Musings on collecting art
I’ve been collecting art for much of my adult life, although I didn’t start out to build a collection - I simply bought what I loved, pieces that spoke to me, art that made me feel happy, art from my friends, from my travels. The first piece I bought was a poster of Monet’s Water Lillies. As a student I tended to buy posters and have them framed and I still have the two Toulouse-Lautrec posters from an exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Canberra. All these years later, I still love them and looking back they sparked my fascination with the Moulin Rouge and the history of Montemarte. Over the years, I’ve bought art on my travels, including my first oil painting which I bought in Dublin, Ireland, while backpacking around Europe in my early twenties. There are some amazing private art collections in the world, mine isn’t one of them but it’s mine and I love every single piece I own and the stories found in each of them. I love how art instantly makes a house or apartment feel like home. Some people collect art as a investment; I collect it for the joy it brings me. Below are a few thoughts on buying art and building an art collection. Love to hear your thoughts and tips as well.
Buy what you love (not necessarily what’s in fashion): This has stood the test of time as things I bought 30 years ago, I still love.
Support friends, people in your circle: Around 80% of my art collection comes from friends and fellow artists. It’s hugely gratifying to have their artwork in my home.
Don’t be afraid to buy big: My biggest is over a 1m in height and it looks amazing on the walls.
Be eclectic: As a photographer, I have a lot of fine art photography in my collection, however, I’d also say to have a range of different mediums and styles - oil paintings, watercolours, drawings - as this will add a wonderful dimension to your home.
Buying from emerging artists: all artists need supporting and buying from them, particularly early in career and almost like being a benefactor
Visit art galleries regularly: collecting is fun, all those art gallery openings.
Get to know the artist and the story behind the art they’ve created
Learn about art history - something I love. You get to know a lot about the history of the world through art.
If you want to read more about building an art collection - this is a great blog. There are many other resources on this topic and also different schemes set up to enable people to buy art such as Art Money.
I love this quote from Becca Starr, director of auctions collector relations at Artsy, "Starting a collection is creating an opportunity to be surrounded by joy every day."
Importantly, have fun and enjoy the process of buying and collection art. It’s a beautiful past-time.
Kris xx