What to consider and how to buy a piece of Art
As we approach March (where has February gone?!) and the spring art fair season, for this months blog I thought I would talk about how to buy a piece of art and what questions you should be asking yourself and the artist.
Buying a piece of art can be instant; you may not even be thinking of buying art until you discover a piece that speaks to you. Alternatively, it can also be time consuming and take a while to find that special piece. Either way it is so important that you genuinely love it, especially if it’s going to be hanging in your home! The whole experience should be enjoyable from the moment you decide to begin looking for a piece of art, deciding where it is going to live, the search, conversation with the artist, to the paying, receiving and placing it in its new home. But there are some things to consider when doing this.
Do some research and have a think about what ‘type of art’ you would like. Is it a painting, print, illustration or sculpture? Is there a colour pallet or style you think you might prefer? What about the subject matter; are you open to possibilities or do you have a specific preference?
Are you buying a piece of art for a particular room? Do you have an idea of where it will be hung or placed? If you do then you may need to consider the size of the piece and whether it will need to be framed to ‘fit’ with the rooms decor and colour scheme.
3. Where would like to buy the piece of art from? There are various ways to search for a piece of art; good ol’ google, galleries, Art fairs or going straight to the artist. It could be you already love an artist’s style, techniques or subject matter or you prefer to look at lots of different types of work and wait for that one piece to jump out at you.
4. Which ever path you take when you do find that special piece ask questions about it; What inspired the artist? What materials were used? What techniques were used? What is the story behind that particular piece? What about the artist’s story? What is their background and influences? The answers will increase your appreciation and understanding of the piece and give you a connection.
5. When buying an original it is important to ask whether it is ‘one of a kind’ or whether there are reproductions or prints. This may not be important to you as you will have the original and the certificate of authenticity to prove it, or it may lessen your connection to it so it is important to find this out before the transaction continues to avoid disappointment.
6. If the piece of work is part of a collection ask to see the other pieces of work. Not only will this give you an insight into the artist’s workings and intentions but you may see a piece that you prefer or it could simply reaffirm your feelings about the piece you originally chose.
When you have made your decision then the final questions are framing and delivery. By this point you should be super excited, very happy and looking forward to placing your new piece of art in its new home. A piece of art is something that should bring you joy each time you look at it, so enjoy the process of finding and owning that special piece.