Tag: emerging artists

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BUYING VALUABLE ABSTRACT ART

There are three reasons in buying art.  The first is of course buying a piece of art because of its inherent beauty and that it appeals to you personally.  It strikes a deep inner chord for you, so much that you want to put it on a prominent wall.  It becomes like a reminder for you of beauty, of a deeper spiritual world.  The painting gives you visual pleasure.picasso-nude-in-armchair

The second reason is that you discover an emerging artist.  You find an artist who is painting with authenticity and there seems to be an inherent power in the work.  As a buyer of art you are looking for something you like but also for investment, banking on the piece increasing in value as the artist becomes more notable.  You buy low with the anticipation of the value increasing.  Meanwhile you enjoy the work of art in your home.  The art history books are full of intriguing stories of artists selling to a buyer interested in the art piece itself but also for its potential and future value.  Often, a very good relationship is established between the artist and the art buyer – a symbiotic relationship.

Buying valuable abstract art however is unfortunately attained only by the wealthy.  Too often they are purchasing just for the supposed market value.  The artist is already famous, the price is high not only because of its inherent value to the world of abstract art but because it somehow has risen to the top, demanding top dollar.  Where does the value  come from?  From the piece itself, the raw impression or from how society has transformed it into something monetarily valuable?

Buying valuable abstract art for primarily monetary reasons is a concept I have yet to understand.  Some critics and investors contend that buying art from well established artists is the best monetary investment possible.   I often ask myself if this breeds only more banal abstract art, pointless and unauthentic expression?   How often have the art critics and the auction houses literally fooled the public by selling inarticulate paintings that lack force and poignancy for hugely inflated prices?  Then when they are sold, we strain to see the value in them – the visual force they are supposed to represent.  We are told they are ‘landmark works’ but even the common man can see when in fact the King has no clothes on.

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Buying Abstract Art

There are essentially four categories when choosing to buy abstract art.  There are of course the greats.  These are the masters who, starting with Kandinsky forged an entirely new style of painting.  I know of only a half dozen people personally who could afford a Picasso or Miro or Gris or Braque.  These paintings are usually in the hands of a few collectors and the rest reside in museums.  Prints of course, can always be purchased through clearing houses.15.jpg

Secondly there are artists living today who are still producing…men such as Gerhardt Richter but their prices are also very, very high.  The dilemna with artists such as Richter is that their work is so popular they complain about not having time to paint.  So much time is spent administering sales and shows that there is little time to be truly creative.  Many of these esteemed and established abstract artists sometimes find themselves in fairly long droughts of being unable to produce new, substantial work.

There is a third category and in terms of price these artists post prices for paintings that is much more in the reach of the average art lover.  They are showing in galleries and the galleries have commissions as high as 60%, but they are selling.  With the internet these artists can be sought out much more easily than before.  They are often at the peak of performance and produce very exciting, dramatic work.  By visiting galleries or by searching the internet these fairly well established artists are creating excellent abstract work.

The fourth category is that of the so-called, ’emerging artists’.  They are quietly painting away in England, America, South America, Canada and Australia – all over the world.  Many of these artists are so involved in developing their craft, they have little time or expertise to develop even a decent web site.  Emerging artists who paint abstracts, when found, can present some excellent opportunities.  First of all you may find one whose style truly resonates with you personally.  The work can usually be purchased in the $2,000 – $5,000 range so there is a very good chance the work will increase in value.   The important thing is you are purchasing a true,  original painting.  Some of these artists who have begun to sell and who have managed to place their work on the internet can be more easily discovered just by simple word searches.