered prints
has been cyclical and you should really research before you invest in
such work. However, these are not to be confused with “original
prints”, i.e., where the artist has actually had a hand in making the
print. These can include woodblock or linoleum cut prints, monoprints,
and etchings, and are often a very affordable way to get into the
original art market. I would caution you to avoid artists who have huge
quantities of prints made on canvas or paper, who then add a dash of
color or paint, and call it an original. This is not original.
3. Support regional artists.
Most of us cannot afford to buy the internationally acclaimed, big-name
artists; if you can, then you need to consult the aforementioned
experts, not me. However, every region boasts a number of talented
artists who can be a good place to start building your collection. Ask
around and you’ll soon encounter the same names over and over. Ask about
their reputations, are they hobbyists or do their careers span decades?
Have they been in any major shows, museums, or collections? What awards
have they won? What is the quality of their work? Do they work in a
consistent style or do they jump from one style to another? Are they
part of a regional movement or are they forging new paths? We all dream
of appearing on the Antiques Road Show with that painting we found
squirreled away in the back of Aunt Hattie’s closet and which is now
worth tens of thousands of dollars, but this is how many regional
artists do start. Artists, after all, have to live somewhere and they
might just likely be in your own backyard as in New York City.
4. Document your artwork.
You often hear of the term “provenance” attached to artwork. This just
means all the paperwork accompanying a particular piece of art. This
could be the bill of sale, cancelled check, any letters of
correspondence between the artist and the collector, etc. Many artists
will even write a provenance to accompany their work which may list the
title, date of completion or sale, where it was created, what inspired
the artist, exhibits it was in, or any other relevant information to the
art. Save all of this and attach it to the back of the artwork in an
envelope or keep it in a safe place. Take a photograph of the work and
check with your insurer to see if you need additional insurance for the
work. You will be happy to have this documentation if you should decide
at some future date to sell or donate your artwork.
5. Weed out your collection.
Let’s face it; times change, tastes change. Art we enjoyed in our
twenties may look out of date or out of place in our more mature years.
We’ve moved on and our art work needs to move on, too. Perhaps you are
downsizing your home and wish to disperse your collection. What to do
with it? Of course, you could sell it, if there is a market for it. Or
perhaps one of your relatives has coveted the family heirloom and would
love to receive it as a gift. Or you may wish to donate it to a
charitable auction, university, or museum. This is another good reason
for saving all documentation as you may be able to take a sizeable
deduction for such a donation, but check with your tax advisor first.
So if you’ve been interested in building your art
collection but didn’t quite know where to begin, these ideas will give
you a start. Don’t be afraid to ask around, educate yourself on the
Internet or at your local library. For further reading, check out Buy
Art Smart by Alan S. Bamberger, and How to Buy and Sell Art
by Michael Reid.
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