What to Look For When Investing in Art for Your Home
Perhaps you have moved into a new house and are looking to make it a home. Or perhaps you have taken a good look around your home and decided that you would like to be surrounded by inspiring art. The look of blank walls may seem overwhelming, but this is actually a fantastic opportunity to discover new art and breathe life into those blank walls. Investing in art for your home is an exciting task, and I have some tips for you.
Tip #1: Buy what you like
If you are not sure what it is that you like when it comes to art, take the time to visit local art galleries (Points North Gallery and MacDonald Island Art Gallery) and really look at art. Talk to the curator about the different kinds of art and take the time to look at each piece. Challenge yourself to look at different mediums and styles of art that you may not have considered before. Enjoy your time shopping for art and you may be surprised that along the way you discover beauty in different forms of art.
Tip #2: Buy art that you cannot live without
It may surprise you, but upon entering a gallery a piece of art may “grab” you and not let you go. These are the pieces you buy. This is the fun part. You may not know why you are so attracted to that particular piece, but the reason why you like it may not be the important part. Do not buy art purely for economic investments reasons. Most of all do not buy “filler” art just to occupy the empty the space on your wall.
Tip #3: Shop for original art
Original art has been touched and created by an individual person who has embedded the piece of art with passion and creativity. You can see the brush strokes and the texture in the original that is wholly lost in reproduced prints. It can be difficult to rationalize why original art looks and feels so superior to prints, but the simple answer is: original art has magic in it. The passion of the artist shines through the original piece of art, imbuing it with a deep breath of life. There is no way to understand this phenomenon except to experience it. Next time you go to a gallery or a museum, really look at some original art. Then, look up that particular piece of art on the internet. Not quite the same. Not at all the same. Reproduced prints are not at all the same as original art.
Tip #4: Buy local art
Take part in the local myth making and storytelling of your region. Artists have the ability and agency to tell the stories of a community. By purchasing local art you are supporting the commentary of our home community as a local artist tells it. The money you spend on local art will also support your neighbour and the community as a whole. The stories that inspire pieces of art are often so engaging that simply knowing the story can often change how we view a piece of art. When buying local art you will often get to talk with the artists themselves or with a curator who knows the artist personally. You can hear about the stories that underlie and have inspired the piece of art.
Tip #5: Buy art that is going to last
If you want your art to hang on your wall for more than just a few years, take the time to invest in archival framed with quality materials. There is a reason that custom picture framing cost more than mass-produced, ready-made frames. With custom picture framing you are paying for: acid-free materials which will protect your art against yellowing and discolouring, picture framing glass which offers UV protection, and solid wood frames which are made from wood harvested from sustainable sources instead of from the rain forest. This extra investment in picture framing will insure that your purchase of art will truly be an investment that will last. If the art that you buy is worth spending.
Enjoy the process and the shopping. Open your eyes and heart to beauty!
