Collectors Tip: Buying Your First Piece of Art
-Ana Alvarez, RA Intern
There are many reasons why you might consider buying your first piece of art. Maybe there is that blank wall space above the couch, and your old college room poster of that Klimt painting just isn’t cutting it anymore. Or maybe you’ve got an extra allowance in the bank and you want to invest in something tactile and aesthetically pleasing. Or perhaps you are that type of person that simply loves looking at, talking about, and in a near future, hopefully owning, a piece of art. Whatever the motive, at Recession Art we are committed to fostering a community of emerging artists supported and patroned by you—the emerging collector.
But picking out that first piece isn’t as simple as a trip to an Ikea showroom. That’s the beauty of buying art—it’s more than just a purchase, it’s a personal investment in another person’s work and a commitment into learning about what type of art excites you. So we’ve gathered a couple of tips that we hope will guide in your first steps as a collector.
- Before buying anything, you need to determine what style and medium of work stimulates you the most. Remember, especially if you are going to be displaying this in your home, you are going to be looking at this work everyday—so you better make sure it’s something you love! The best way to probe into your artistic preferences is by looking at art, a lot of it. Go to openings. Check out new exhibitions in museums. Spend a day visiting all of the galleries in a nearby neighborhood. When looking at art, make a note on what you are instinctively drawn to and ask yourself why. Are you most engaged by a work’s color, an artist’s specific style? Do you like works that are aesthetically comforting to look at, or do you perhaps like something that is more visually striking, even disarming, or a piece that demands contemplation? It is important to identify these characteristics so you can then narrow your search once you start looking for a piece to purchase.
- It’s important to go into this purchase with an accurate idea of how much you are going to spend. Again, this is not your 15 dollar college poster sale (though there are plenty of amazing pieces that can be found at any price range!) Instead of limiting yourself based on a price tag, you need to think of this piece as an investment. Not only an investment as far as how much a piece could appreciate in value over time, but more importantly, an investment in the artist that you are supporting. Which leads me to my final tip-
Take time to get to know the artists that you are supporting. Don’t think of your purchase as simply buying one piece, but as buying into the process and career of an artist. If you see an artist in a gallery that interests you, make sure to get their information from the gallery and ask if you could set up a studio visit with the artist. Artists will be delighted to open their space to someone who is interested in their work, especially if that someone will want to buy piece. So go meet them, ask them about their history, look at their earlier works, see what future projects they have planned. Also tell them what about their art specifically excited you. Not only will this possibly lead to you discovering a piece, but it will also add a personal touch to your purchase. When you finally find the one, you will see much more than an art work, you’ll see the person that created it.
We hope these few pointers will get you ready and excited for some art-buying. And, don’t forget, Recession Art is the perfect place to start your search! Visit our store at RAC (9 Clinton Street between Stanton and Houston) and check out our show Everything is Index, Nothing is History at the Invisible Dog (51 Bergen Street, Brooklyn) through June 17th to look at what we consider to be some of the most promising artists out there.
